Mango Didgeridoo by Travis Zumwalt 18

Description

At the first glance, it looks like a machine gun. At the first blow, it plays like one too. In the key of F, it is fast and crisp. The overall shape and wood make that F note sound like a concert, not buzzy like many high note didges. Overtones are just easy to bounce around. And Hawaiian Mango is just plain special.

Travis did well keeping the protruding knot like a gunstock. The two little holes add a flare, he told me that they were already there and he just refined them. And he inlaid an agate into the front knot like a spare bullet. Lock and load, this didge makes a special sound.

The mouthpiece deserves mention, partly cuz I’m guessing on the middle brown wood. The Koa and Mahogany are for sure but the center brown wood resembles some parts of a Pheasant Wood didge he made for me, but yeah, I’m guessing. Gorgeous though.

The triangular bell gives a spectrum of amplification, the wider for bass, the narrow for treble. One might think the effect to be minimal, but remember, it’s a high note F, and that uneven bell is a blessing for the sound.

Sound sample

Here are Steve’s ratings, on a scale of 1 – 10:

Specs