Gon Bops Bongos

[docarroyo]

I recently scored a set of Gon Bops on Ebay when I recieved them the were dirty and the skins were done. I cleaned them and mounted new L&H cow and mule on them. They brought a great smile to my face once they dried and I tuned them up. A old school tone, nice and dry a real pleasure to play and hear. I added these to my other sets of GB's heres some photos. They need to be rechromed but they sound great in the house and the shells had no splits or cracks.

[b0ng0]

Nice collection Doc!

[Psych1]

Another nice Gon Bops. I saw those on Ebay then they disappeared. The guy said he got a good offer so he took them off. I didn't know you could do that. I guess there were no bids yet.

I've got one that looks like one of yours. An IB3000 model. I really like it because it is so light and easy to hold and play. But mine seems too fragile for a thick skin or even a mule skin. Mine is 50 years old, lots of weather changes, and never had a crack.

[Thomas Altmann]

Hi docarroyo,

I have the same bongos like the set at the top of the second photo, without the metal bands. I once owned a set like the one on the right; I even forgot what happened to them. I probably sold them or gave them away. They had a tendency to split.

I saw the cowry adornment and bells on your congas. Do you play bembes?

Thomas

[docarroyo]

Yes Thomas I do, I usually do not keep them dressed up like that only for occassions. I have been lazy I will be putting away the adornments untill next month. I have been farily lucky with my Gon Bops, I fixed them a few years ago and they have behaved. The set on top are LBW13014 the LBW stands for Large Bongo Walnut, 13014 I have no idea. They measure 9inches by 7 inches are sturdy and not very heavy a real pleasure to play very comfortable.

[skinslapper]

This is my new Gon bops Bongo's .Cost me Us 87.00 Nice price , i think !
I'll collect it next week. Its the foto of the advert taken from the screen .


There's one on Ebay for US 499.00

[skinslapper]

This gon bops bongo of mine hase a nasty crack on the inside of the macho. One stave has a horizontal crack .
It cracked where the metal band goes around the shell .
the wood is thinnest there .

Still figuring what to do

I am thinking of sawing out the stave and insert a new one .But i am not sure .
any sugestions ?

[docarroyo]

Yo Brother keep that saw away from dem drums. Use a combination of rope tourniquets, ratcheting belt clamps and assorted clamps to repair using Titebond Glue. Patients will be needed in abundance but one step at a time slow and steady will prevail in the end. They will be worth the work once you finish and placed them between your legs and hear the pops, Dings, slaps, and tones they deliver. Good luck you can do it.

[blavonski]

Hello Skinslapper,

I couldn't agree with docarroyo more!
with sawing, you will take away wood, which I don't think you want to do. If it were my drum, I would use a combination of either acetone or white veniger,(poured or dabbed into the joints), or even soaking warm water with heat,(a heat gun) to separate the stave joints that you want to repair, and then reassemble them. Acetone stinks, I've used Rubbing achohol, at times, it takes longer but it saves brain cells. It requires patience and constant movement like removing paint with a heat gun,(or making really good gravy) , but a little more care and time is needed because the wood is bare. As far as the horizontal crack that you mention; That can also be relatively easily remedied if you can separate the staves properly. You can simply glue it and clamp it together and reasemble with other staves. But, it is important to retain as much of the torn fibers as possible so as not to change the hight of the stave.

Based on the age of those drums, I would assume that the glue is a common profi furniture wood glue and can be manipulated with the above techniques. I've used these techniques in repairing old furniture, such as tables and chairs. And like most things in life, patience is a golden rule that when followed can bring very satisfying results.

Good luck,
Blavonski

[skinslapper]

Hey guys

Made you turn white éh , with my saw suggestion

Thanx ,At least i know a bit more now !

@ blavonski i'll think i'll try your way .

[Psych1]

Yeah, I guess a lot of us had trouble with your saw.

But, as a wannabe lawyer, some arguement, but not a great one, could be made for a very slight use of a saw. The new wood glues, like TB3, do best when they have a raw wood to raw wood surface. They don't adhere very well to old glue or even wood with some old glue residue left. And, at least on old Gon Bops mahogany conga stave separation, sometimes there has been enough shrinkage so that the stress necessary to force the staves together will cause separation of other staves. So, sometimes, a thin shim of like wood is the best fix. In that case you really do need to clean off all the old glue and get down to bare wood on both sides. But, even in that case, use of a saw is usually, but not always, overkill.

Still, as usual, in this case, I completely agree with DocArroyo, Blavonski, and the others who didn't reply but also had trouble with your saw.

Enjoy the fix.

[skinslapper]

Thanx ,but i wonder if i can use the old stave .
The crack is on the inside the wood arround the crack has "shrinked " it looks like the the wood arround the crack is a bit depressed .
I'll make a picture soon .

When i gleu wood i always gleu on raw surfaces for best result so i agree with you psych1.

Maybe i do a little sawing ....

[skinslapper]

Here are some pictures of the cracks in my Gon Bops Bongo.





I wonder if i can fix the stave .
The crack is exactly at the thinnest part (where the groove for the metal band is )!
If i gleu it i think it will crack again .
Maybe i should reinforce the inside of the shell .



No its not a Meinl ...

The bearin edge is deformed aswell .

[Psych1]

Titebond makes a very thin penetrating wood glue that works great on hairline cracks. It works its way to the bottom of the crack and if the crack goes all the way through you will see bubbles forming on the other side. No clamping - no waiting, the whole process takes 10 seconds. There are some thicker gel type glues too but for the crack you show the very thin one is best.

[bongosnotbombs]

also you can put the glue in syringe with a small tip, gets the glue in there and pushes it into the crack.