Mappo Steel Drum Pan - Lead/Tenor Chrome, 23" Diameter, Fine Tuned A440, Chrome Finish, 29 Notes

I have purchased several professional/recording quality steel drums over the years (I gig 6 nights a week) and have never been delivered a pan of such inferior quality until now. The tenor pan I received is out of tune, a very large amount of black pits and grooves are present on the playing surface of the instrument. There are various scratches on the skirt of the instrument. The scribe markings (these are engraved by the builder so that the player might see the notes clearly) are very sloppy for lack of a better term. The chrome job is below average and its certainly not "bright" as listed on the sellers page. The sound of the pan itself is what you might expect from the 200 dollar toy steel drums that they also carry; this is not what you would expect from a good import. I should also note that the in addition to the notes in the pan being out of tune, the inner ring of notes are skewed in such a way that you will have trouble with the sticking patterns that you are accustomed to. This might not be a problem on other drums however as no two drums are exactly the same. The Steel Drum I received from Steel Drum Source was so terrible that I am seriously wondering if I received the wrong drum? if that is the case I will post a follow up review that describes this error in full detail. Absent some unlikely development, I will be returning this Steel Drum promptly. To be absolutely clear, the instrument that I was sent from Steel Drum Source is in no way shape or form suitable for performance, recording or any other professional application you might think of. If you are a serious Pan player, NEVER, EVER buy a steel drum sight unseen from the internet unless you have a relationship with the builder/tuner.