Bongos consist of two drums, the macho (small) and the hembra (large), which are joined by a bridge. (In Spanish "macho" means male and "hembra" means female.) The bongos are usually made from oak or mahogany, with metal lugs and rims. Most bongos are constructed from wood, but some companies manufacture fiberglass models.

Bongos usually feature one of two styles of bottom rims-either aluminum cast, as in LP Galaxy, Matadors, LP Fiberglass, Generation II, LP Generation III and the Valje Armando Peraza Series. The heads are usually made from the skins of cow, calf, mule, goat, or kangaroo. In Cuba you will occasionally see X-ray film being used on the macho. (I prefer natural-skin heads and wood drums both for sound and aesthetics.)

When purchasing bongos, choose an instrument that meets your needs. Many of the professional models, such as LP Galaxy, Generation II and III and Matador have superior tone and solid construction, but maybe heavy for a beginner. For the price, the best beginner bongos I have seen are the LP Aspire Bongos. They are made of Siam Oak, have fairly durable hardware, are lightweight.

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