Carlos Botello Signature Marching Pad

The Beetle Percussion Carlos Botello Signature Marching Practice Pad has a 11.75” diameter Valchromat core that has a superior tone, density and resonance compared to MDF or plywood. Carlos wanted a super hard and dense core to his pad and we came through with this new green product that is 30% harder than the widely used MDF. The Valchromat fibers are individually dyed with organic colors so that when you drop this pad, it will still be green. Gone are the days of painted pads that show the inside color after a single drop and look like garbage after years of use. The 1/4” rubber rim is 1/2” deeply inlayed in to the wood. It saves your sticks and ears. You can tell a shot from a tick or miss on this pad - the misses dud in to the rubber rim and a good shot has a distinct different sound than the rim or pad surface alone. The rim side has our 1/4” recycled California car tire surface is made more articulate and speedy by covering it with mylar. The bottom side has 1/2” thick chop building foam rubber for a super low volume practice. This pad was designed, approved and is currently used by Carlos Botello - he was strict on the feel of the pad and we are proud to have achieved this for him. Please consider supporting him and this green pad. It is hand made in America and for each pad sold we plant a tree.

Valchromat:

Most importantly to Beetle, the makers of Valchromat use eco-friendly and environmentally conscious production practices on an already reclaimed wood waste material. Valchromat is an innovative product that combines the natural features of wood with the brightness of color and, because of its unique flexibility, combines the beauty of textures and the best of engineering. Valchromat is not MDF. It is an evolution of the MDF. The added value of Valchromat comes not only from color but also from its distinctive composition and manufacturing process. It is a wood fiber panel colored throughout, where fibers are colored individually, impregnated with organic dyes and bonded together by a special resin which gives Valchromat unique physic and mechanical features.

Product Features:

• Color Throughout: color remains, even after cut or machined. Does not require the use of paint. Do not require gluing an edge.

• Weight-Resistant: high bending resistance

• Easy to Machine: It is on average 30% stronger than standard MDF. Due to the addition of resins in the composition, it has a greater internal cohesion, which gives it a higher mechanical strength.

• Non-toxic: Formaldehyde emissions are within limits set by European standards for wood-based materials.

• Greater load resistance: It has a high bending resistance. Once again, its higher resistance capacity is related to its composition and manufacturing process.

• Tool Friendly: The panels, after machined, require little or no sanding, reducing labor costs and facilitating the finishing process.

• Moisture Resistant: Suitable for indoor applications but can be used in protected outdoor applications, in which case it is necessary to varnish the boards on all surfaces and edges.

• Valchromat does not source wood from:

  Forest areas where civil or traditional rights are violated

  Forest areas of high conservation values threatened by forest management activities

  Genetically modified trees (GMOs)

  Forest areas exploited illegally

  Forest areas resulting from the conversion of natural forests to plantations or non-forest uses

• Their manufacturing processes include:

  Manufacturing without waste: Valchromat’s production is aimed at reducing, or even eliminating environmental impact. All waste and bark resulting from the initial processes are reused to fuel the factory's steam boiler.

  Self-sufficiency on thermal energy: Valchromat’s manufacturing plant generates enough biomass to sustain its thermal energy requirements, without burning any fossil fuels.

• 100% Recyclable