Meinl PA10AB-M Pandeiro

From the perspective of a bodhran player

Just wanted to preface by saying this is my first Pandeiro and I didn't purchase it to play Brazilian music so that obviously influenced my ratings.

I was drawn to this product because of the tuning system and the fact that it has no rims. This system makes the shell thicker that normal - about 18.5mm- so that might be a consideration.

The head itself is a decent quality goat skin - I would say a medium thickness - definitely not as nice looking as in the picture though ,and I'm not a fan of the Meinl logo on it either. Another thing to consider is that the head can't just be swapped out like a Pandeiro with rims. It would be more like changing a tambourine head. That said, I don't think it would be a hard job.

I have no experience with platinelas but these ones sound nice. They're dry, mellow and quiet. (The brass does look cheap though ) Again I don't think they'd cut through very well in a Samba setting.

To conclude, this is a nice instrument for a percussionist who wants a small, tuneable instrument without the typical rims. However if you're looking for something with a more traditional Pandeiro sound, I don't think this is for you.