What's you set-up?

[Simon B]

What type of set-up do congaplace members tend to play with when playing out? I find myself taking my three congas everywhere - not bongos so much anymore since I find there often isn't a spare mike and it's annoying having to pull a conga mike down (that's what you get for playing traditional). If it's Latin Jazz that's usually it, otherwise they won't cut through. If it's funk, I bring some toys in the bag, vibraslap, tambourine, cowbells, etc.

Simon B

[Tonio]

Just a newbie (here atleast) but I usually take:
For Salsa/traditinal gig: quinto ,congas sometimes tumba depending on tunes.
For Funk/jazz etc.: quinto , congas, bongos depending on tunes, wind chimes, bells, blocks 3 kinds, shakers 2 or 3 kinds.
sometimes timbales (depending on tunes).

It really depends on the gig, but I don't gig -out much lately except for a "gringo salsa band' which kinda sucks because we have a trap drummer. :0

T

[JohnnyConga]

Hi Tonio...well for Latin gigs, 3 congas unless you play bongos or timbales, then you would take those. If your doing kinda World music then you take the whole arsenal of drums and toys. When I was touring with Sergio Mendes I was encircled with instruments and also had a 7 foot table covered with all kinds of instruments to be used. From triangles to shakers ,etc. Every gig is different and it depends how much do you want to invest in playing??.....At your Service..JC JOHNNY CONGA...

[Raymond]

I normally play salsa gigs and do not have a "full percussionist" set up. When I play timbales, I have a set of stainless steel LP Tito Puente and another set of Meinl Luis Conte Signature in Brass. (Which one to play is decided on how I feel or the type of group). Also when playing timbales, have JCR cowbells, timbale and chacha, and LP Jam Blocks. My cymbal is a Zildjian Azuka Salsa Timbale. Splash is a Zildjian K in size 12. My snare is a Remo and have a Singerland piccolo. (The heads of my timbales in both are Remo Weatherkings Ambassador Clear and my sticks Vic Firth Alex Acuna El Palo and Zildjian's Marc Quinones Salsa and Rock Models). Ocassionally, I use some cowbells from Osiris, custom guy just like JCR, and from LP.

My bongos are LP Generation II. (One has Remo FiberSkyns and the other one has Nu Skyns). Bongo bells I tend to carry various pitch/tones and I play them all in during the gig depending on the feeling of the song or the sound of the bongo cowbell of the original song. JCR are all my bongo cowbells. (Own close to 15 of them). My congas are LP Galaxys Fiberglass with Remo Fiberskyns. Meinl Marathon Tambora and LP Guiros, maracas, claves and some effects. Have a Guillermo Guira but I am using the new LP Stainless Steel Guira.

That's it.

[ALKEBULAN]

Peace Congueros, I agree with Johnny. Each gig is different.
For Afro-Cuban (traditional) I usually play quinto or sometimes conga y tumba( depends on the gig)
For Jazz Quinto, Conga, Tumba
For Funk 3 Congas(Quinto, Conga, Tumba), bongo, footpedals, chimes, toys, etc.
I think your setup also depends on the other Drummers styles.
The more busy the drummer the less I bring.
In one of my current projects, I'm the only drummer(flute, guitar, bass,& percussion) so I have alot of room to create so I bring everything from Cuicas to log drums

[Tonio]

Raymond,
You must be a Timbalero foremost eh? I love them Marc Quinones stick,you get alot of projection. I had the Alex ones, but they splinter too quick, but lighter. I have a JCR bell, its great don't know which model suppose its for bongo bell since its large. Great tone. Otherwise I like the LP Salsa bongo bell.

ALKEBULAN, so you take less equip. if the trap dummer is busy ??? hmmm I usally take more to encompass different textures, that way the drummer can bang away at those cymbals, and do riffs at every bar. I hate that eck.. Give me some room would ya?? geez. Sometimes it helps to do a good long riff(on congas or better yet timbales) to calm them down..LOL
T



Edited By Tonio on Sep. 03 2003 at 20:44

[Tonio]

BTW how are those Nuskyns? I've been needing some replacement on my LP traditional custom finish, they been through enough wet winters.

are they ringy? buffualo is ringy , but it helps cut through for full band gigs.

sorry ofr the OT.
T

[ALKEBULAN]

Tonio, Nuskyns are more ringy but cuts throught the loudest bands with easy. I like Nuskyns a little more than Fiberskyns. But on Fiberglass Congas the ring is to much for me. I'm currently using fiberskyns on wood LP Classics. Has anyone used Evans heads before?

One of the Congueros I play with plays Gon Bops. The heads on his drums are much thicker than any of the leather heads on the market today. The sound is beautiful. I think it's mule skin poor little mules. Has anyone play mule skin before?

[Conuno]

hi everybody,

I did a copy of a valid comment. And I invite you to discuss your opinions about heads in:

CongaForum > Special Forums on Congas > CongaSet and accessories > What about Evans Conga heads ?

Regards Conuno.

First a warning, be careful of your terminology, especially when you order your heads. Remo makes two distinctly different products, Fiberskyns and Nuskyns. The Fiberskyns have a terrible sound on congas, extreme high end with never-ending high pitched after-rings coupled with a nonexistent low end. The Nuskyns are propertied to be much better, although I have not personally used them, and have been unable to locate anyone who has (I'll be waiting anxiously for a list member response with some experience there). I can tell you that I have used the Evans synthetic conga heads on a regular basis on two of my conga sets and they have performed admirably, so there is no reason that Remo could not duplicate that result. As for tuning, there is nothing particularly different between synthetics and natural heads. It can be a bit more difficult to initially get the head to seat on the drums, as the collar of a natural head conforms to the drum, where, with the synthetics, it must be "re-formed" a bit on some drums to get it balanced well. Some of the newer "comfort-curve" type rims are a little tougher to work with. Once they are on and set to the drums, I handle them as I have natural heads for years. Although, you probably need to be aware that I also am one who does not subscribe to the "tune-down" of the heads after playing, with the subsequent "tune-up" required prior to performance. I abandoned that practice twenty years ago and have seen no premature deterioration of natural heads, drum shells, or of the long-term sound quality. Others I'm sure will disagree. However, I certainly cannot see a need to "de-tune" synthetic heads, just a quick "post-check" during warm-up should be adequate. I will tell you that one of the sets with the Evans heads generally resides in my studio next to a set with natural heads and I find that, even in an identical, air-conditioned and heated environment, the post adjustments required on the natural heads outnumber the synthetics about 10 to 1. Good Luck!
JImB



Edited By Conuno on Sep. 04 2003 at 11:30

[Raymond]

I had Evans in my LP Galaxy Fiberglass and I hated it the sound because it was too opaque for me. Also, had a problem with the tumbador because could not get the low tone that I like in "my tumbador". I changed to FiberSkyns and I like the sound better. Yes, it has a lot of overtones and the pitch is high in the conga that is manageable and it gives a great sound in the tumbadora.

Based on what I have seen out there in professional congueros, FiberSkyns seems to rule. I have talked to some and they have told me that they had the same problem with Evans and also with the new Remo Nu Skyns. Nu Skyns are supposed to be the answer to Evans heads. Therefore, they are alike in their sound but Evans is a little bit more opaque.

The best comparison I could give is in bongos because I have two sets of bongos. One with Nu Skyns and another with FiberSkyns. The Nu Skyns are great for the macho. It is crisp and is manageable if you want to lower your tuning in the macho. However, the hembra is too high for me and it is hard to get the low tone I like in "my hembra." The FiberSkyns give me a more manageable sound, however, with some problems. The hembra is great in the FiberSkyns and in the macho I could go as crisp as with Nu Skyns and is manageable if like to lower the tuning. However, have the problem that the macho loses its tuning. Have to re tune the macho everytime I play. I guess is the traditional rim in my bongo or I need to put some "washers" in my tuning lugs to avoid th "detuning". I do not have that problem with Nu Skyns because of their "traditional" head rim. It works pretty good.

So, that is my experience with synthetic heads.

Regarding detuning, synthetic heads are supposed to avoid that. My experience with natural heads is different. If you leave them tuned various things could happen. First, the head could lose its sound and become what we call in Puerto Rico, "deaf". In other words, the sound will deteriorate and become opaque. Second, depending on your tuning, the natural head tends to push into the drum and make it lose some of its form. The round form could become oval in the head area. (With Fiberglass if you leave it in the sun, I have seen the material giving up together with the lugs....).

In bongos is the same situation and is worst. Because of the high tuning that is now in fashion to have in the macho, you could open your case and find your macho head busted. (Same thing could happen with your conga. Again, depends on your tuning but it happens often with bongos). The same problem of having the head change the form of the drum could happen and has happened to me in my bongos.

Well, that's my five cents! (Looks more like a dollar)

Saludos!



Edited By Raymond on Sep. 04 2003 at 16:19

[Raymond]

Tonio,

In reply to you, I consider myself a bongosero but I have taken timbales seriously during the last couple of years. Plus as a timbalero I have been getting more gigs. In regards to the sticks, although I love them, I have been giving up on the Marc Quinones sticks because they have become too expensive and hard to get them in dozens at good prices like I used to. (I guess too popular and Zildjian is trying to capitalize). One problem, I have with the MQ sticks is that the tend to deteriorate in the bottom. (Do not know the word but the wood becomes "lose"). Do not have that problem with Vic Firth Alex Acuna El Palo. Please note this is the purple one which is a longer and heavier stick. I like it because the reach is as good as the MQ and the stick lasts longer. Better it is the price out there....

JCR does not have models of bells like LP or the others. He tends to makes them as he feels and gets a trend of making certan types of bells which all could sound different. Lately, he has been putting labels on the bells saying if it is high pitch, low tone, etc. With JCR bells you have to try them before you buy them because each could sound different although they might look alike. It is not like LP that every type of bell sounds alike because they are mass produced. JCR bells are handmade.

Saludos!

[Tonio]

Thanks everyone on the synthetic skin opinion. I do have fiberskyn on my LP Valje macho. Its ok, at least I don't have to tune them all the. Actually the shell had gotten out of round, and just putting new natural heads on it did not help, so I tried the fiberskyn. I don't think I will ever try it on the hembra though.
I guess I'm in the same club as Raymond about tuning/untuning.
I always untune my drums except the macho on Valje. That's true with fiberglass drums, I have even seen the bracket sink into the body on some ones quinto that never untuned them.I get in the practice of "unseating the head(natutral) ocassionaly. I t helps keep the shell round, and cleaning the lugs is always good it eliviates them from stripping. It good for all around maintenance anyways.

What I hate the most is when a conga goes out of round.
Well off to GC or wherever to check out the fiber and nu's, cuz I need some new heads pronto. O r I could get off my lazy a** and mount some cow that I have stashed away.

Tony

[Tonio]

One problem, I have with the MQ sticks is that the tend to deteriorate in the bottom. (Do not know the word but the wood becomes "lose"). Do not have that problem with Vic Firth Alex Acuna El Palo. Please note this is the purple one which is a longer and heavier stick. I like it because the reach is as good as the MQ and the stick lasts longer. Better it is the price out there....

!

Raymond,
I think what your saying is that the wood splinters? Thats whats happenning to my Red Alex Acuna sticks. I will try the purple El Palo's -thanks for the tip.