Meinl hand tambourines have a distinct design advantage due to the construction of the ABS plastic frame. Unlike other tambourines, Meinl's utilizes several different parts in the frame which are assembled into a type of sandwich, resulting in unsurpassed durability. Padded soft grip for more playing comfort. A "Guiro" kind of sound can also be produced by scraping the ribbed edge of the frame. The hand-held version is extremely lightweight for extensive and energetic playing. The sound is very soft and harmonic.