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Can someone shed some light on REMO Bongo Fiberskins? I’ve always used real skins on my Bongos. Musk, Steer, Horse, Cow, Buffalo, Deer etc. but recently I’ve been looking at playing around with some REMO plastic heads. Can some one shed some light on what the difference is between R-Series, S-Series so on and so on?

I have NO clue what works, what sounds good, what series is better. I’m lost, please help! Lol.

Thanks in advance, JUAORT.

It seems from my internet research that users rank fiberskyn as the top rated plastic bongos head from Remo in terms of sound, playability and durability (i gather "better" than nuskyn, or skyndeep). Also fiberskyn is expensive (around 75 € per head here in Europe, so about 150 € for the set).

I believe that the T series is the tucked (T ?) kind and the R series has a flat metal ring (R ?) around. But I can't tell if they both work as well on bongos, or if one is "better" than the other.

The T series seems closer in look to the original LP head I have on my Dandy.
https://remo.com/products/product/tucked-fiberskyn/
The R series comes in high collar and low collar.
https://remo.com/experience/post/how-to ... drumheads/

Wishing I could be of more help ..

That’s great feedback! Beatnik07, much appreciated.

I like to use an old ripped and well-broken-in thick conga skin on the hembra, if you can find one that has a big enough intact part of the skin to fit your bongo. It has a drier sound with less ring than a new or thinner skin. I haven't heard a plastic skin on an hembra that I really liked the way it sounded, and I have heard a lot of bongos over the past 48 years. Because the macho skin breaks a lot more frequently than the hembra, I recently tried a Remo Skyndeep tucked plastic skin on the hembra of a Matador, Remo skin model # M9-0715-S4-SD003. Another forum member Caballoballo, an experienced working bongocero, recommended it. I like it so far, it sounds very good, is much stronger than the non-tucked plastic skins, and feels easier on your hands. I don't like the super smooth slippery feel of the plastic so much but my hands hurt less after playing and that is a good trade-off. If I remember correctly, Caballoballo said he preferred the sound of the Skyndeep over the Fiberskyn, but I couldn't find that post. If you get the Fiberskyn let us know how you like the sound and the playing feel.

This is a tutorial video I have been watching where the bongos seem to have fiberskyns.
Maybe this can help get a feel for the sound of this head:

Nice to see some new young blood around here - I may have to start checking this old site more often.

I agree, always agree, with Jorge and Caballoballo about the thick hembra skin. I also usually use a used conga skin and keep it on for many years with minimal detuning.

But on the macho I like a very high pitch and always preferred goat skin. The sound is great but the thin skin can't take a long beating and wears out from overstreaching or just breaks. So, for years I kept a tucked Newskyn macho as a backup in my bag. I never really liked it but it was a great replacement backup. When the fiberskyns came out I tried all of them the 2s & the 3s. Better than the newskyn but still didn't have the sound or feel of goat. I also like the sound & feel of horse skin but too much trouble.

When Caballoballo started reccommending the tucked skyndeep macho I started using it. It sounds really good and I like the different designs and colors. I miss the goat skins but do not miss all the care needed to maintain them and having to change them so often.

Thanks so much fellas! I’ll be looking for a set soon. It’ll be something to experiment with. I was on vacation in Puerto Rico recently and racked up on some real sweet Cow Skins for both macho and Hembra. So the REMOs will be a different option to play with.

BTW, I also like putting a Conga skin on the Bongos Hembra. I like the deep bass sound. But they can be a pain to put on. I have one on my HR El Piernas Hembra.