Cuban Requena Bongo

[docarroyo]

I just recentley got these off ebay, only retains one original crown, I will proberbly have Matthew Smith create some magic for me. Check them out. They are very similiar to the set owned by Fidelseyeglasses.

[Anonimo]

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[juancho]

I just recentley got these off ebay, only retains one original crown, I will proberbly have Matthew Smith create some magic for me. Check them out. They are very similiar to the set owned by Fidelseyeglasses.

Rey, I think you got priority with Ebay man.......seems you get the first crack at these on ebay.....did not see them and I've been on ebay constant..........more power to you bro now we'll wait for pictures.
laters
juancho

[Omelenko1]

Those are 70's SONOCS not Requenas. Markito's (Fideleyeglasses) don't look like those. My Requena's don't look like those. I have had SONOCS that look like them.

Enclosed find my 2 Requenas the top is now Faustino, who claims it belonged to Marcelino Valdes and was offered $2,500 for it. The bottom one I still have, sound like a mo' fk'.
Dario

[docarroyo]

I actually held them and inspected them two weeks ago at Matthews Smiths shop checked them inside and out and these were made by the same shop. The wood, grain, shape of the staves, and the bearing edges on top and the bottom. Matthew atributted them to Requena. I have also been told that Requena made different drums and hardware some specific for Solis shop and some he sold direct out of his shop. But again thats also second hand info from a guy who said he hung out at the shop, he's passed on now but lived in Luquillo PR and was affectionally know as Cubita, great rumbero RIP. But Thank you for your opinion in any case you are a wealth of knowledge. Attached is a photo of the pair I refer to.

[Omelenko1]

Those in the photo that Markito has, used to belonged to Pulgarcito, the manager of Resurrection Drums here in Miami. Pulgarcito offered them to me but I passed because at the time I had my two. Pulgarcito had them stained in a dark mahogany. Those sound incredible. Jimmy Delgado (R. Barretto, Eddie Palmieri......) played them and he fell in love with the sound. I know Markito send them to Matt for retrofitted hardware. The ones you got are great sounding bongos as well, to me they look like early SONOCS, 60's or 70's. I say it because Requena for the most part used Cedro and Vergara used Caoba for bongos. SONOC used majagua for their bongos (also a very hard tropical wood from Cuba) and yours look to be it. Anyhow, I know they,ll sound great and with proper hardware they are going to sing.

Dario

[FidelsEyeglasses]

Those in the photo that Markito has, used to belonged to Pulgarcito, the manager of Resurrection Drums here in Miami. Pulgarcito offered them to me but I passed because at the time I had my two. Pulgarcito had them stained in a dark mahogany. Those sound incredible. Jimmy Delgado (R. Barretto, Eddie Palmieri......) played them and he fell in love with the sound. I know Markito send them to Matt for retrofitted hardware. The ones you got are great sounding bongos as well, to me they look like early SONOCS, 60's or 70's. I say it because Requena for the most part used Cedro and Vergara used Caoba for bongos. SONOC used majagua for their bongos (also a very hard tropical wood from Cuba) and yours look to be it. Anyhow, I know they,ll sound great and with proper hardware they are going to sing.

Dario

I just got them back last week from Matt, It took nine months, but I certainly am not complaining as I knew Matt would have his hands full with other peoples repairs in addition to making his own instruments.
I sent him only the shells with the center post.
Matt re-finished them, re-stained them, repaired a crack in one shell, made a new center post,
added new bolts and back up plates.
I put new skins on a few days ago.
I could have very easily sent them to Jay B. who would have done a good job I'm sure, but I wanted to give Matt
a shot at them. I'm very happy with how they came back.
Matt's da' man.

You can see the "before and after" fotos aqui:
http://fidelseyeglasses.blogspot.com/2010/04/candido-requena-bongoes-hecho-en-cuba.html

Markito

[KING CONGA]

I just got them back last week from Matt, It took nine months, but I certainly am not complaining as I knew Matt would have his hands full with other peoples repairs in addition to making his own instruments.I could have very easily sent them to Jay B. who would have done a good job I'm sure, but I wanted to give Matt
a shot at them. I'm very happy with how they came back.
Matt's da' man.Markito

Wow they look great.congratulations on a great set of bongos. I bet they sound as good as they look

[Omelenko1]

Markito,

They look awesome. I know they sound excellent. I must say Matt put his trademark on them. Bongatulations!

Tu amigo,

Dario

[No.2-1820]

What skins did you use ? They look really nice in that bottom picture.

[Omelenko1]

Markito,

One thing I noticed now, when I took a more detailed look, is that the tuning lugs are different. I don't remember if Pulgarcito had the original lugs. Matt and also Jay make incredible tuning lugs and they will all be standard. Just an observation. When Jimmy Delgado sees them now he will die!

Reparte en los cueros, Marko!

Dario

[FidelsEyeglasses]

Markito,

One thing I noticed now, when I took a more detailed look, is that the tuning lugs are different. I don't remember if Pulgarcito had the original lugs. Matt and also Jay make incredible tuning lugs and they will all be standard. Just an observation. When Jimmy Delgado sees them now he will die!

Reparte en los cueros, Marko!

Dario

They are the lugs that came on them when I bought them (Lp's).
Those pictures were taken a few hours after I put the skin on.. I needed to use one "longer" lug I keep around in order to get the job done, I took it off the next day and put back the shorter one, so they are all the same now.
You have a good eye Dario LoL!

The skins are unbleached Cow, the Macho skin came from an American Indian drum that I bought on Ebay just for the skin's.
I paid $20.00 for two small American Indian drums (commonly made in New Mexico / Arizona), I took one head off the larger one, soaked it, then made it the Macho head of these Requenas.

Markito

These are the American Indians I bought on Ebay:

[Anonimo]

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