The drum on the right is a 1.9 shaku (57cm) katsugi I made for doing bass parts. This drum has square dimensions. The shell diameter is 50cm (20") and the depth is the same. The heads are made of elk hide. They have only a single line of stitches. I would only do this with a drum that does not require a lot of tension, like a bass drum. I call this an "ôkatsugi".

Finally, I put horsehide heads on a katsugi. It sounds great! I recommend horse for this kind of drum. I could make the heads thicker without them getting too stiff or sounding "plasticky". They're dark brown, though, which looks strange until you get used to it. I didn't want to bleach them because I was afraid the chlorine would damage or weaken the hide. The rope is loose because I'm waiting for it to stretch out. It will, and then I can tighten it up. The heads will lighten in color, too, as I use them. There is minimal space between the rings and the shell, just enough room for the ropes to pass through. I was sweating getting this measurement right. But the finished drum is noticeably slimmer. I looks sleeker as well.

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