Timbra Axé surdos are very solid well-made drums!
The aluminum shells are polished and are almost like a mirror and reinforced to take high tensions. The chrome hardware is also aluminum and is treated so that it will withstand corrosion and keep looking nice over time.
The heads are milky white plastic and are made in the Timbra factory.
There are 10 tuning rods and reinforced shell allows you to tune it high like a 3rd surdo if you want.
This drum is 18 inches in diameter and 16.75 inches tall. This drum is the perfect size for samba reggae but also has plenty of BOOM for batucada as well.
The hole in the side of the drum is larger than other drums. This allows you to mount a microphone for recordings and live amplification.
Straps
Batucada styles use a shoulder strap:
https://gosamba.net/collections/straps/products/shoulder-strap
And the drum is held at bit of an angle to your body.
Samba reggae styles generally use a waist strap:
https://gosamba.net/collections/straps/products/waist-strap-macapart
And the drum is held straight in front of the body.
Mallets
https://gosamba.net/collections/mallets-and-sticks/products/surdo-mallets-ivsom-small-terceira-third-surdo
More information:
For more information about how to play surdos check out this post on The Earplug Blog
11 lbs