congaplace.com

I have the opportunity to buy these drums. The owner doesn't know much about them, but he thinks they may be Mexican. Can anyone give me any additional information? Are they worth picking up? I haven't had a chance to see them in person yet.

Thanks.

Those crowns match my Playa Azul congas that are Mexican. I have been told Zim Gar became Playa Azul.

They sure look nice to me bro.

Thanks!

Mexican congas. Don't pay more than $100 for the pair. Not quality congas. In a scale below CP's and Aspires. Good for playing "cascara" on the shells.

Dario,

I am not familiar with these congas you commented on. What brand of Mexican conga do you think these are?

Do you consider Playa Azul lower than Aspire? Do you find Mexican congas to be generally of poor quality?

I find the hardware on these Mexican (Playa Azul) congas to be weak, the crown can bend so special attention is needed but the tone is exceptional. I had to refine the bearing edge because it was rough and uneven. So if you are willing to tune-up the drum it can be pretty good but most of these can be pretty rough but can clean up well. I have seen some finished well and others that needed work.

I have a tolerence for poor quality if I can fix it to a playable condition. This is different case on a case by case basis.

I play my Playa Azul Requinto with thin Mule skin with my Matthew Smith set (Conga/Tumba) and they match up well as a set (tonally not visually) and together make a nice Folkloric sound.

Happy Drumming

Well, I haven't heard back yet from the seller, so it may be moot. The asking price is in Dario's ballpark, which seemed like a screamin' deal, but maybe just a fair price. They have a pretty cool vintage look from the picture. The seller also mentioned he had a couple cracks fixed after he bought them. Not sure what impact that would have on the value.

Those are at a high price.

Those are def. of Mexican origin. Sadly, those ones are not good drums at all. Dont be fooled by the apparent vintage look.
Poor quality & poor construction even worse sound. As Dario said, that model would be below level of Aspire's or CP.

I had a set just like those years ago & agree. The original skins and hardware were not good but most of all I think it is the soft wood that was used. It looks a bit like mahogany but it is really some kind of pine. It seems to absorb rather than reflect the sound. They just sound dead. Nothing can be done to bring them up to a good standard. But, that is not true of all Mexican congas. There are some that are really good.

Here are my Playa Azul Mexican Congas... ps the congas above I believe are the Zim Gar models and that mine maybe older than those...see hardware...

JohnnyConga wrote:Here are my Playa Azul Mexican Congas... ps the congas above I believe are the Zim Gar models and that mine maybe older than those...see hardware...

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Johnny,
Do you still own these Playa Azuls? How do they sound? My Playa Azul is pictured below. It started out a little rough but with work it turned out OK. The hardware seems vary over the years but the crown seems to stay the same.
Regards,
Jerry

Mexico has many good things, but congas is not one of them. Most Mexican made congas just don't project good sound, the wood and the hardware are of a very inferior quality. There was a Mexican manufacturer, of which one of our members has a set (pcastag) which are very well made congas, these wre made in Monterrey by Galvan. The rest are not worth the money.

Thanks for all the discussion and information. I'll steer clear. Now to find a good set for me to learn on, but that's a different thread.

Thanks again!

Sorry to say, these drums are junk. Made in Mexico ( La Playa's ), very prone to cracking. The heads are from rendering plants ( soft like suede ) like dog chew toys. The crowns are pretty tough & last forever. That's all they are good for. The rest is all junk. Turn them upside down & store some brooms & shovels in them, in your garage.

JohnnyConga wrote:Here are my Playa Azul Mexican Congas... ps the congas above I believe are the Zim Gar models and that mine maybe older than those...see hardware...

DSCN0420.JPG

These & other Mexican made congas did not have decent sound edges so they muffled any head mounted to them. They used pre stretched / softened hides from rendering plants that were rotting until placed in water and were over saturated w/ water which broke down the natural fibers, leached out all the natural oils so there was no life in the heads, placed on a dull shell made to LOOK like a conga but never functioned as one. They are a model of how not to build a drum ! They were barely tunable and parts often failed to function. Most owners of these used them as decorative pedestals for flower pots or lighting lamps.