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TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 1:19 pm
by Thomas Altmann
Recently I made some photos of my instruments. Here is my GonBops collection:

Image

Greetings,

Thomas

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 1:46 pm
by Gallichio
Beautiful drums!

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Sun Sep 06, 2009 5:10 pm
by bongosnotbombs
Very nice. Those congas look well used. I would like to see more of that bongo.

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 8:15 am
by Thomas Altmann
bongosnotbombs wrote:Very nice. Those congas look well used. I would like to see more of that bongo.


The Congas are well used for sure, as are the COB timbales. The bongo is exactly the same model (Walnut 4 hooks) and even has a hole in the bridge as the one depicted as Robert Felcher's drums in docarroyo's GonBops Bongo thread. It looks almost identical.

I don't know why, but I always liked that company, their drums, how they sound and feel. Although I find the congas are not loud enough for many amplified situations; at least they made me break the skin of my fingers often. That's what I got my Schallochs for.

Thomas

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Mon Sep 07, 2009 4:41 pm
by bongosnotbombs
Thomas Altmann wrote:
I don't know why, but I always liked that company, their drums, how they sound and feel. Although I find the congas are not loud enough for many amplified situations; at least they made me break the skin of my fingers often. That's what I got my Schallochs for.

Thomas

The oak Gon Bops are louder than the philippine mahogany models that you have. I'ts nice to have louder and softer congas.
That's why I have cherry and oak drums. I agree Gon Bops do have a nice feel, and the wood you have are light and easier
to carry around.

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 12:06 am
by umannyt
Thomas,

Very nice collection of Gon Bops drums, especially your timbales! Congratulations!

bongosnotbombs wrote:The oak Gon Bops are louder than the philippine mahogany models that you have. I'ts nice to have louder and softer congas.
That's why I have cherry and oak drums. I agree Gon Bops do have a nice feel, and the wood you have are light and easier
to carry around.

BNB,

Basically similar to my own experience: My oak (heavier) Gon Bops CAs are louder than my canoe (lighter) Islas. It's nice to have both-sounding congas depending upon the music genre one is playing and the type of band one is playing with.

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 8:10 am
by Thomas Altmann
BNB & Manny,

Are you talking about the old GonBops oak congas or some new line? I saw a U.S. American conga drummer in Germany in the beginning of the 80's, and he had what looked like a prototype or custom made oak or hickory set of GonBops to me. Beautiful look, beautiful sound.

TA

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 4:14 pm
by bongosnotbombs
I'm talking about the older vintage Gon Bops in oak. I have one now. I have
also had a phillipine mahogany Gon Bops, similar to yours, I refurbished it and sold it.
The Gon Bops oak have more volume in my experience.

I also have one of the new series of DW Gon Bops. It has a lot of volume as well.
Heavier and more solid than the older original Gon Bops series.

vintage oak
DSCF1217.JPG

phillipine mahogany Gon Bop
DSCF8995.JPG

DW California series Gon Bops
DSCF1214.JPG

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Tue Sep 08, 2009 9:57 pm
by Thomas Altmann
Hi Geordie,

bongosnotbombs wrote:The Gon Bops oak have more volume in my experience.
I also have one of the new series of DW Gon Bops. It has a lot of volume as well.
Heavier and more solid than the older original Gon Bops series.


Sure. A heavier, harder wood produces more volume.

Great drums, by the way. Nicely restored, too, especially the oak model.

TA

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Thu Sep 10, 2009 5:07 am
by umannyt
Thomas Altmann wrote:BNB & Manny,

Are you talking about the old GonBops oak congas or some new line?

TA

TA,

The new line.

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:33 pm
by Ernesto Pediangco
bongosnotbombs wrote:I'm talking about the older vintage Gon Bops in oak. I have one now. I have
also had a phillipine mahogany Gon Bops, similar to yours, I refurbished it and sold it.
The Gon Bops oak have more volume in my experience.

I also have one of the new series of DW Gon Bops. It has a lot of volume as well.
Heavier and more solid than the older original Gon Bops series.

vintage oak
DSCF1217.JPG

phillipine mahogany Gon Bop
DSCF8995.JPG

DW California series Gon Bops
DSCF1214.JPG

Just for fun , lets add my 1998 Gon Bop ( Molinari era ) I have had a black stained & powder coated Congas simular to the Old Voodoo GB model & also a pair of the Red & Blk stained Ash Gon Bops. My only complaint was the sharper bearing edges were not kind to hands or to heads. The newer steel bands are far better than the old aluminium bands but still flush tio the shell, I never feel them caught in my pant legs etc.

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:35 pm
by Ernesto Pediangco
Ernesto Pediangco wrote:
bongosnotbombs wrote:I'm talking about the older vintage Gon Bops in oak. I have one now. I have
also had a phillipine mahogany Gon Bops, similar to yours, I refurbished it and sold it.
The Gon Bops oak have more volume in my experience.

I also have one of the new series of DW Gon Bops. It has a lot of volume as well.
Heavier and more solid than the older original Gon Bops series.

vintage oak
DSCF1217.JPG

phillipine mahogany Gon Bop
DSCF8995.JPG

DW California series Gon Bops
DSCF1214.JPG

Just for fun , lets add my 1998 Gon Bop ( Molinari era ) I have had a black stained & powder coated Congas simular to the Old Voodoo GB model & also a pair of the Red & Blk stained Ash Gon Bops. My only complaint was the sharper bearing edges were not kind to hands or to heads. The newer steel bands are far better than the old aluminium bands but still flush tio the shell, I never feel them caught in my pant legs etc.
Ernestos GB Congas.jpg

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:44 pm
by Mike
Hey Thomas, what a pity, you removed the photo(s) in your initial post! :?
Unless you repost any of your pics, it is no use keeping up this thread I´d say...

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:52 pm
by Thomas Altmann
Hi Mike,

I did not delete anything. The URL of the photo had changed to capital letters for some reason; I had to correct that. Well, back it is!

Thomas

Re: TA's GonBops collection

PostPosted: Wed Feb 09, 2011 9:16 pm
by Mike
Wow, thanks for the quick correction!
BTW, what are your Gon Bops conga sizes like?
Looks like some rather small head sizes to me.
Nothing wrong with that of course.