congaplace.com

Hello guys,

Here is a nice video of the tycoon factory, find on the gewa website.

And I just discovered that "siam oak" and "hevea" is the same wood...

http://www.gewamusic.com/tycoon_mov.html?&L=2

Galou.

Well, the factory looks nice, it's clean etc. but I think it's a shame that these factories are not anymore in america (or Latin America), because the instruments should be made by people who enjoy the music that these instruments are for ... that's why I want to buy artisan made, not mass produced stuff.

The workers look depressed.... maybe it's a video to sell the factory.
There's nothing in it that makes you want to get your hands on
their decent enough products.

Hello guys.

As you, I'm a fan of artisan handmade drums : wonderful wood, skins, a worker who loves the music and the instruments.

But I'm not so strict about industrials, I think that everybody have its place : Artisans (top quality handmade production) and industrials (mass procuction).

I make handmade congas, Music is a big part of my life, I love the congas, I love the sound of top of the line congas, but I discovered the instrument with mass produced congas (LP Patato)
I have played a lot during 5 years with it. That's my first steps, my first gigs on the congas !
LP classics, Meinl Luis Conté are mass produced in thailand, but (to my mind) they are not so bad !

And mass production in thailand make cheaper drums. For those who haven't got a lot of money and want to have a drum, mass produced congas are good. I think about Matador or Luis Conté.

And about the workers on the factory, maybe, it's a good job for them with good pay, we don't know !

Cheers,
Gaël.

MangoMangue wrote:The workers look depressed....

Having spent the first 30 years of my life in the Philippines, I'd like to share that my fellow Southeast Asians (including Thais) tend to be quite reserved in public. For example, looking directly into a stranger's eyes is often considered impolite. Compared to Americans, for example, Asians are undemonstrative of their inner feelings, unassertive and tend to be more submissive, especially the uneducated or less educated, rural folks. These factors may explain why, to some, the Thai workers in this video avoid looking into the camera (They may have also been instructed not to by management.) and appear to look depressed when, in fact, they may not be at all.

What does jump out to me from watching the video, however, is the lax safety standards and procedures provided to workers. For example, I noticed that the guy operating the spot welder and the guy operating the machine that stamps the "Tycoon" brandname on metal pieces aren't wearing safety goggles for eye protection against possible wayward sparks and metal fragments. Then, again, this is in Thailand and not in America, Europe or Japan.

Can anyone comment in regards to the soud, construction and hardware quality of TYCOON. I just came across this picture which shows a great Old School looking set of Congas, does anybody here own this same set? Please comment.

You know, I'm a fan of artisan made drums !!!

But, I have try theses drums, and they are good... good shell, skins are not so bad (realy !!!), good hardware too.

Galou.