Input on making Shekeres

[bongosnotbombs]

I just made a trip to a gourd farm last weekend and picked up 9 gourds.
3 small, 3 medium and 3 large.
I'm going to be making a couples of agbe / guiro sets over the next couple of months.

I'm looking for new ideas and techniques.
I've made a couple of shekeres and I wanted to ask the congaplace board what they have
liked about the shekeres they have played and heard and made themselves.

Thanks.

[Mr. Conga]

Nice, you seem like you like new projects, its an enjoyable hobbie, i look foward to seing your result.
Can you post pictures of the gourds you picked up?

I have experience that when you buy a shekere, the key of the tone is in the carving the was done.
So don't carve too much, but not a little bit. Be balanced, think of the tone you want before carving.
I likke deep bass tones on them.

Since you got a few, maybe make one of each different tone. I like the neck of the shekere not too short, so that when your playing in not likely to slip off, and get damaged.
I would sudjest ,you make a set of 3 with regular beads, and one with less beads, so that the sound of the beads won't interfere as much withthe tone of the gourd.

Post the pictures.

[bongosnotbombs]

These are the gourds I just got from the farm. I also have 3 more I have already started.
I painted the insides with a hard acrylic paint, it has helped the sound a lot, louder and fuller.
I used black, it's not bad, but I think for these other ones I will go clear.

Eventually I'll be letting most of these go as gifts or for sale, in case anyone has been looking.