old King Conga

[buckoh]

I just received a 10 inch King Conga (listed as 10 1/2 inch) and noticed some reworking with a Bondo type material around and under the bearing edge. I couldn't tune it very well and I don't think it sounds good. It has a new head but I couldn't get it off. I'm contacting the seller about returning it but was wondering what is the correct height for this drum. It measures 29 1/2 inches. If that is incorrect, then I will suspect that some has been trimmed from the top. I don't want to say too much because I'm waiting to hear about returning it. I don't feel I should have to pay shipping since its not as described. Thanks in advance for any opinions. Buck

[taikonoatama]

29.5" sounds about right - I'll check mine tonight.

The fiberglass is not thick - there's no way anyone could take off any serious height top or bottom.

Bondo work around the rim is not a good sign.

James

[Thebreeze]

buckoh...I am the previous owner of that King, and I am the guilty party of the reinforement done to the top inside and actually a little on the bottom inside as well. That is not Bondo, but it is a Fiberglass material that I used. I should have left the drum alone, but I decided to give the drum some thicker walls along the top and at the very bottom. These Kings have a very thin fiberglass shell on them ( which I think will be improved upon by the new Kings when they come out, ( just my guess ). I was actually very happy with the results when I was finished with it. I had a new thick head put on it and to me it was there, sounding great. Maybe the skin was a little too thick and that could be one reason that it won't tune higher. I have always leaned on thicker skins, and the one problem with Kings is that there is hardly any room between the rim and shell so a tight fitting head might want to stick to the shell unlike for instance an LP or Valje where there is good space between the rims and shells. I am sorry that this drum did not work out for you but the person that had it is a very good friend of mine and I know that you won't have any problems with a refund. Anyway, I took lot's of pictures of it from when it was primered, then painted in case you want to see any let me know.

Will.

p.s.....the height is the correct height. Nothing was done to the drum to alter it's original height, only reinforcement fiberglass on the inside, by me.