Hi folks,
I'm a woodworker & drummer, and I'm re-skinning my first djembe drum. I'm also going to re-finish/treat the shell as part of normal maintenance.
Last night I unlaced the rope & pulled the old head off & discovered the wood looked "streaked". Like maybe it's moldy or "spalted" or something. I believe the wood is Iroko, but I'm not totally sure. There is no concerning smell or anything like that - it's just visual. And the drum has been treated well the last couple years (since I've owned it), but I can't speak to its history prior to that. I'm pretty sure the previous owner took good care of it, though he didn't play it much.
It could be that the maker of the drum didnt exercise care when he put the head on... like maybe the goatskin was too wet & stained the shell, or maybe he left the newly skinned drum to dry in an environment that was too humid, & it got mildewy? (Based on how the bearing edge is shaped, I'm not confident he took great care in building this drum.) But also, the streaking looks like it's exclusively in the sapwood - the heartwood doesn't have it. Could it be that the wood hadn't been properly dried in the first place (a wood moisture content thing?)
Anyway my question is this: does the wood in the attached photos look like it's worth saving? If not, I'll invest in another shell - I'm OK with that. I don't think this problem will affect the structural integrity or the sound - it's just an aesthetic thing. But I want the finished project to also look nice, and I'm guessing the streaks aren't just on the surface? That sanding may not get rid of them?
Thanks for your time & assistance!
Steve
P.S. My apologies for the orientation of the photos.
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