i'm not even CLOSE to being an expert on this, but i'll give my 2 cents.
i bought a half moon tambo about a month ago and it had info on the container that said the sound of the tambo comes from what the "jingles" are made out of
brass are more lower-pitched and darker sounding, while stainless steel jingles are brighter and louder
(according to guitar center). plus, mine is plastic, but it sounds nothing like the lucy lawless version on snl
i always assumed stevie went to half moon because of her mystique and appearance. But it also says the half moons are more ergonomically correct. so idk. maybe stevie needed to save her wrist strength to track those ghosts through the fog
