Sela SE-ION5 Guinean íon

Replaceable Drum Head for Your Iconic Cajón!

This West African country is a center of music and the home of the world-famous "Les Ballets Africains", which over the past three quarters of a century has showcased some of Africa's finest drummers. Central to Guinean music is the djembe, which can be made from cowhide or goatskin.

The Guinean íon pays homage to the latter and produces a rounder tone than a bleached goatskin-íon (like the Cuban). Because it is generally thicker than bleached goatskin, it can also be played considerably harder and is recommended both for its unique frequency response and its durability.

Installation is straightforward: use the Allen key that comes with the Iconic Cajón (usually found at the sound hole near the bottom) to loosen the 8 screws and fit the íon accordingly. Then retighten the screws.

The head tension—and therefore the sound—can be adjusted. Depending on how tightly the screws are fastened, the íon's pitch will change. Experiment with a quarter to half turn per screw to hear how the tone shifts until you find what you like. Be careful not to leave the íon too loose.