congaplace.com

Hey everybody,
my latest grab at ebay is a vintage Afro Conga. It is 75cm high and has traditional rims & black hardware.

Funnily enough there has just been a little discussion about the company that
went out of business a while ago: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4312

Well, this is the conga:



I will see to the finish - but this is minor to the overall good look. And the MEINL stand that is included is worth
every penny too:


Anyway, just wanted to inform you.

Regards
Mike

*

SalseroBoricua71 wrote:Hey Mike,

What do you mean they went out of bussiness?

I thought they were under the "Pearl" badge??

Hey Steven, you´re right, but it´s not the real McCoy any longer, you see? Check this: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4312
Those older AFRO drums - which are not around any longer - were really sturdy and all.
Heavy, but also with a killer sound! That is why I compared them to Matadors.
OK, admittedly, they have been produced in Thailand. But the more recent Pearl models
look very different, which is why I call this a vintage model.

SalseroBoricua71 wrote:.. I has one of those monster Afros in a tumba (I sold it moons ago), and it sounded Earthshaking!!
They're a little taller than Lp's also I think 32" height if I remember correctly.

Yep, the Afro Elite congas were 32" tall, I also own one of those, but the model I just picked up
is a 30" version, not an Elite model but a very fine 11.75" conga for sure!

The point is: Being beyond forty myself, I am into the vintage business now

All the best

-Mike

Mike:

was not Afro Percussion the company that also offered fiberglass congas which were inside coated with sawdust to eliminate that metallic sound? That was a funny idea. When you touched the coating, some of the dust came off. I wonder whether a drummer left circular spots of sawdust wherever he played.

Thomas

Afro was started by a "Dutch" man, who sold his trademark to Pearl...here are my original "Afro's" which i still have and they sound great!...Johnny Conga

JConga wrote:Afro was started by a "Dutch" man, who sold his trademark to Pearl...here are my original "Afro's" which i still have and they sound great!...Johnny Conga

Yeah, JC, the Dutch guy you mean is John van der Meulen, as I have mentioned in the other thread. viewtopic.php?f=2&t=4312
As I said, I also have one of the congas like those in your pic. It sounds great!

@ Thomas: Unfortunately, i do not know anything about Afro fiberglass congas. What you say sounds
like an awkward production feature indeed.

As to AFRO wood congas: I do really think that their overall tonal and technical features are partly better
than many mid-range congas.
BTW I have not received the Afro conga in question yet as they are still in the post.

Meanwhile, I try to grow an Afro hairdo :-p

There is still some uncertainty on my side:
I do not REALLY know what model the Afro conga I purchased is.

It certainly does not look like an Elite model,

does it? But the hardware looks different to the Primero series too,

so I just thought that this conga must be a) somewhat older and b) of considerable quality.

Any ideas, guys?

Please take a look at the first photos of this thread.

Any input is highly appreciated!

Cheers
Mike

Nobody with any idea or input as to what kind of model this Afro conga is?

SalseroBoricua71 wrote:Hey Mike,

What do you mean they went out of bussiness?

I thought they were under the "Pearl" badge??

Being nosy and curious, I found out a lil´more about the Pearl takeover here:
http://www.answers.com/topic/pearl-musi ... nt-company

QUOTE (mind you, this sounds like Pearl propaganda...)

"Hand Percussions: 1990-2000
Another problem Pearl encountered involved its entry into hand percussion instruments after the 1993 acquisition of Afro Percussion, a company that was already well established in Europe. Pearl tried to market the products globally but quickly realized how difficult it was to gain entry into stores. Moreover, Pearl underestimated the need for product innovation in the hand percussion field. It was only after the company made a greater commitment to the category and began to distinguish itself from the competition, especially with the introduction of new accessory items, that it finally began to establish itself in hand percussions. "

Makes you burst into tears, doesn´t it? Poor Pearlies

FYI: I have contacted the seller of the Afro drum and he said it was from the late 1990s.
As soon as I have laid my hands on it, I am going to tell you more.
Anyway I feel a bit awkward here, just posting messages myself...

NOW I GOT THIS CONGA!!!

Man, what an awesome buy: It sounds brilliant, it´s really that

cool sound I know from the older Afro congas. It was made in Thailand in the late 1990s,

alright, but the AFRO construction features are impeccable, very sturdy hardware,

a 32" height. The skin is thick buffalo & the drum weighs about 13 kg.

Most important: the sound is really fabulous!

Just wanted to share this one.


Mike

Guys, just noticed a pair of very similar congas on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200273646532

Yeah, that seems to be precisely the kind of Afro conga that I have also purchased.
Must be a great buy for sure - hey, UK congueros, don´t miss this chance!

korman wrote:Guys, just noticed a pair of very similar congas on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200273646532

Korman, taking a second look at the ebay offer you mention,
it is somewhat weird that the seller says both head sizes are 12"?

A little Afro update of mine:

I was lucky to have bought a Afro quinto matching the conga mentioned above for a ridiculously low price at ebay.
It was local o´pickup nearby, just 50km away. Here is a pic by the seller. Fortunately I did not have to buy the fitted carpet as well

The drum is practically as good as new. My plan is to use this very sturdy drum for my band´s rehearsal room which gets rather cold, but not humid or wet in winter (it is an old air-raid shelter after all), so I do not want to ruin my better congas by taking them out of the warm car into the fridge...
Mind you I got the looks when I played this drum last rehearsal . Man, what a sweet quinto sound even with the water buffalo hide - amazing!

Good buy Mike . will it be getting el grecoed?

marco