ISLA PERCUSSION - Discussion, Quality, Experience, etc

[yambu321]

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[yambu321]

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[Congadelica]

Welcome Yambu . enjoy the forum , its filled with all things good with great people.

peace

marco

[109-1176549166]

I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HELLO TO MY FRIEND MJTUAZON. IT'S ME CHARLIE, BRO. GLAD I CAN FINALLY POST :laugh:

I DON'T HAVE MUCH TO SAY AT THIS MOMENT BECAUSE I MUST GET READY FOR WORK. BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE THIS MOMENT TO SAY HELLO TO MY PUERTO RICAN BROTHER MARIO ANTONIO PUNCHARD OF ISLA-PERCUSSIONS, THE BEST SOUNDING DRUMS IN THE WORLD! WE ARE NOW ALL BLESSED!

ALSO, THANK YOU TO THE CONGABOARD TEAM FOR GETTING ME ON, IT WAS NERVE RECKING FOR A WHILE, THANKS AGAIN!

Hey Yambu321!!!

Hola mi hermano! Welcome to the bigger conga-drumming family!

I'm glad that you're finally in. I was beginning to wonder when you'll ever be able to get out of your rat hole! Ha, ha, ha!

You gotta post the pictures of your own Islas here, too.

Hey, everybody else (including you) seems to "think" that Mario Punchard is Puerto Rican. And so did one article written about him that I read outside this forum. But, he told me himself that he's actually Cuban-American, born and raised here in the U.S. Man, you just got me scared that you know even his middle name, which I don't. Geez, I hope I don't have the wrong information on Mario. And, if so, I hope that this is the only wrong information I have on him. Otherwise, I'm gonna really be embarrassed! :;):

All the best!



Edited By mjtuazon on 1184201343

[Tonio]

Welcome aboard Charlie!!

T

[109-1176549166]

Hi Tonio,

I suggest that you get in touch with Charlie other than just this forum, since you both live in San Diego. He's the "mystery" guy I referred to earlier on this thread about being the first one that I know of in San Diego to own Islas.

I talk to him on the phone every now and then and compare notes. He's a cool guy to talk to. And you can talk with him forever (almost) about our common passion for congas (and bongos)!

Just a brotherly suggestion,



Edited By mjtuazon on 1184188408

[yambu321]

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[yambu321]

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[yambu321]

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[Tonio]

Hola Charlie, yeah we should jam bro!!
PM'd you my addy.

T

[folkloricoSD]

Hey Charlie and Tonio, I was wondering if you guys attend the Thursday night latin jazz jam session at Voz Alta downtown? I live in San Diego also, and I go to the jam every thursday. It is a great place to go and make contacts and sit in and play. It is led by the trumpet player Bill Caballero. If you want more info I would be happy to help you out.

[109-1176549166]

HELLO MANNY HOW'S MY PINOY BROTHER DOING TODAY? I HOPE THAT YOU ARE DOING GREAT AND ENJOYING YOUR BEAUTIFUL ISLA PERCUSSIONS TUMBADORAS AND ALSO ENJOYING YOUR GREAT CALIFORNIA SERIES GONBOPS BONGOS. FILL ME IN ON THE DETAILS.
SIGE PARE, MAMAYA NALANG!

Hey Yambu321 (Charlie),

I'm doing great! Thanks for asking!

Yup, I'm having a blast with my Isla tumbadoras and Gon Bops CA bongos (thanks for all your input)! And so are the rest of my fellow bandmembers. Not only are the Islas great-sounding, I also never tire of admiring their gorgeous looks.

The Gon Bops CA bongos are amazingly light and very well made (very clean-looking with sleek hardware design and material). I also like the fact that they're still practically handmade here in the U.S. (by ex-Valje and ex-Sol Percussion Akbar Moghaddam's elite group at Gon Bops/DW), constructed with solid North American oak staves (rather than Asian or Siam oak, which is really rubber wood) and already uses horse skin for the "macho" and cow skin for the "hembra" as stock heads. That way, you don't have to upgrade the heads from buffalo skins used by other manufacturers and shell out more money in the process. For all these, they're still very reasonably priced at less than $300 compared to about the same price for top-of-the-line bongos of mass-produced brands and almost $500 for some boutique brands.

The skins of both the Islas and Gon Bops CAs are still in the break-in phase. I've applied shea butter on the skins by first applying a moderate amount on my hands and then wiping them over the skins. I then tuned the skins up to where I want them and left them at that for 2 days. Thereafter, I detuned them using 2 half turns each tuning rod.

Mario said that these should be enough. This is also what's advised from what I've read so far from a few sources. The idea is primarily to give the skins a break so that they don't get overstretched and eventually become dead.

Since then, I've tuned them back 2 half cranks up per rod before I play them and detuned them 2 half cranks down per rod after. This way tuning them back becomes a fast process.

For timbales, I've ended up choosing the Meinl Luis Conte Signature brass model. I debated long and hard choosing from among the Meinl (solid German brass), JCR (solid stainless steel) and Gon Bops Alex Acuna (brass alloy).

My research revealed that people are not unanimous about the JCR. People either like it or they don't. I know that you yourself used to own a set of JCRs, too. Yet, you didn't mind eventually selling them--to your "old" teacher, if I remember correctly. Evidently, for you, they weren't keepers.

With the Gon Bops, they use "merely" brass-alloy material for the "pailas". Besides, I couldn't get enough user reviews regarding them to feel really confident about buying them.

I've read good reviews about the Meinl Luis Contes and the other deciding factors were: (1) solid brass "pailas", (2) extensively-hammered design, (3) high quality, (4) reasonable price and (5) ready availability. I got the Meinl for a price that I just couldn't refuse (cheaper than either the JCR or Gon Bops), with free shipping to boot. (I've found the Meinl advertised by such other Internet stores as Musician's Friend, etc. with prices ranging from slightly above $500 to as high as close to $700! Both the JCR and the Gon Bops go for about $500 with the JCR requiring a shipping charge.) Morever, the Internet store where I bought my Meinl from had it in stock and ready to ship--their last one--so I didn't have to wait for them to backorder it. There was also no waiting time on the Gon Bops. With the JCR, the waiting time would have been 2 months or more.

Admittedly, my decision to get the Meinl was partly influenced and hastened by the subtle hint (read "pressure") that I received from my fellow bandmembers 'cause we're currently working on a new original song for our 2nd (possibly 3rd) CD that requires some timbales rhythm sounds and riffs.

I love the warm voice of the Meinl Luis Conte brass and the dry sound of its extensively hammered pailas. And its (stainless?) steel rims should provide for great rim shots.

I'm also encouraged by the fact that the great timbalero, Orestes Vilato, uses it. I need not mention Luis Conte 'cause he's paid to endorse it.

I also scored an 8-in. Sabian AAX Splash cymbal. Since I want to complement our drummer's playing and not compete with him, I settled for just this 1 cymbal. However, I may still buy a 16-in. Sabian El Sabor Crash cymbal in the near future to better equip myself to be able to play more often with Latin salsa bands.

Re: JCR timbales, I may still get a pair in the not-so-distant future as a 2nd set. Since, they're made of stainless steel, the sound will be a novel change from my Meinl Luis Conte. Hopefully, I can eventually find a set of JCRs in the area so I can hear the sound firsthand or, better yet, be able to test-play it myself.

For cowbells, it's unquestionably JCR. I got their timbale bell, cha-cha bell, bongo bell (handheld) and their very interesting phenolic beater. I compared the sound of the JCRs to my old LP Black Beauty cowbell and the JCRs definitely sound more alive with their desirable overtone.

I got my new cowbells through Isaac Gutwilik, who's also a member of this Forum. I wanted to buy them from someone who could handpick and soundtest them for me. And since Cali Rivera of JCR is physically accessible to Isaac, Isaac was my man.

So, overall, I'm a very happy camper and I'm highly motivated to play (and to play well) with all my new toys! I'm also highly motivated to keep studying, learning and practicing to continually become a better percussionist.

I acknowledge and am greatly humbled by the fact that I truly have to deserve the great privilege of being able to touch and play all these wonderful, amazing instruments steeped in tradition and history and are descendants of the instruments of the great masters of Latin percussion!

O sige pare, happy drumming to you!



Edited By mjtuazon on 1184355562

[yambu321]

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[109-1176549166]

Yambu321,

Thank you for your very kind words! Yes, I feel very blessed by the Creator--with what I have and with the many good and sincere friends that I've been given with, including yourself!

Yes, I'm extremely happy with my Gon Bops CA: great sound, design, materials, weight, comfort (between the legs), color choices and (mine is Cherry Stain color--to try to match my Pearl Red stain Islas) and price! I credit mainly my ownership of the them to your excellent advice.

As you know, I debated long and hard choosing from among the Gon Bops, the Timba and the JCR. (I wasn't aware of the Matthew Smith then.)

Even Isla's Mario recommended both the Timba and JCR 'cause he didn't have enough info on the Gon Bops. Admittedly, the Timba looks gorgeous and (from what I've read and heard) sounds also great. But, IMO, it's just the too expensive and not worth the almost $500 price (2x the price of the Gon Bops). And as you, yourself, said, you can buy 2 Gon Bops CAs for the price of 1 Timba.

Re: the JCR (about $450), yes, the 1-piece construction theoretically sounds very attractive and novel, but I had concerns about the the integrity of its construction and its maintenance--not to mention the longer waiting period compared to the other 2.

This was when Mario recommended that I call you for advice and gave me your phone no. The rest is history.

Nevertheless, if one is more than willing to shell out about $500 for a pair of bongos, I still think that the Timba is still one of the best choices. Ditto for the JCR and the Matthew Smith.

You're very blessed, too!

Gratefully,



Edited By mjtuazon on 1184434877

[bongosnotbombs]

Mtjuazon,
I'm glad you enjoying you Gon Bops Ca bongos, I myself have'nt
really been too impressed with them. I try them out every week at the
store down the street, and to me they seem good but not great. I would
say my Meinl woodcraft are their equal for sure. But the Gon Bops are better than any LP bongos.
Saying that, the lower than $300 price for these on line makes them an absolute bargain! They are going for $450 retail from the store, but on line prices are like $240!
I guess I am a little jaded, because I have seen and played Akbars Sol bongos and seen and heard his congas. I can get my hands on the Gon Bops stuff at the music store, and the Gon Bops is missing something the Sol drums had! Oy that Sol was good stuff!
Oh and please bring your Islas tomorrow to Oakland, I have seen Islas before and know them to be the BOMB!