congaplace.com

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:00 pm**

has anyone tryed any of the new remo crown percussion range? i've got some of their stuff and i think its the best value out there- cabassa's just as good as lp ones for a quater of the price, 2 congas with remo fiberskin heads for £250 (or less). its great for students like me who don't have all the money in the world. what do you lads think?

Posted: **Wed Apr 19, 2006 3:18 pm**

Personally, I've jammed on a 5 gallon plastic paint bucket and recieved kudos from passers by. I "play" the square hollow support columns in our church basement to rave reviews. I have rainsticks made from cardboard mailing tubes and rice...pvc pipe and steel shot...chimes made from 1/2 inch copper water pipe...shakers made from plastic easter eggs and beads...film containers and lentil seeds...old bicycle tire pumps and BBs...triangles made from the steel rod found on trashed hospital beds..brass bells from old bathroom sink faucet covers...my chime rack is welded together from old bed frame parts and painted to disappear into the wall and carpeted floor of my church. My "percussion table" looks like a pile of junk until the song starts and I pick the stuff up and fatten the music with it. I have an LP cabasa BTW...best $30 I ever spent, frankly...I love the thing. Not knocking anybody else's product, though.

You get the picture...music is a labor of love. Do the work, and you will be rewarded. I say make great music on what you can afford, but be aware of the burning desire to upgrade in the future. It will happen as you progress. There is a difference, too.

Still, the heads make a huge difference in the tone and are a pretty cheap upgrade. I just bought some cheap knock around drums, not knowing they would have thick heads and wide shells (photos don't tell you much). The difference in tone is pretty dramatic. Now they are my primary drums, and the learner set is in the studio for practice and laying down tracks, always on mike. The new ones project much better, require fewer mikes, lighter strike force, and less fooling around by the sound guy.

So play away! Get new heads if you become dissatisfied with the tone, and press on hard. Get an instructor if you can afford it. Get videos, books, anything you can afford to lay your hands on. Go to the links below and download the free videos. There are others, but they escape me at the moment.

Being on a tight budget hasn't stopped me...but realize it's alot of work, no matter how good your equipment is. It may be more work on the cheaper stuff, i'll admit that. You've gotta do what you can, though, if the music is in your heart. I just recorded my sounds often, and compared them to the videos...then I made changes as needed until I had a wide palette of conga tones. That's the best I can do with no instructor, and it isn't going to happen overnight, believe me. It makes me happy when our drummer compliments me on what i''m doing "over there". It can happen.

If you can possibly afford it, save up and get one of the new all-in-one digital recorders. I got the boss br1180 a few years ago..in fact I saw one in a pawn shop a few weeks ago.
Having digital recordings of your sounds helps you compare them to the videos. Don't use any effects and eq them flat and go from there with critial listening...be hard on yourself. It takes many, many, many hours to learn this on a budget...probably even more than with a good instructor, and you need to try and get some lessons anyway...no substitute for that....did I need to even say that?

I keep praying that somebody will hear me play and donate a set of paladiums or volcanos to my "worthy" cause, and some free lessons where the instructor drives to my house for a year LOL!

God bless!

-Ron

Go to petelockett's website and berleeshares and save these clips into your computer...they are many and varied, and very helpful.

Edited By bongoron on 1145581052

Posted: **Thu Apr 20, 2006 4:15 pm**

Bongoron!

You tha man! I dig you and couldn't agree more!
Respect! :cool:

Primozz

Posted: **Fri Apr 21, 2006 12:58 am**

Thanks!

Right back at you. :cool:

Edited By bongoron on 1145581127

Posted: **Fri Apr 21, 2006 2:00 am**

Hey Bongoron,
Where in MO do lyou live? If it is close to the AR border, maybe we could get together and jam sometime. I go to Harrison,AR often, just below Springfield.
Mangorockfish

Posted: **Fri Apr 21, 2006 2:08 am**

Sedalia is north of springfield about 2 hours+ or -. The state fair is held here in August, if you like stuff like that. It's a good time to hear some bands. Keep in touch, maybe it would be possible. My work is 12 hour swing shifts....weird times on and off, sometimes as much as 3 1/2 days wednesday -saturday pm. Definitely worth a try.

God bless!

-Ron

Posted: **Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:21 am**

Mangorock and Bongoron, both of you need to come to Loose Park in KC this summer and check out the Rumba.

Edited By congamyk on 1145679750

Posted: **Sat Apr 22, 2006 4:51 pm**

That's true! One of thoe sweekeend when my shift swings back to monday night...gives me off from Friady at 7 pm -monday at 7pm...that way I can stay longer.

God bless!

-Ron

Posted: **Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:21 pm**

congamyk wrote:Mangorock and Bongoron, both of you need to come to Loose Park in KC this summer and check out the Rumba.

Do you have the ? Couldn't afford to go to the Chicago vintage drum show this year, so that would be something for me to do to ease the pain of missing Chicago.

Keep us posted.
Mango'

Edited By mangorockfish on 1145830926