congaplace.com

Hey guys, just found these and looking to see if anyone knows how old they are.

Pretty old, late 1960s maybe.
It seems as if the centerblock is not the original, and poorly crafted.

Those are the early LP center blocks. They just put them back together wrong, the longer one goes on the botttom. Drums are probably mahogany or perhaps walnut. Great wood. Clean em up, good skins, will sound as good as any high end boutique bongo.

pcastag wrote:Those are the early LP center blocks. They just put them back together wrong, the longer one goes on the botttom.

Ah yes, I stand corrected, that could be true that it was reassembled in a weird manner.

The wood could be walnut indeed, but I am not sure.

Anyway, a very nice vintage bongó.

HEY JUANCHO;

NICE FIND. THE CENTER BLOCK IS ORIGINAL. AREN'T THOSE A SET OF ZEBRA WOOD BONGOS FROM THE LATE 60'S/EARLY 70'S. THEY'RE THE ONLY BONGOS I'VE SEEN WITH THAT CENTERBLOCK. JUST WONDERING. OMELENKO, WHERE YOU AT. WE NEED YOUR EXPERT OPINION.

Back in the 60's and early 70's some LP bongos came
with a two piece center block like you see in the photo
in this thread. Them LP bongos on the referenced photo
are not zebrawood.

The norm for LP bongos back in the day was a solid center
block with cast iron bottoms but it was not unusual to see
LP bongos with Cuban steel bottoms and a 2 piece center block.
By the same token the LP mahogany bongos was the norm back
on those days but it was not unusual to see a zebrawood, walnut
and other hardwoods LP bongos.

There is an LP bongo on eBay right now with the 2 piece center
block and it seems to be walnut with Maywood New Jersey paper
tags. Most likely a 1960's LP bongo set. I think the one on this thread
is a late 1960' s with PP paper tags.
.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Latin-P ... 3cf7d36237

I hope this helps clarify some things.

RitmoBoricua wrote:There is an LP bongo on eBay right now with the 2 piece center
block and it seems to be walnut with Maywood New Jersey paper
tags. Most likely a 1960's LP bongo set. I think the one on this thread
is a late 1960' s with PP paper tags.
.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Latin-P ... 3cf7d36237

I hope this helps clarify some things.

Wow,that auction has yielded 350$ so far!
Must be some serious collectors out there.

Right now the highest bid is a tad over $500.00 with about another 13 hours to go until the end of bidding. In my
opinion a very desirable LP bongo set for vintage LP collectors. This is what this set has going-on; rare and getting
harder to find vintage sets with Maywood, NJ paper tags. Maywood, NJ production run precedes Palisades Park, NJ
production run, this most likely is a 1960's set. The set seems to be black walnut (high-end/premium hardwood)
with the two piece center block and still have the original heads to boot, although one is tore-up. Also, seems to
be in excellent shape. This set was most likely stored away for decades. A true time capsule of a bygone era. I
think it has a good chance to break the $600.00 barrier. Happy biddings!

HEY RITMO;

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU, THAT'S WHY IM BIDDING ON IT. I JUST PASSED THE $500 AND NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT. I'M A BIT LEARY WITH THE BIDDING THOUGH. I HAVE A FEELING THAT SOMEONE IS BIDDING FOR THE SELLER. WHAT THEY DO IS DRIVE YOUR BID TO YOUR MAX BID, THEN WHEN THEY WIN THEY RETRACT THEIR BID THEREFORE GOING TO THE NEXT HIGHEST BIDDER WHO'S BID WAS FRAUDULENTLY INFLATED.

I'VE DONE MY RESEARCH, IT'S A DESIRABLE PIECE. I RECOGNIZED THE KIP HIDES AND CENTER BLOCK RIGHT AWAY. AND LIKE THE VALJE I RECENTLY SOLD, IT WAS BOUGHT, PLAYED A FEW TIMES THEN SHELVED. IT HAD ABOUT AN 1/8" OF DUST ON THE CENTER BLOCK. ALL IN ALL, I DIDN'T WANT TO SPEND THIS MUCH BUT I WANT IT SO ILL DO WHAT I HAVE TO DO. I WAS HOPING IT WAS ZEBRAWOOD. LET'S SEE WHERE THIS AUCTION GOES.

BTW, I'LL BE POSTING SOME CONGAS FOR SALE THAT I RECENTLY RESTORED WITH B4 AND AFTER PICS. THREE GON BOPS AND AN 11" VALJE WITH THE BOTTOM BAND AND NEW MANITO STEER.

Machito,

Yes, they have all kind of tricks to jack-up the bidding prices on EBay.
But anyway this is a fantastic set no doubt; hopefully you will be able
to win the auction and bring it home. Good Luck!

INDEED RITMO, THAT'S MY INTENTION. YOU KNOW, IF NOT FOR THIS FORUM I'D BE CLUELESS TO THESE EXCEPTIONAL INSTRAMENTS. UP UNTIL LAST JANUARY I ONLY KNEW OF LP, THAT'S IT. FORTUNATELY I CAME ACROSS THIS FORUM STARTED READING AND READING AND DOING MORE RESEARCH AS TO WHICH WERE THE BETTER MADE AND SOUNDING INSTRAMENTS AND STARTED BUYING THEM CHEAP ON EBAY. A YEAR AND 4 MONTHS LATER, NOT TO BRAG B UT TO SHOW MY PASSION FOR THE MUSIC AND THE INSTRAMENT, I'VE PURCHASED OVER 30 CONGAS ON EBAY AND CRAIG'SLIST, AND I'M TALKING EVERYTHING LIKE GON BOPS, TIMBA, HR GUAYACAN, VALJE, LP, JUNIOR AND MATT SMITH. STILL WAITING FOR A SET OF SOS AND MOPERC. WELL I WAS CURIOUS READING ABOUT ALL THESE DRUMS SO I WANTED TO TRY THEM OUT.

WHICH LEAD TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF RESTORING THEM BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO PAY THE EXTRA $ TO FIX THEM UP. SO AGAIN I TURNED TO THIS FORUM FOR INSTRUCTION AND TOOK A SHOT AT IT AND REALIZED THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS GOING TO DO FROM THAT POINT FORWARD. I TRULY CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS THE FULFULLMENT I GET FROM RESTORING A CONGA OR BONGO AND BRINGING IT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL GLORY. I HAVE A FEW CUSTOMERS THAT I DID THE WORK FOR NOTHING JUST TO DO IT AND GET MY REPUTATION STARTED. I WILL BE SETTING UP A WEBSITE SOON TO POST MY RESTORATION WORK AND HOPEFULLY BE THE EASTCOAST CONGA DOCTOR.

THE POINT AND MORAL OF THE STORY IS THAT THIS IS AN INCREDIBLE SITE. BUY I'M SURE YOU KNOW THAT ALREADY. IT HAS AWAKENED A MONSTER IN ME I DIDN'T KNOW EXISTED. THANK GOD AND THE CREATORS OF THIS SITE FOR ITS CREATION AND EXISTANCE.

HEY RITMO, I'M PLANNING A SUPER RUMBA IN FOREST PARK QUEENS THIS SUMMER. PLANNING ON ROASTING A PIG, HAVING A BARBEQUE AND PLAYING LIVE MUSIC. WE DID IT A FEW YEARS BACK WITH A GENERATOR FOR THE PIG ROASTER AND MUSIC. IT WAS AWESOME. WHERE ON THIS SITE CAN I POST AN INVITATION FOR THE RUMBA. I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM LIVE IN OR NEAR QUEENS BUT I WOULD LOVE TO MEEET A BUNCH OF YOU GUYS OUT THERE.

<<WHICH LEAD TO THE NEXT LEVEL OF RESTORING THEM BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO PAY THE EXTRA $ TO FIX THEM UP. SO AGAIN I TURNED TO THIS FORUM FOR INSTRUCTION AND TOOK A SHOT AT IT AND REALIZED THAT IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I WAS GOING TO DO FROM THAT POINT FORWARD. I TRULY CANNOT PUT INTO WORDS THE FULFULLMENT I GET FROM RESTORING A CONGA OR BONGO AND BRINGING IT BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL GLORY. I HAVE A FEW CUSTOMERS THAT I DID THE WORK FOR NOTHING JUST TO DO IT AND GET MY REPUTATION STARTED. I WILL BE SETTING UP A WEBSITE SOON TO POST MY RESTORATION WORK AND HOPEFULLY BE THE EASTCOAST CONGA DOCTOR.>>

The same with me. Some of the stuff I have was bought in less than optimal condition
and I have done the restorations and repairs myself. It gives me a sense of purpose
and joy when I bring back to life some of them drums. Is a great feeling to play an
instrument that you have restored or even you have mounted the heads yourself.


<<HEY RITMO, I'M PLANNING A SUPER RUMBA IN FOREST PARK QUEENS THIS SUMMER. PLANNING ON ROASTING A PIG, HAVING A BARBEQUE AND PLAYING LIVE MUSIC. WE DID IT A FEW YEARS BACK WITH A GENERATOR FOR THE PIG ROASTER AND MUSIC. IT WAS AWESOME. WHERE ON THIS SITE CAN I POST AN INVITATION FOR THE RUMBA. I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM LIVE IN OR NEAR QUEENS BUT I WOULD LOVE TO MEEET A BUNCH OF YOU GUYS OUT THERE.>>

Thanks for the invite it sounds phenomenal, does not live nearby but then again you never know.

RitmoBoricua wrote:The same with me. Some of the stuff I have was bought in less than optimal condition
and I have done the restorations and repairs myself. It gives me a sense of purpose
and joy when I bring back to life some of them drums. Is a great feeling to play an
instrument that you have restored or even you have mounted the heads yourself.

I could not agree more, restoring rough beauties on your own can give utmost satisfaction.
My LP Palisades Park mahogany bongó is just another example:

Mike,

Beautiful job, nothing like restoring your own drum.
I am looking at working/restoring a bongo/conga now
that spring sprung with warmer and longer daylight
available.

Can someone supply Matt's contact information.
tks