Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:51 pmHello everyone! I decided to add a set of "kick around congas" to minimize the wear and tear on my Schallochs from gigging/church/studio/home practice. I was about to simply add a tumba in the 12 inch size when I found these.
I bought this one on ebay, and have decided to add the tumba after playing this one in the studio and at church.
Here's the scoop....made in china. This means a couple of things. First off, this is an 11 3/4 conga, not an 11 inch like the other budget drums. Sonor has spec'd these for players up to intermediate level. Sure enough, it falls right between my 11 inch and 12 inch schallochs.
Secondly, the fit and finish is not on a par with the schalloch drums, which are absolutely flawless in every detail. Some rough edges under the rim...powder coating inside the threads for the stand holes, etc. An allen wrench fixes the hole problem, and it's included. The tuning wrench is very smooth and round handled in an L shape with sockets on both ends. Both come in a very heavy duty sewn nylon flapped pocket with string to hang it from the stand. the string closes the flap when you hang it...very handy. The urethane finish on the drum itself is flawless, like the schalloch, except for the cheesy sticker with fake screws printed on it for the company logo. The chrome plating is nice, although a little more sanding could have been done in a couple spots before the plating. Still, not bad for a beginner or second "beater" set.
Here's the real point..the tone on this drum is well above the level of any entry level drum I've played...hands down, including my schalloch (which I gig with, record, and love). The head is "select" buffalo, whatever that means. I suspect the size of the ring is more at play here. The distance between the loop and the bearing edge is farther, suspending more skin around the outer perimeter. This drum sounds as good as the toca pro level drums at our local store. The head is visibly different than the heads on other cheap drums, and is installed the pro way, not the sewn on mass produced way, and is visibly thicker at the edge than my schallochs. The full range of sounds is there with less effort than on my schallochs, which may have dried out a little, I'm treating them today (i've been playing alot after a 12 hour work shift that dries my hands out, and I've been a little neglectful...may be drawing moisture from the heads into my hands during our 2 hour practices.)
The hardware is typical for this price range, and a little lug lube makes it smooth sailing.
The stand is very heavy and sturdy, although less convenient than the schalloch...uses allen bolts instead of wing nuts on the legs. Still, very competent. A rubber ring on the bottom makes it rock solid on linoleum or wood floors when seated.
My original plan was to coat the inside with fiberglass if I didn't like the tone...I figured for 150 bucks I could run some experiments on this drum if I didn't like it. I've changed my mind. This drum is going to tomorrow nights gig! For players on a budget, This is a great deal. New players can get the real feel and decide if it's for them without spending a car. The band leader was totally blown away by the tone when we played an acoustic set at church last night. SO was I. I just got this drum, and hadn't done much with it except tune it up and play with the stand height to get it matched to my schallochs.
I still recommend the Schallochs, as they get better and better with age (or maybe I did :p ), but I have to admit, this is a full sized viable option where there wasn't one before. You can get a set of three of these with basket stands for around 450 bucks with free shipping. Not bad if you can stand a little chince that doesn't affect the tone. I can.
God bless!
-Ron
Edited By bongoron on 1143740788
Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... wconga.jpg
I bought this one on ebay, and have decided to add the tumba after playing this one in the studio and at church.
Here's the scoop....made in china. This means a couple of things. First off, this is an 11 3/4 conga, not an 11 inch like the other budget drums. Sonor has spec'd these for players up to intermediate level. Sure enough, it falls right between my 11 inch and 12 inch schallochs.
Secondly, the fit and finish is not on a par with the schalloch drums, which are absolutely flawless in every detail. Some rough edges under the rim...powder coating inside the threads for the stand holes, etc. An allen wrench fixes the hole problem, and it's included. The tuning wrench is very smooth and round handled in an L shape with sockets on both ends. Both come in a very heavy duty sewn nylon flapped pocket with string to hang it from the stand. the string closes the flap when you hang it...very handy. The urethane finish on the drum itself is flawless, like the schalloch, except for the cheesy sticker with fake screws printed on it for the company logo. The chrome plating is nice, although a little more sanding could have been done in a couple spots before the plating. Still, not bad for a beginner or second "beater" set.
Here's the real point..the tone on this drum is well above the level of any entry level drum I've played...hands down, including my schalloch (which I gig with, record, and love). The head is "select" buffalo, whatever that means. I suspect the size of the ring is more at play here. The distance between the loop and the bearing edge is farther, suspending more skin around the outer perimeter. This drum sounds as good as the toca pro level drums at our local store. The head is visibly different than the heads on other cheap drums, and is installed the pro way, not the sewn on mass produced way, and is visibly thicker at the edge than my schallochs. The full range of sounds is there with less effort than on my schallochs, which may have dried out a little, I'm treating them today (i've been playing alot after a 12 hour work shift that dries my hands out, and I've been a little neglectful...may be drawing moisture from the heads into my hands during our 2 hour practices.)
The hardware is typical for this price range, and a little lug lube makes it smooth sailing.
The stand is very heavy and sturdy, although less convenient than the schalloch...uses allen bolts instead of wing nuts on the legs. Still, very competent. A rubber ring on the bottom makes it rock solid on linoleum or wood floors when seated.
My original plan was to coat the inside with fiberglass if I didn't like the tone...I figured for 150 bucks I could run some experiments on this drum if I didn't like it. I've changed my mind. This drum is going to tomorrow nights gig! For players on a budget, This is a great deal. New players can get the real feel and decide if it's for them without spending a car. The band leader was totally blown away by the tone when we played an acoustic set at church last night. SO was I. I just got this drum, and hadn't done much with it except tune it up and play with the stand height to get it matched to my schallochs.
I still recommend the Schallochs, as they get better and better with age (or maybe I did :p ), but I have to admit, this is a full sized viable option where there wasn't one before. You can get a set of three of these with basket stands for around 450 bucks with free shipping. Not bad if you can stand a little chince that doesn't affect the tone. I can.
God bless!
-Ron
Edited By bongoron on 1143740788
Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... wconga.jpg
