congaplace.com

Saludos a todos (Hello everyone):

I'm looking for a set of bongos to buy. I am not looking for a collector's item or something that is very expensive.

I prefer wood and am willing to entertain any reasonable options. That is, bongos that are ready to go (adequate heads), finish in ok condition, etc. or bongos that may need a new head(s) and perhaps needing refinishing.

Something with small repairable cracks is ok, but I'd rather not have to do any extensive rebuilding of the wood.

I'm located in Upstate, NY, but of course with UPS, Fedex, and the postal service that isn't a big issue.

Gracias!

Saludos Rumbero,
Welcome to the forum,
I guess it all depends on what is the most amount of money that you are comfortable in paying for a set. Personally I buy new but this doesn't mean that I'd pass on a used bongo if a great deal was presented to me. Look at the "Instruments for Sale" section and contact Naty from HR El Piernas percussion who sells very nice new, wood professional bongos at a reasonable cost. Send her a Private message and she will give you all the details of what she sells. I obtained a set from her brother, Adolpho, along with a medium toned cowbell with beater and carry case for $250.00. The picture file you're seeing on this post reply is my set called "Sunset Fade" (She carries many different styles that you may pick from). These are of a newer design, lighter in weight than what her company used to sell and they sound much better as time goes by as they "break-in" as far as the skins go. Give her a try if $250 is your ceiling on spending. Good luck...Peace...

Jorge.

Jorge,

Mil gracias por su repuesta! (Many thanks for your reply!)

Unfortunately, right now buying a good quality new instrument is beyond my budget ... However, I am more than fine with buying used, and I'd like to keep it around $100. I have been looking on Craig's List and eBay and have seen a few possibilities, but I'd rather purchase from a fellow music lover/player on here if possible.

I am open to suggestions as to models of bongos to look for, so please don't hesitate to suggest! From this site, I've learned to be on the lookout for LP Matador, Pearl Primer Pro, and a few others ...

Gracias!

Here's a set of Matadors I think may be a good buy. The owner says there are no cracks, etc.

http://binghamton.craigslist.org/msg/4522271504.html

What do you all think?

Thanks for the messages and info folks!

I recently purchased my first pair of bongos ... a set of Matadors in a natural finish and, the seller also included three bongo instructional books and a DVD. So, I have some work to do!

I've attached a couple of pics of my purchase. The lower pic shows the only scuff or mark on these bongos, they seem virtually unused.