MAHARAJA Student Tabla Drum Set, Basic Tabla Set, Steel Bayan, Dayan with Hammer, Cushions & Cover - Perfect Tablas for Students and Beginners (PDI-IB) Tabla Drums, Indian Hand Drums

I was very impressed by the quality service we received by the vendor (buy Ragini of India). We got the merchandise in just 8 days from order to deliver; and the shipment was packed with care and professionalism. It was neatly packaged and all care was taken that it reaches the destination of almost 10,000 miles away (Delhi to Austin, TX)with absolutely no scratch or damage. We were very impressed by the expedient service and professionalism of the vendor. That is truly remarkable. I have just one suggestion to make and it is not a criticism. The inside packing was done using hard white packing material in bits and pieces which resulted in both parts of the Tabla being fully covered with small plastic pieces which were difficult to remove. Apparently the person who packed it did not have good training. Unpacking the set from inside the box was a chore and made the room dirty. In future it may be advisable to use clear plastic bags to wrap the set and then use foam to secure them in place. These foam pieces can be easily remover without making anything dirty. That is the only lapse we found.The set is beautifully made. It has superb resonant sound and is a joy to play. It looks like it came fully tuned so that I don't have to do the elaborate tuning. Its looks are also very pleasant. It came with its own box (cardboard container in the shape of a box with locks and keys and even a handle to carry around). This box can be reused and is handy to have around. The shipment also contained a beautiful "hammer" for tuning as well as a very useful book with useful information about Tabla as well a set of cushion for the two pieces of the set.Student Model Classic Steel Tabla Set 2 KG (PDI-IB)I highly recommend the set as well as the vendor. Buy Ragini is a class merchant who can render fast and efficient service.

One of the negative reviewers complained about receiving a bayan with hair and a strong dead-animal odor. It's possible I received the same one, repackaged. The skins of many of these bayans must be produced in a cheap rush, and so certain strips used for the rim weren't properly tanned. BUT the smell can be extracted in a variety of ways, and scented talcum/baby powder (for playing), among other things, should eventually impart new smells to the instrument. All of this I learned from a little bit of web browsing. Easiest technique for extracting the "dead animal smell" is probably what I did: chop up a bag of apples (or even just cores and skins, if you're using the fruit for something else), place the bits in a trash bag and tie it shut with the bayan on top of the apples (with a grate or plate to keep juices separate from skin). Let the drum sit in the bag for a day or so (room temp, as always) and wipe it off, repeating with fresh bag & new apples a second time, if needed. The fruit absorbs the smell.Even with all of that, I'll say this is a great value because the tabla is perfect, and everything in the photo arrives as seen (covers and bases vary). My background being that of a bass player, I'm used to re-tuning so only time will tell whether that is a serious flaw. (plenty of med-high quality stringed instruments go out of tune routinely). But, as a starter kit, it seems equivalent to a Fender Squier or any cheap rock drumset.

For the price, the tabla set is good. I do feel that the Steel Bayan is not well tuned or something as it does not produce deep sound. The packaging is well done for long distance shipment but the box seems fragile and low quality.

It's ok tabla.

I am a first time user of Tabla, and I feel like I made a good choice with this Tabla set. So far my practice is going great. It sounds great, specially Tabla (dhaya).

Placed an order on friday, Got it the next thursday. I had it shipped to the east coast, US.To begin with, the shipping was perfect because the product came on time. The packing was absolutely perfect and secure, these guys are absolutely serious about their business. Comes with a sturdy case spacious enough to hold the tablas and the rings. The case was well padded on the inside and bubble wrapped on the outside.Comes with:1) The left Dhagga and the right Tabla.2) Base rings for support.3) Hammer for tuning.4) Tabla top covers5) Book on various bols and taals to be played on the tabla.The tabla was a little out of tune, which is expected because It is brand new and it'll take some time for the tabla surface to mature, sound wise. They deliver exactly what they advertise and Im very very happy with the product.I played the tabla for 10 years following a 10 year gap. Just started playing this today and it feels absolutely amazing. Im not sure what the other tablas out there advertise themselves as "Professional Tabla"'s for, this one is perfect for beginners and advanced players alike.Id give my whole experience of placing the order, the shipping, the packaging and the product itself 10 stars out of 5!!!! Great Seller.

Very nice tabla for anyone who wants to start with. Great sound and nice packing. Highly recommend.

Tablas arrived on time as promised, we let them climatize a bit in the box as we were not going tonuse them for a couple weeks. Upon opening noticed scratch like marks on the treble side along with pen marks. The bass had some oil spots on them. They steel drum on the bass isn’t constructed that well. Will see how they hold up - time will tell.