congaplace.com

You are very right every time I see the big leaguers live on tour they are using LP, Pearl, Toca etc with stock heads or plastic no artisan drums and they sound out of this world. Must not be the drum then, the player might have something to do with it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c4B38DD ... r_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1s-W6hP ... r_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm-9CmOk ... re=related

It got to be the players

como decia el abuelito................"esta ga' demmit!

I usually take my Meinls to gigs and parties because I worry about my bongo stand being knocked over during breaks or the possibility of the bongos being stolen.

But - I got my El Piernas and my Valje from 2 major players who had to give them up because of endorsement deals with Pearl and LP. I know they preferred to play the bongos I now have but they both needed the deal.

Francisco Aguabella.


Mongo


Ray Barretto

I know when they go on tour is very rare that they bring any artisan made drum. The last group I saw playing anything besides LP, Pearl etc was the Afro-Cuban All Stars. The congas and timbales(Maple) were MOPERC and the bongo player was playing a Tycoon bongo with fiberskyn that sounded out of this world.

You hit the nail on the head Leedy. It does not make any sense to lug your $1000.00 drums around the world for plenty of reasons. Nothing like just show up and the rentals are already onstage. I have seen the pros play on beat-up rentals and even Matador with outstanding results.

Oye totally not qualified but I see the truth. As the refrain says, 'no es las flecha, es el indio'. Just think before the lug & nut tuning days in Cuba circa 1920's and the pure skill needed to quake the drum back then. No joda, ultimamente son las manos. Funny comment no doubt.

You right Leedy. I think in some cases people buy the 1000 dollar drum in hope that the drum is going to elevate their playing or something and all of the sudden they go from novice to rumba master in 3.5 seconds. Like the expensive drum validate them. Then they find out real quick that is not the drum but the drummer and that a cheap beaten up Matador could have done the job just as good.

or.......dumb bastards like me find it possible to spend $750 a drum for some hand made instruments while the economy is good, and there is disposable income available to do so, in order to have something that's beautiful, sounds incredible and gives us some ROI (return on investment), rather than give it ($) to Uncle Same who's standing by the wayside with hands outstretched at the ready, although I've continually fed the economy with my earnings as a good citizen should......uhhhhh, wait, what the hell am I saying? what was the point? Oh yeah!

You're right Papa, they didn't make me sound better when I played them, I had to practice, and practice and.....well you get the point. It's not the drum, it's the player that makes the difference! I just love the beauty of a quality boutique instrument when playing.

If I had to purchase another instrument, a mass produced instrument, I would first lean towards LP, not the current product being sent out by Fender, but the older model.

Stay well!
Stay blessed!

Onile!

I have my artisan made drums too but before I bought them I knew what time it was and I bought them more in the collector vein. I had them for years and plan to keep them for years to come. The point I was trying to make is that I see many times people specially newcomers/novice coming to the forum and getting the impression that they have to have the artisan drum and expend a lot of dough that they may not have to get one of this drums, when in reality all they need is a good drum. I seen many times where somebody come and proudly show-off their new artisan drum on the forum then down the road you see the same drum on craigslist or ebay for sale and the comment they are selling because they need the money. Makes me wonder if somehow we can clarify that getting the expensive drum is not a must to become a good player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjBG9KVW3qM&NR=1

I was watching this and I was marveling at the skills and and mastery of Dandy and George Delgado. Their solos are in the pocket with no overplaying, doing it old school making the drum talk.

bongosnotbombs wrote:Francisco Aguabella.

aguabella 001.jpg

Mongo

Mongo-Santamaria-Soca-Me-Nice-494909.jpg

Ray Barretto

kfw10frzlp1iplif.jpg

Mongo's photo was taken at his apartment on West End and 89th St. in Mahattan. The red congas in the front were made by Jose Garcia, the ownwer of "Sanatamarias Cuban Style Congas" out of Denver Colorado. On top are Mongo's Vergara with one painted in red, that he claim it was fo Chango. Mongo was an Abakua "Hijo De Chango" (Son of Chango).
Francisco is palying 3 Skin in Skin that he ordered from Jay back in the late 80's, early 90's.
It looks like Ray is playing a Junior Tirado in that photo. Ray had an incredible set of 3 that Pan Con Queso (Carlos Landaeta) made for him in Caracas Venezuela, for years I wanted to buy them from him, but he told me "you have to come to New Jersey (where he lived ) and get them. I think my boy, Eddie "Bongo" Torres, who played bongo with Ray, finally got them.

Dario