Manufacturers, brands, skins, maintenance, stands, sticks, michrophones and other accessories for congueros can be discussed into this forum ...... leave your experience or express your doubts!
While I was loosening the skins of my set of 3 Isla congas (quinto, conga and tumba) this a.m., I thought of weighing each of them for the 1st time since I got them last June 2007. The type of wood that I specified when I ordered them from Mario Punchard are: canoe or yellow poplar.
I used a normal human weight scale with a very flat surface and was able to put each conga squarely on the surface.
I came up with the following results:
1. Quinto (10-1/4 in.) - 20.5 lbs.
2. Conga (11-3/4 in.) - 23.5 lbs.
3. Tumba (13 in.) - 25.5 lbs.
I'm curious as to how much other congas weigh and I'm wondering if others are interested in chiming in with their own weight information.
I know that some of you have an enviable collection of congas. If so, then perhaps, you might want to share the weight(s) information of your favorite conga(s).
Korman.....if a kilo weighs 2.2. lbs, those drums you are mentioning must be weighing in the neighborhood of 40 lbs? What are those drums made of, 10 gauge sheet metal?
Well, I'm just posting what retailers answered me when I inquired about weights and shipping costs. Either they've sent me wrong info or congas weigh much less on the other side of the ocean:)
My drums weigh Gon Bops quinto IQ-3300 9 3/4 inch mahogany built 1993 weight 14 3/4 lbs Gon Bops conga ICL-4425 11 inch oak built 1994 27 1/2 lbs Gon Bops tumba ITL- 4425 12 1/4 inch oak built 1994 27 3/4 lbs.
umannyt wrote:I used a normal human weight scale with a very flat surface and was able to put each conga squarely on the surface.
I came up with the following results: 1. Quinto (10-1/4 in.) - 20.5 lbs. 2. Conga (11-3/4 in.) - 23.5 lbs. 3. Tumba (13 in.) - 25.5 lbs.
I'm curious as to how much other congas weigh and I'm wondering if others are interested in chiming in with their own weight information.
I am currently looking for congas and I've asked several online dealers about weights of the congas.
Meinl's Luis Conte conga is 19,5 kilos and tumba is 20 kg
Meinl Fibercraft conga 18 kg, tumba 18,8 kg
Bauer's tumba 20 kg, conga probably a bit less.
So Manny, are you sure your scale is in pounds not kilos?
Hi Korman,
So sorry for not responding sooner.
Anyway, yes, I'm absolutely sure that my weight is in pounds and not kilos. I live in the U.S.
You may or may not be aware that my Islas are made out of Canoe (Yellow Poplar) wood. I Googled Canoe wood on the Internet and confirmed that it's a porous (therefore softer and lighter) type of wood compared to, say Red Oak, which is dense (therefore harder and heavier).
I was surprised to find out that Canoe wood is even lighter than Cherry wood, which is more expensive.
Also, being that Canoe wood is more porous is what helps give congas made out of it, such as Islas, an even more dry sound than congas made of harder, denser wood which allow for longer sustain.