LP Vintage bongó: repair & restoration issues

[Anonimo]

POST REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[Mike]

Thanks 4 the compliments
Well, actually I am really going to try the "old" but by no means worn out mule skin on macho - it yielded ear-splintering slaps and very crisp tones. And this recycled cow skin is on hembra:

The stitches are due to the fact that a couple of years ago I wasted this beautiful Cuban cow skin on a Cosmic Percussion conga with sewn-in heads Now it will have its rightful place! A very sturdy skin with a nice punch without overtones.

Anyway, this set is made for playing, I will USE it, it is not going to be a museum piece,
so the fighter skins will fit perfectly!
As soon as I have reassembled everything - which will take a couple of days due to drying time of the lacquer - I will post more pics.

[Anonimo]

POST REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[RitmoBoricua]

No doubt. I have goat skin on (2) my bongos and those puppies sing.
Also have mule skin on some other bongos and is a totally different
sound with some ringing and overtones, like them a lot too. But
goat is the true sound of bongo to me. Back home you kill the goat
make some great curry goat to eat and save the hide to mount on some
drum.

[RitmoBoricua]

Now both shells are done:

both shells lacquered.JPG

BTW due to the flash the photograph shows both shells a tad brighter than they actually are.
I cant wait until they are all finished and I can remount the nice mule & Cuban cow combo - and play!

macho and hembra lacquered.JPG

I tell you they look great. Fantastic Job, Mike. I bet you are glad you stripped and got rid-off that gray nasty stuff that was on them bongos.
I now I was when stripped mine. Take Care!

[bongosnotbombs]

An excellent project Mike, looks like they are turning out really well.

[akdom]

Very nice!

You must feel extreme pride!

B

[Mike]

Thanks everybody,
yes, I somewhat feel proud, as I put quite some work into the restoration and this instrument looks great again.
Another thin layer of lacquer tomorrow, then the shells are finished.
I always love the "self-made" touch of the instruments I customize myself - they feel definitely "yours" if you spend time with their repair and refurbishing

[Mike]

And now the shells are covered with layers of floorboard lacquer.
I will let them dry thoroughly for about a week before I reassemble them
to make sure the lacquer has hardened completely.

[Mike]

One week later

[Mike]

Here are some more pics. It is not very easy for me to convey the mahogany colour
on the photo, but anyway, everything was worth the hassle, now this
vintage beauty can live for another 40 years...

Sorry for the many pics, but this bongó is a bit like a beautiful woman - you can´t stop watching

[deadhead]

Nice work Mike, they look like new!

[bongosnotbombs]

Very very nice work Mike.

[Omelenko1]

You did an excellent job. Those old Palisades Park LP bongos sound the best, nothing in today's market of mass produced bongos compares.

Dario

[traumtyp]

Excelente trabajo amigo.... que bonitos bongós!!