Bongos

[James]

I'm thinking I'd like to buy some bongos. Does anyone know what I should I look for in a pair?

Can you recommend a set to buy?

Anyone have any ideas on resources I should buy to learn?

Thanks

[EvanP]

James,
Welcome to the asylum! First I got hooked on djembe, then went to a Cuban party after a djembe class, the next thing you know I've got claves, congas, and bongos, not to mention dunun. The damn things breed!

Anyway, as with djembe, I am no expert, but I did discover a site similar to djembefola, but with a very active "for sale" section. The instruments there tend to be very high-end ($300 - $600US for a pair of bongos), but there's lots of good information and you can get a feel for what the community thinks is good and not so good. The general advice is stay away from entry level bongos (e.g. LP Aspire). The top of the line Meinl's seem to get good press, aren't that expensive, and may be easier to find in Europe than the US brands. LP Giovanni and Valje, as well as GonBops California series also seem to get good press.

Here's the link:

http://www.mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/

I ended up finding a pair of GonBops Tumbao bongos on eBay for a reasonable price. They are decent drums--definitely not hand crafted, but can generate good tones. Not sure if you have CraigsList or equivalent in France, but that's not a bad source once you figure out what you're looking for.

Evan

[bubudi]

i don't think they'd let you import african wildlife into france, james

[e2c]

James, I would suggest doing a bit of research on the woods used in the shells.

Meinl uses a lot of rubber wood (from old rubber plantations in South and East Asia) and it's probably not what you want in terms of sound quality.

Hardwoods like oak and ash are better-sounding on the whole. And most cheap bongos and congas are not a good buy - by which I mean ones that have low retail prices. (It's always possible to snag a bargain, but you have to do a lot of looking.)

You will also want good tuning hardware and and good rims on the shells.

[e2c]

I would also suggest www.descarga.com, although given the interest in salsa and Cuban music in France, you might be able to find a French equivalent.

Go to "category search" and then click on "instructional."

[EvanP]

It's not just the low end bongos that use rubber wood (aka Siam oak). For whatever reason, bongos (and congas for that matter) seem to be much less sensitive to materials than djembes. Shape, hardware, and heads seem to play a much bigger roll. Definitely stay away from entry level (ne cheap) bongos, but if you find a good deal on Valjes, go for it!

e2c, Cool website by the way. Can't wait to explore it.

Evan

[e2c]

Valje congas would be my drums of choice if I were planning on getting a set...

gotcha on the LP (etc.) drums made of so-called "Siam oak." This is an unnecessarily confusing thing, with manufacturers exploiting the alternate names for rubberwood and other inferior woods.

At this point, I think it's wise to do some searches and make sure you know what's being advertised and whether it has any relationship at all to European and N. American species.

[EvanP]

If you really want to take the plunge on vintage:
http://www.mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=6582
http://www.mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?f=36&t=6531

Or if you're looking for top quality new:
Moperc out of Canada: rave reviews for their bongos and congas
http://www.moperc.com/en/bongo_drum_cubano.php

Resolution Drums--Ralph Flores, the son of the creator of Valje:
http://www.resolutiondrums.com/parts.asp

and the ne plus ultra seems to be Matthew Smith of Ritmo Drums:
http://www.ritmostudios.com/My_Homepage ... Page8.html

Finally, what I think are the most beautiful congas and bongos, although there have been reports of them being very hard to get and deal with, Isla Percussion:
http://islapercussions.blogspot.com/search/label/Bongos

I'm sure there are Europeans turning out similar stuff, so look around.

[EvanP]

James,
Here's one more pair for consideration.
http://www.mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=6773
Evan

[e2c]

Hey Evan - i think James has been pretty busy getting the vids with bops set up...

Just wanted to say that I've really appreciated all of your comments/suggestions/links/info. on this thread. I am way behind on the Afro-Cuban learning curve and you're helping me - and others - get up to speed.

Good on you!

[EvanP]

E2C,
Thanks. Glad to know my compulsion is useful.

Cheers,
Evan

[EvanP]

By the way we went to Afrocubism tonight. They put on a great show, particularly for those of us that like Mande music and Cuban son music. Check it out if you get the chance.

[Paul]

10 days till Afrocubism, cant believe they are coming to ireland