congaplace.com

The owner/drummaker of Moperc has announced his retirement and shop closing for later in this year. His announcement is posted on the Moperc facebook. Would be nice to order a drum or two before he closes. New Moperc drums usually cost more when at retail stores.

custom drum makers are disapearing. Very few left that make quality drums.

Moperc requinto: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xJMTA3Ay5FI

Classic Morperc Sound!!!

KK.

2005 Moperc Bongó. One of my best bongos ever.

When I read this a while back I was quite saddened ... especially since I'm Canadian and am a bit proud that drums with such great reputations are made in my country. I also felt a bit odd that in spite of all that I don't own any. But frankly I don't need any more drums and am pretty happy with what I have.

But then I started looking at the Moperc site last week and at the list of stores that carry them [almost all in Quebec] and wondered what the price difference was between the stores and buying them direct ... long story ... but I stumbled on one that had set of the Tropical bongos on sale for 300 [That's Canadian $ - they would be $248 USD]. With tax and shipping 380 total!

They are 420 new from Moperc ... I may not need em ... but I own em now

Now I just have to decide if I'm gonna keep my Matadors

do you have the bongo's yet?

I'm curious about how you would compare them to the Matador's. I played a set a few years ago and found them to be quite heavy, felt I had to work a bit to get them to sing. It's possible that the heads they came with were too thick. I'm also used to playing a set of walnut SOS, which are very light and responsive in comparison.

fantastic price!! I would have bought them as well.

Cheers,
RR

In the mail.

I did some research and I knew they'd be heavy. when I listened to the samples moperc has online I liked the tropicals best.

To be honest, I really like my old matadors a lot and may end up keeping them and maybe not being absolutely blown away with the mopercs ... but given they are winding up production they are going hold value ... and honestly as much about wanting a piece of a Canadian product before they wrapped up.

Now I will stand in front of my computer speakers as we play the national anthem and wipe away a tear

Saludos, you can't compare a Matador with a Moperc. Moperc craftsmanship is just superior. Also I don't find them heavy at all the one I have is only 11.5 pounds. If you compare that to an El Piernas made of guayacan 14 pounds the Moperc is feather weight.

I'll post a picture when they arrive. Should be tomorrow or Friday.

my congas, requinto i very much enjoy the solid dry sound of the cow skin (thick for folkloric AfroCuban rhythms) and the rock solid feel of these drums. With thick skin (not too thick), gotta play into it more to produce the drum's excellent sound, but the bit of extra effort is well worth it. The 13.25 inch salsa club tumba is medium thickness skin. Also, luv my salsa club bongos forest green colour. Was worth the wait custom from Moperc, with the details I requested.

ebongo -- nice 'axe' brother!

the moper's project so well that they handle thicker skins REALLY well. I put a set of, what I though, were brutal mule skin's on a buddies maple mopercs. Wrestling to get them on was well worth it -- the slaps cracked my ears! and the tones maintained good quality and projection. sadly, he doesn't play them much and they tend to sit around in his basement... occasionally I try to 'low ball' him with a cheap offer to buy, but he knows what he has!

They came today.

I kind of see what you meant RR about a bit more work. I'm used my matadors with synthetic heads and there is a lot more bounce and the hand slides a bit easier on those ... the Mopercs require a little more effort. I'm not talking a lot though. Its negligible, but noticeable. The matadors are also a tad more comfortable between the legs .. I'm not sure why ... It's not the weight difference [which isn't very much] ... can't quite figure that out.

But as you point out caballoballo ... the build quality between the two is no comparison! The mopercs are just awesome and the sound is nice and dry with none of the ringyness of the matadors. Still like the sound of the matadors ... mopercs are just a cut above. I'm a happy canuck

Nice classic Tropicals. From the pic it looks like the Mopercs might be slightly larger than the matadors, which might be why the matadors feel more comfortable after playing them for so long. I've only tried out lp drums in the stores, but I agree the build of a Moperc is superb in comparison. The dry sound of thick cow skin is nice. One day I'll try a thick mule skin or thick camel skin for the macho bongo, and for the requinto.

Might be the perspective in the picture ... not very much size difference. The Mopercs are maybe a couple of millimeters taller and the same wider.