ISLA PERCUSSION - Discussion, Quality, Experience, etc

[onile]

Alafia Abures!
I hope that you are all well and abundantly blessed!

Congratulations Abure Mjtuazon, the anticiaption you feel will be more than worth it when they arrive! I actually kept my eye out for the delivery truck till they arrived, and when they did......I kept playing them for hours on end.

As for the sound, Chacho! You will not be disappointed! I have had my set for quite a while now and they have continued to sound better. As Mario had mentioned to me ......they are just breaking in. I take my drums out to almost all of my gigs!

I have Palladiums (4), Fats (3), Patatos (4), GonBops California (3), and my Islas (3), of all these drums I own, I feel the Fats and the Islas sound the best! I take turns taking my "kids" out on gigs, but mainly my Islas are the "favorites"!

The description that you provided regarding the Islas Abure Mjtuazon is perfect:

"But, as I often tell myself and other conga enthusiasts, to me they're "perfect in their being imperfect"--if I may be allowed to use an oxymoron."

There are slight "imperfections" but as a very good friend of mine shared with me regarding this "it's an individualized set" not a copy!

I absolutlely enjoy playing my Islas and you will too "Manny"!

Many blessings!

Onile!



Edited By onile on 1181749478

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... -Islas.JPG

[109-1176549166]

'Mano Onile,

Thanks "muchisimo" once again for your very kind words! BTW, your Islas look gorgeous as always!

I believe that Mario will ship my Islas out today--via FedEx. I work mostly from home. So, I'm sure that I'll be like you "keeing my eye out for the delivery truck till they arrived..." Even worse, I'll probably be like a "gaga" teenager very anxiously waiting for her big crush to pick her up from home to go out on their very first date.

Like you, what I also especially like about the Islas is their absolute roadworthiness. They're not something that's too perfect and immaculate that you wouldn't want to take them out of the house lest they get scratched or have something worse happening. Yet, you know that you're taking with you some of the best-sounding congas out there.

For me, they're the perfect workshorse. I, too, may end up owning other handcrafted congas (especially Fats) in the future. But, I know that I won't be reluctant to bring my Islas to almost all of my gigs.

(I own a Fats string cajon which, to me, is among the best out there. The Fats website http://www.fatcongas.com/CongaProduct.html says that they'll return to making congas in the near future and I'm excitedly looking forward to this happening.)

For now, in my opinion, Islas are the "best bang for the buck".

Most importantly, Mario Punchard puts his "heart and soul" to each drum that his company makes--not to mention the fact that he's a great guy to talk and work with. He personally soundtests each drum for authenticity before it goes out from his factory.

Originally, Mario didn't plan on starting a conga manufacturing company, much more starting it with the overriding goal of making profits. A Cuban-American with a deep passion for both this classic instrument and the Cuban folkloric music of his roots, he said that he was unable to find congas in the marketplace which sounded exactly to his liking. It's often been quoted that "necessity is the mother of invention." Therefore, he ended up trying to make congas for himself.

Mario, who's an engineer, told me that it took him a good 2 years and several prototypes before he was able to come up with the 1st set of congas that met his exacting requirements. When he did, others heard them, loved the sound and begged him to also make congas for them. Thereafter, mainly through word of mouth, the demand for his congas grew--beyond his expectations. Thus came the birth of the "Islas Percussion" company.

Over the years, Mario has made (and continues to make) improvements to his handcrafted products.

On the homepage of the Islas Percussion website, it says,

"We take pride in making affordable authentic conga and bata drums. Our drums are known for the best sound and construction available in today’s market. Each stave is completely carved from solid wood making our drums unique and durable. All of our hardware is constructed of air-craft aluminum and stainless steel. Many drummers describe ISLA drums to have the sounds of the masters as found in Cuban and Puerto Rican music. ISLA DRUMS ARE MADE BY MUSICIANS FOR MUSICIANS."

I'm a believer!

Vaya con Dios,



Edited By mjtuazon on 1181761224

[TONE74]

I got some Islas from Mario also so I decided to post a pic since there aren't many in the forum. I upgraded from a fiberglass tumba and classic quinto which I got a crazy deal on, a 100 $ a while back. So I was nervous about spending money on a product thats not as known. From my limited experience I can say that they are off the hook. The skins are steer (black bull ) I went with canoe wood. The tumba is about the same weight as my fiberglass tumba, the conga is lighter than my classic quinto. They are light but solid. They look a little rustic and the finish is not glossy smooth as the classic but turns out they are easier to hold with the legs so I rather have that. I went with the small plates cause to me they match the pieces were the hooks go and look original. The sound is the main thing with this drums the bass and other tones they can produce is on another level to what I' m used to. Peace

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... 024220.jpg

[onile]

Vaya Abure TONE74!
Those tubs look GREAT! (tony the tiger)

I love the heads you got on 'em, they'll make the drums even more appealing!

Congrats Papa!

I absolutely love mine, I know that you do yours and Abure Mjtuazon is going to truly dig his set once they arrive!

Many blessings my brothers!

Respectfully,

Onile!

[Bacalao]

WOW! Those tumbas look awesome guys. My congratulations. Love the look of the canoe wood Tone74, they look like they'll bring you much pleasure for years to come.

Bacalao

[109-1176549166]

TONE 74,

Big congratulations on getting your Islas! Welcome to the growing breed of very satisfied Isla owners!

To me Islas are among the best bangs for the buck nowadays. Their prices match the top-of-the-line models of mass-produced (overseas-made) models--averaging "just" about $550 per drum.

To top it all, you're getting handcrafted, boutique congas with authentic folkloric Cuban sound, American wood, carved staves (not bent), stainless steel/titanium hardware, 1st-class skins (no need to be changed from water buffalo skins), friendly weight and made by a passionate conga player himself (Mario Punchard) who also happens to be an architect/engineer.

Given these therefore, Islas are, in my opinion, among the best buys in congas currently. And compared to several other boutique congas, to me they're a steal!

Onile,

Sorry for my late report, Bro, but my Islas finally arrived 2 Tuesdays ago already. I haven't posted any new pictures 'cause Mario has already done that for me. I don't think I can really do much better than Mario's pictures, except perhaps take them more sharply.

Anyway, I was thoroughly impressed with how professionally and securely Mario packaged the drums, for a relatively small company. My drums were adequately cushioned and protected.

Mario also ships via Fedex (rather than UPS) which I believe provides better service. From my own personal experience, Fedex gives better service at less cost (regular ground shipping) and they seem to handle your merchandise more carefully.

I went through all the breaking-in procedures that Mario recommended. Now, more than 1 week later, I just absolutely love the sound of my Islas, not to mention their gorgeous looks and color!

I showed and demo'd them to my fellow bandmembers last Friday night (during our weekly practice and brainstorming) and they absolutely love their sound and looks!

I know that, just like fine wine and a fine guitar, the sound will just get better with time as both the wood (canoe) and skin age. Now, I can't wait for them to start really coming "alive" (within about 6 months), just as you reported in one of your prior postings and as Mario predicted to me.

Finally, I want to very much thank you and everyone else in our CongaBoard forum for introducing me to Isla Percussions. I probably wouldn't have heard about them if not for this forum.

Vaya con Dios mi hermanos,



Edited By mjtuazon on 1183082240

[Tonio]

Congrats TONE74!! Your Isla's looking great .
So what do you think of the Canoe wood? why did pick those instead of the cherry?

You guys are persuading me !!

T



Edited By Tonio on 1183086814

[109-1176549166]

Hi Tonio,

Forgive me for butting in.

Like TONE74, I opted for canoe wood. But, before I made my decision, I asked Mario basically the same question: Why canoe wood instead of the traditional (North American) oak?

If I remember correctly, Mario said that, based on his research, canoe wood has essentially the same sonic properties as N.A. oak. But, canoe has the advantage of being noticeably more weight friendly than N.A. oak which is quite heavy. For example, Timba Percussions and Gon Bops (California Series) both use N.A. oak for their congas. I've heard that Timbas, particularly, can be heavy.

Mario also said that canoe wood is not that much heavier than cherry wood. I understand that many conga buyers have historically opted for cherry wood 'cause they're significantly lighter than N.A. oak.

However, until the Islas came out, cherry wood congas tended to be a lot more expensive than N.A. oak congas. For example, Timba cherry congas cost generally $300 ($800 vs. $1,100!) more than their N.A. oak versions. Timba cherry bongos cost generally TWICE ($500 vs. $1,000!) more expensive than their N.A. oak versions!

I could never figure out the rationale for Timba's pricing strategy. But, suffice it to say that, for me, the price differences between their N.A. oak and cherry wood drums (especially the bongos) don't justify the weight advantage of the latter.

On the other hand, Isla cherry congas are only $100 more than their canoe wood versions. Thus, Isla cherry wood quintos ($550) are about the same price as the top-of-the-line congas of certain mass-produced congas. Isla cherry wood congas ($650) are about the same price as (or even cheaper than) the handcrafted N.A. oak congas of some other boutique brands.

The reason for the price premium of cherry wood is obvious: cherry wood lumber is more expensive than either N.A. oak or canoe wood lumber.

Mario also explained to me that for playing folkloric music (such as in a "rumba"), Salsa and Rock/Blues/R&B/Pop music (like myself), he recommends the canoe wood version. Canoe wood Islas have more projection and have a more bassy sound compared to their cherry counterparts.

The cherry Islas have a sharper, less amplified tone. Mario recommends them for playing softer, more relaxed (including acoustic) music, like Latin Jazz or mainstream Jazz.

(I don't claim to be a wood or sonic expert. So, someone please correct me if I've misquoted Mario here and/or have given out wrong or inadequate information.)

Vaya con Dios,



Edited By mjtuazon on 1183604168

[Tonio]

mjtuazon,
no problem, butting in all you want. I thank you for the information that you share in such desriptive meaning. Plus the cofirmation of using good packing material and using Fed ex is a great plus in my book.

If I remember correctly, Mario said that, based on his research, canoe wood has essentially the same sonic properties as N.A. oak. But, canoe has the advantage of being noticeably more weight friendly than N.A. oak which is quite heavy. For example, Timba Percussions and Gon Bops (California Series) both use N.A. oak for their congas. I've heard that Timbas, particularly, can be heavy.

Mario also said that canoe wood is not that much heavier than cherry wood. I understand that many conga buyers have historically opted for cherry wood 'cause they're significantly lighter than N.A. oak.

That right there tells me all I need !! I do tend to go for more of the oak sound, than cherry. I had borrowed a SOS cherry set for a week, and felt something was missing. Being that canoe wood is light - like cherry, yet more projection and "phat" if you will- like oak, is something up my alley.

About the cherry being more sharp is hard for me to grasp. I always felt that they were more warm/full open tones, and the slaps were more flat and subdued or has a "splat" instead of a crack in the slaps strokes.. I have a feeling that the youtube videos of the Isla's in rumba was cherry.

How is the squarish lug brackets? do they they bother you? They seem to really protrude. Bet they would last a lfietime. The lug bracket is where alot of congas have problems if missed aligned. Too much of an angle vs. the crown ears creates a mis aligned torque on the lug threads, and weakens the tunability, thus ending in a short lug life.

I definately need to talk to Mario !!

Thanks again mjtuazon.

T

[TONE74]

Thanks for the comments! Onile your review of your drums was one of the reasons I ended up buying these. Tonio the square brackets dont bother me at all. For problems to arise it would take some time, too early still. I can tell you that they tune really smooth so far. My fear at first was that they would scratch the other drum because they seem to stick out but it turns out that they don't touch at all no matter how you position them because of the with of the belly. Thanks

[folkloricoSD]

Man guys I can't wait, I'm ordering mine on Monday!!! Let me just say that Mario is one of the best guys to deal with. Isla drums has some really outstanding customer service.

[Tonio]

You're gonna beat me to the punch, possibly the 1st to have Isla's in SD?

Which model are you getting? I'm guessing Matanzas?
T



Edited By Tonio on 1183175890

[folkloricoSD]

Haha!!! You guessed right Tonio!!! I love the look of the Matanzas models, "Pure Cuban Style" as Mario would say. And you know what, i've never seen anybody with Islas in SD. Me and you could be the originals

[Changuiri]

OK FAMILIA, HERE'S MY IYA FROM ISLA. TREMENDO!



Edited By Changuiri on 1183246540

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... GA0249.JPG

[onile]

Alafia Changuiri!

Chacho! That is a sweet Iya!
I can imagine that the sound that it produces is incredible, as the rest of Isla's drums.

Suave Papa!

Onile!