Ubud
Earthy carved swirls on a warm natural shell — understated and classic.
Take the rhythm home
A djembe of your own
After a circle or a sound bath, a lot of you ask the same thing — where do I get one of these? So here they are: the drums I play and trust, with the price sorted. Pay online, and the loveliest part — collect yours, free, at your next session.
Collect free at your next sessionPay securely onlineOr posted to your door
Why through The Sonic Sanctuary
Not a catalogue — just the drums I’d put in your hands myself.
Pick your drum, pay online, and choose how it reaches you. Bring it to a circle or sound bath you’re already coming to and it’s free — I’ll have it tuned and ready, hand it to you in person, and pop a few Sonic Sanctuary stickers in the box. Or have it posted straight to your door.
Built for real life · my everyday pick
Fibreglass — light, tough, full of colour
These are what I gig with. Weatherproof, knock-proof, light enough for a child and they hold their tune. Choose your tuning, then a design and size — roughly 7″–8″ for children, 10″–12″ for adults.
Smooth sides, no rope — so you can play the shell and the edges freely. Ready to go, holds its tune, and the friendliest on price.
Bali
Bright, bold patternwork — the one the children always reach for first.
Carnival
Loud, joyful colour — a real celebration of a drum.
Each design is hand-finished, so the exact shade and patterning of yours will be a little unique.
Fibreglass or wood?
An honest word on the difference
I play fibreglass because I cart a whole circle’s worth of drums to every session — they’re light, weatherproof and shrug off a knocking. When you’re moving dozens, heavy wood isn’t practical. But you’re carrying one drum, your drum — so the maths is different for you. Neither is “better”; they’re built for different lives.
| Fibreglass | Traditional wood | |
|---|---|---|
| Sound | Bright, punchy, consistent | Warmer, deeper, more complex |
| Tuning | Holds its tune, low fuss | Rope-tuned; shifts a little with weather |
| Durability | Weatherproof, knock-proof | Loves a bit of care; happiest indoors |
| Weight | Light — easy for children | Heavier, solid carved cedar |
| Best for | Kids, outdoors, festivals, everyday play | One special drum to keep and treasure |
| Character | Bold, colourful designs | Hand-carved, fair-trade, one of a kind |
Hand-carved in Ghana · fair-trade
Traditional wooden djembes
Solid African cedar, a natural goatskin head, rope-tuned and double-strung for a warm, complex voice. Sourced on fair-trade principles, with hand-carved patterns that make every single drum its own. If you want a beautiful instrument to keep, this is it.
Ghanaian rope-tuned djembe
The full traditional voice — booming lows, crisp highs. Roughly 7″–9″ suits most adults; 10.5″–13″ for a big, room-filling bass.
Ghanaian mini djembe
A real hand-carved wooden djembe, scaled down for little hands — an authentic first drum that isn’t a toy.
A musical instrument, not a toy — best enjoyed with a grown-up nearby.
Getting it to you
Collect at your next session — free
Free · most popular
Bring it to me
Coming to a circle or sound bath anyway? Choose collect at checkout and it costs nothing. It comes to me first, so I tune it, check it over, pop a few Sonic Sanctuary stickers in the box, and hand it to you in person — a proper little moment rather than a parcel on the step.
+£12
Posted to your door
Not at a session soon, or buying it as a gift? Choose posted and it’s a flat £12 courier, usually next working day once it’s in stock.
Stickers are yours to use or not — no pressure, just there if you’d like to make the drum a little more you. 🙂
How it works
Pick it, pay, play it
1
Choose & pay
Tap your drum and size and pay securely by card. Takes a minute.
2
Collect or post
At checkout, choose free collection at your next session, or £12 posted to your door.
3
Play it
I place your order and it’s on its way — handed to you (stickers and all) at the circle, or delivered. Then the fun part.
A particular design occasionally sells out — if your exact pick is briefly unavailable, I’ll get in touch and offer you a near-identical design at the same price, no fuss. Not sure what suits you? Just get in touch.