Rob Ploger places wooden staves together to make a drum. Traditional Japanese taiko drums are made from solid tree trunks.

Photos by Jim Davis / arizona daily star

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One of the questions spectators most often ask members of Odaiko Sonora is, "Where do you get the drums?"

The local taiko group's answer: They become carpenters.

North American taiko, or Japanese ensemble drumming, is about 40 years old and depends on the coopers' ancient craft for its instruments. Buying Japanese drums is too expensive, so local members create their own using wine barrels.

The staves from Napa Valley wine barrels are knocked apart, then the barrels are routed inside to create an acoustic surface, biscuit-joined and sanded for hours.

A reinforcing ring of marine-quality plywood helps maintain the barrel's shape and makes the interior more closely resemble the shape of traditional Japanese taikos, which are made from solid tree trunks.

After staining and varnishing the wood barrel — and installing a U.S. version of hardware that includes leather and brass bullrings — rawhide is stretched over the do, or body, using a rig of wood platforms, car jacks and manila rope.

The makers take turns jumping on the kawa, or head, to break the fibers of the skin, which gives the drum a better sound. After a second stretch using the car jacks, the head is fixed in place with two rows of upholstery tacks.The entire process takes several weeks.

The result is well worth the effort, as the drum becomes part of the joyful noise Odaiko Sonora makes for our community.