Humidity and tuning

[109-1176549166]

You won't believe this, but the skin of the "macho" of my Gon Bops CA bongo has just become the victim of my inadvertently forgetting to follow my own rule!

This afternoon (Monday), I remembered to take out my bongos with its soft case, practice congas (Toca Player Series w/ Remo Fiberskyn heads), Fat Congas cajon and bag of assorted percussion toys from my van which had been parked outside on my driveaway all night and day.

I attended a reunion of several 60s and 70s Filipino Rock, R&B, Latin Jazz and Mainstream Jazz bands at the Hilton hotel in Newark, CA, yesterday (Sunday). We played and jammed from 12 noon till 8 p.m! I was basically the only multi-percussionist, so I was asked to sit in with most of the bands.

I also had a very exhausting gig last Saturday night.

When I came home at almost 10 p.m. last night, I was so exhausted and simply crashed straight on top my bed.

To make a long story short, I forgot to detune the skins of my bongos and congas when I got home last night. And guess what? When I took out my bongos from its bag this afternoon, the (horse) skin of the "macho" had cracked!

I've wanted so much to hear from someone's own bad personal experience involving the skin(s) of their drum(s) tearing as a result of not detuning shortly after use and, thus, vindicating my position. But, vindicating it with my own personal experience was simply the furthest thing from my mind and a little too soon.

Was it due to not detuning, drastic heat changes inside the van or both or the thickness/thinness of the horse skin? I really don't know. The bottom line, again, is it pays to detune.

Thankfully, nothing happened to the Remo Fiberskyn heads of my congas. But, frankly, I had expected that 'cause of the (supposed) durability of synthetic heads and relatively lower tuning required of congas.

Sorry, but I didn't think of taking pictures (for your viewing pleasure :;):) of the cracked skin right after I discovered it while it was still mounted on my bongo. I've already removed it with the tuning hardware from the shell.



Edited By mjtuazon on 1185263238

[CongaTick]

Oh Manny,
So sorry to hear about this. Though I've never suffered a split, I know we all know the post gig exhaustion at 3AM where shlepping those tubs out of the car/van is the very last thing we want to do. It's so easy after the last set to hang with the crowd, shmooze, kick back, have a few drinks, instead of grabbing the wrench. So sorry... a tear in a drum skin goes right to the heart.

[109-1176549166]

Hi CongaTick,

Kumusta! Maraming salamat for empathising! I appreciate it!

My concern now is looking for an immediate replacement horse skin, preferably Gon Bops'. I'm gonna call Gon Bops/DW today.

O sige pare,

[bongosnotbombs]

Yeah, I've had the skin on my machio's split twice now, it happens, at least the macho skin is easier and cheaper to replace...........don't know about the horse skin though, I have good results with kip...............y'know I also have some x-ray fil which is good macho's, I could give you, it's very popular in Cuba and PR to use x-ray.........................G!

[109-1176549166]

Yeah, I've had the skin on my machio's split twice now, it happens, at least the macho skin is easier and cheaper to replace...........don't know about the horse skin though, I have good results with kip...............y'know I also have some x-ray fil which is good macho's, I could give you, it's very popular in Cuba and PR to use x-ray.........................G!

Bongosnotbombs,

So sorry to hear about your macho skins splitting twice.

Pardon my ignorance, but what's "kip...y"? ???

I'd be interested in the x-ray fil. Can you describe it more for me: thickness/thinness, color, etc.? BTW, I'm willing to pay for it.

Thanks so much for the offer,

[Tonio]

Manny , Sorry to hear your skin broke.
I ALWAYS make it a habit to detune my drums, especially the bongos. I don't care what kind of gig it is- I will detune.
If its a benefit or a big one, where the bands rotate on/off the stage, I detune as soon as my equipment is off the stage. If paparatzi/fans come to do whatever backstage, I will detune. Sometimes I don't pay attention to the conversation, because I'm am detuning-and I always detune each the same amount counterclockwise around the drum.


Kip is a calf of female I beleive, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Sorry to hear it, but chalk it up to your 1st disaster :angry: you'll know from now on.


Now its time for recovery with a new skin- thats part of being a percussionist bro!!
I've got a spare cowhide I could send you, but its has the old United cowhide machinery marks that may remain after soak/mounting.

T

[109-1176549166]

Manny , Sorry to hear your skin broke.
I ALWAYS make it a habit to detune my drums, especially the bongos. I don't care what kind of gig it is- I will detune.
If its a benefit or a big one, where the bands rotate on/off the stage, I detune as soon as my equipment is off the stage. If paparatzi/fans come to do whatever backstage, I will detune. Sometimes I don't pay attention to the conversation, because I'm am detuning-and I always detune each the same amount counterclockwise around the drum.


Kip is a calf of female I beleive, someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Sorry to hear it, but chalk it up to your 1st disaster you'll know from now on.


Now its time for recovery with a new skin- thats part of being a percussionist bro!!
I've got a spare cowhide I could send you, but its has the old United cowhide machinery marks that may remain after soak/mounting.

T

Tonio,

Thanks so much for empathising, Bro!

Yeah, I got so caught up in all the after-jamming excitement and conversation so as to forget to detune my bongos. Worse, because of sheer exhaustion (because of Saturday night's big gig also), I inadvertently left it still un-detuned inside my van which was parked outside on my driveway all night (Sunday) and all day (Monday), subject to the inevitable drastic changes in temperature.

The occasion last Sunday was the PCR's (Pinoy Classic Rockers) annual reunion-jam here in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's like the Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Awards on VH1, especially the jam session part towards the end of the program. You see, I haven't seen and played with many of the people present during the jam session in decades, some in the Philippines way back during the 60s & 70s. It was such a sentimental trip and a very nostalgic reunion of some of the legends of Philippine Rock & Roll, R&B, Pop, Latin Jazz and Mainstream Jazz.

Man, some of the guys there were my boyhood musical idols! With some, this was the very 1st time I ever got to meet them in person. And to be able to shake their hand, have conversations with them, more so jam with some of them and, even more so, to see them turning their heads towards me and nodding (some even smiling) in approval at my multi-percussion playing was, for me, a thrill of a lifetime!

I even mentioned to one of them, my favorite idol who's one of the finest Philippine drummers ever, that "now I can die."

Some have become U.S. residents/citizens and live either within the Bay Area (just like me) or out-of-state (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New York, etc.). A few flew all the way from the Philippines. (FYI, aside from being a former colony of Spain for 400 long years, the Philippines also became a U.S. Commonwealth--just like Puerto Rico--for about 50 years during the 1st half of the 20th century. We, Filipinos, facetiously describe this page in our history as being "400 years in the convent immediately followed by 50 years in Hollywood". ) :laugh:

Angry? No, I'm not and never was. Thank God, I'm a guy who's been graced with being pretty cool and detached about a lot of material possessions. So, yeah, I'll definitely charge it to experience.

And as I've said, earlier, it's very ironic that this would happen to me (I who's been quite vocal on this thread about the merits of detuning), and so soon, with my bongo. Man, right now, I feel just like a hypocritical fire-and-brimstone TV evangelist who's been caught and publicly exposed committing adultery! :laugh:

Thanks so much for the offer of your spare cowhide! I really appreciate it! I may just take you up on your offer (I'm willing to pay) after I've called Gon Bops/DW and heard back from another very kind Bro, bongosnotbomb.



Edited By mjtuazon on 1185319115