Patent ID: 8642866

Claim:
In a musical instrument with a hollow shell having one or more openings, the improvement comprising: a head member, said head member having a playing surface, said playing surface having an underside, and an annular frame member attached to said playing surface, said annular frame member having a bottom edge; a hollow shell, said hollow shell having a sidewall with an outside surface and an inside surface, and at least one end defining an opening, said opening having a circumferential edge portion; a tapered coupling member, said tapered coupling member being disposed upon said outside surface of said hollow shell with the most tapered end of said tapered coupling member disposed in near proximity or generally adjacent to said circumferential edge portion gradually widening as said tapered coupling member extends along said outside surface of said hollow shell in the direction away from said circumferential edge portion; said head member being mountable upon said end of said hollow shell wherein said head member and said hollow shell are slidably disposed to frictionally engage, enabling said head member and said hollow shell to establish an airtight fit and the transfer of energy produced upon the striking of said playing surface from said head member to said hollow shell to enhance the fullness, sound and resonant bass tones of said musical instrument.