Selecting a Conga... - Selecting A Conga

[spongejp]

Okay, so i've been playing handdrums for a while, have a great Ivory Coast Djembe and a Joe Platts ashiko done in purpleheart mahogany. Now I'm looking for a set of congas but I'm pretty much uneducated with regards to congas. The people at most drum shops and large music centers seem to go 2 ways, 1) sell me the cheapest or 2) sell me the most expensive. I don't know much about the brands, I know LP makes good drums from things I've hear but what are other options? Any help would be greatly appreciated. You may email me at backtotheearth@hotmail.com if you prefer.

Best, Jeff
http://www.newjerseydirtracing.com

[Simon B]

If you are going to be using congas a great deal, especially if you play in bands and will be using them as part of your set up when you play live, then I urge you to buy at the bottom end of the professional market or upwards. Otherwise you will at some point get annoyed by what you perceive as an inferior sound. Strokes of course won't really be affected - stroke making is pretty much the same on a dirt-cheap conga as on a signature model, but poor tone can be excruciating.

- An LP classic is a great choice.
- But the Pearl Elite is a wonderful drum, and markedly cheaper than the LP Classic (note for JC - despite Pearl backing, your words are true, I played a pair the other day and they sound great!)
- I have Meinl Marathon Exclusives - in my opinion also a robust choice, though not quite up there with the Pearls (I always get jealous of models I don't have!)

Simon B

[Michael S]

Are the Pearl congas really that good? I've never had the opportunity to play them. I read a review in either Modern Drummer or DRUM! and it wasn't too flattering. I really liked their new look after they dropped the Afro logo, with the brushed steel hardware and that terrific Caribbean blue finish (which they subsequently changed to the blue fade, not quite as pretty) but I did not want to buy congas on just looks alone. I asked about them at the local music store, a regional chain, and their response was "Gee, I didn't know Pearl made congas." Sigh.
Maybe I should make an effort to hear them as I am slowly becoming discouraged with my Tocas.

[JohnnyConga]

Hi Guys...well I have been endorsing Pearl Elite congas for about 6 years now and would "swear" by them. Unfortunatly they don't have the distribution on the Percussion on a level like LP/Toca. so go to your local drum store pick up the Pearl Percussion catalog ,you'll see my face and my buddy's inside cover and the Percussion of course. They are made of Siam Oak and acoustically designed. Until these I had mostly played fiberglass congas most of my career. I haven't tried the fiberglass just yet but my new set of Black Bistre Fiberglass will be arriving by next month. If they are a bit pricey for you, then I would recommend a set of Matador congas middle of the road and reasonably priced. I also like the Meinls but there a bit bulky but sound good. Or check out EBAY......At your Service..JC JOHNNY CONGA....

[spongejp]

I apprecite everyone's comments on this issue. I've heard that the Matordor series isn't worth the extra cash from a bunch of players, versus Aspire. I played a set of Aspire congas and they were kind of weak, at least to my ears. I don't profess to know much about congas but there was something lacking. I played some low end Toca's that sounded pretty darn good. The skins felt much better then the Aspires. I'll have to do some searching and see if any local places carry Pearl congas, we do have a lot of drum shops here in NJ. Thanks again.

Best, Jeff
http://www.newjerseydirtracing.com

[Michael S]

You'll also read different opinions on those Toca heads. I went from Aspires to Toca Traditional Series. I don't know if one should consider them "low end" or not but they were certainly low on the price scale. I really liked the way their heads felt also, very soft and smooth. In the store I liked their sound but have had trouble with them since. I'm working on resolving that as I cannot afford new heads. Not that they sound bad; just that they don't always give the sound I think I want. The other problem I have with the Traditional Series is their satin finish, which looks beautiful but I find that it is very slippery, as opposed to a gloss finish, and this makes it difficult to lift from a seated position. I had to refinish my high drum in a gloss coat so my pants would grip it better. The traditional rim has not been a problem as the heads have a very high crown. I actually like the looks of the traditional rims over the "easy play" most drums have today. As for their intro level drums, they're probably all made by the same company in Thailand, just different hardware and heads. These are the 10, 11, 12 drums that have flooded the market, most being 28" tall.