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Hello congueros,

I request your help to identify my set of congas, were acquired in Mexico in 2000.

I suppose are Meinl Marathon, but I certainly hope I can help.

Many thanks and greetings from Mexico.

here some pictures:

Hi Traumtyp,

Judging from the hardware (rims + side plates), they rather look like Meinl professionals - which is an even better model than the Marathons.
But I am not too sure, the overall look is like Meinl Marathon.
Nice drums anyway.
Did you get the set of three for a good price?

And: what skins do you have on them?

Greetings from Meinl country - no, not Thailand

Mike

Hi Mike!!!

Thank you for your reply!

I am also confused, I sought catalogues previous Roland Meinl but does not appear this model.

And if .... this set cost me $ 500 dollars along with a Tumba Matador Wood, a big business!

The skins of the conga and tumba are the originals, the quinto has a synthetic skin EVANS with excellent sound!

I will seek copies of purchase invoices to review the number of model and have an additional data.

Salseramente!!

Hola Traumtyp!

Wow - 500$ only, that was a very good deal indeed!

Thinking twice about your Meinl congas, they could a special Meinl anniversary model from 1998 or so,

which would explain why they do not appear in any catalogue. I can rememember I bought one of those

for my school´s percussion group at least, it also has got chrome sideplates and the rim yours have.

Tremendous sound! You can´t go wrong with those Meinls...

Enjoy them!

Greetings
Mike

These congas are Meinl Marathon Exclusives- I had a set, bought them around '99, 2000. Excellent sound and quality, I think I read somewhere that Meinl stopped making them to boost sales of the Professional series, since they basically had similar features...they're great congas, I still regret having to sell mine...

Aahh! Meinl Exclusives...Thanks for enlightening us, maelopr,

and I think that is good news for Traumtyp - now you know

not only THAT the congas you play are good but also WHY they sound good...

It is a typical marketing strategy by a big company like Meinl to ditch a series that

is too good but not expensive enough

A bit like the old-skool Matadors...

Meinl Exclusives!

WHAT GREAT NEWS!

It's good to know that!

maelopr have a photo of your set?

I wonder if there are more Meinl Exclusives in the forum.

Thank you for your support and I hope more comments.

With the correct model name I find in Google more info:

Meinl Introduces Marathon® Exclusive Congas

July 21, 1999

Within the Meinl Marathon® Conga Series, the recently developed Exclusive Congas set a new standard for an instrument which is ideal for ambitious beginner or a seasoned professional. These instruments are made from rubber wood which has been laminated in a sandwich fashion and cut into double layer staves for superior stability.

Marathon Exclusive Congas are available in three sizes: 11", 11 3/4" and 12 1/2". The Congas are equipped with 3.2 mm SSR rims, select buffed skin heads and include adjustable chrome plated steely stands. The Marathon Exclusive Congas have a warm, open sound and are priced very competitively

http://news.harmony-central.com/Newp/1999/Marathon-Conga.html

Sorry, I don't have any pics.of the set I had, mine were more a brown color-I think it was African brown or something like that. Well, anyways I sold them to buy a set of fiberglass Tocas (lighter, less hassle), but afterwards to tell the truth I regretted having sold them...if it weren't for space limitations (and a nagging wife...I'm sure Omelenko can relate ), I would still have them to this day for sure, they're great sounding drums. I still have an ooold Meinl marathon Quinto with traditional black hardware, first conga I bought around 10-11 yrs.ago..that one I will NOT let go, for sure...

Saludos!

Yes, you can really fall for them good old Meinls

These don't look like my Marathon Exclusives.
Mine have very obvious rubber around the sideplates, round badge, and a little badge on the opposite side saying Marathon Exclusive Series.

I luv em btw.

R.

My dear thomas newton,

I think this are the new model of Marathon Exclusives, check the old model in other link, is the same like my congas!! but model 1999-2000.

What do you think?

thomas newton wrote:These don't look like my Marathon Exclusives.
Mine have very obvious rubber around the sideplates, round badge, and a little badge on the opposite side saying Marathon Exclusive Series.

I luv em btw.

R.

Man! I love those lug guards, they look like they really protect, I wonder how they would look on my soon to come SOS's?

I find another pic of Marathon Exclusives !!



Looks very similar like my set!

Hey, take a look at those beauties:

http://cgi.ebay.de/MEINL-CONGA-SET-MIT- ... 286.c0.m14

They look great too, but I am sure yours are way better, Traumtyp
I wonder: they are called "Meinl Classics"
Utter confusion now about the series by Meinl.

What have we got in Wood Congas? Let´s see (NOT in ascending order):

Meinl Marathon
Meinl Live Sound
Meinl Classic
Meinl Exclusive
Meinl Professional
Meinl Mongo Santamaria

etc...