How long does a tabla last?
I have run across instruments in India where people have told me This tabla belonged to my Great-Grandfather . What they are actually saying was that the wooden or metal shell belonged to their grandfather. The lacing and heads have been replaced many times. The lifespan of the tabla is the period that starts when it is new and goes to the point where it costs more to repair than to buy a new one. Therefore, the lifespan is dependent on local economic conditions. In India, the shells may be reheaded and relaced indefinitely because there is a considerable amount of cost tied up in the shells themselves. Furthermore, labour for repairs is very cheap. Therefore in India, the lifespan of a tabla is indefinite. Things are considerably different in the West. As a general rule, head replacements are an economical form of maintenance, but head replacement plus replacement of the lacing cost about what a new instrument will run. If you have a Bengali (Calcutta) style tabla, you can plan on rep
