ISLA PERCUSSION - Discussion, Quality, Experience, etc

[Chapo]

I have a set of Islas for about two months now & I love them. They sound great & look very old school. Mine are a beautifully grained cherrywood & they are naked! (no bands). Again, they sound so sweet man! Sorry I can't post any pics but, take my word, Mario & his people are putting out a very nice "boutique" drum at a great price. You will not be dissapointed with his stuff or him!

Take care
Luis

[109-1176549166]

Initially, I debated whether I should have Mario put bands or not on my Islas. Admittedly, with Islas using curved solid staves rather than bent, they're really not a necessity but are mainly there to give them that old school, folkloric look.

In the end, I went for the bands 'cause: (1) Having the bands would more likely enable others to recognize that Islas are handcrafted, fairly unique and special (admittedly a vanity); (2) They're made of high-quality, light and expensive aircraft aluminum; (3) I've never had congas before with bands (novelty factor); (4) I'm kinda cheap :;): (perhaps, more accurately, practical) 'cause I'm paying for them anyway regardless of whether I have them or not; and (5) I can always have them removed later on and the little holes easily plugged up and touched up with the original stain, if and when I get eventually tire of them.

Well, so far, I've been very happy with "dem dar" bands :;): on and most people who have seen my Islas have been in greater admiration of them 'cause of the bands.



Edited By mjtuazon on 1187065328

[109-1176549166]

Mario & his people are putting out a very nice "boutique" drum at a great price.

Congratulations!

I certainly can't complain about the great price. I just can't believe how much congas I'm getting from Mario Punchard and my Islas! As a result, they left me with a substantial amount of money to buy my Gon Bops CA bongos, Meinl Luis Conte Signature Brass Timbales, Sabian AAX splash cymbal, JCR cowbells and several new percussion toys!

As I've often said and endorsed (without pay :;): ) and will continue to do so, Islas drums, IMO, are the best bang for the buck!

[ralph]

Hi folkloricoSD,

Big congratulations on your finally ordering your set of Islas!

I have to finally confess a secret that I've held for a while: Based on my conversations with Mario, I've always known that Canoe wood is as you've said, "just as good, if not better", than Cherry wood. That's why I opted for Canoe wood for my Islas.

I always knew that this secret was eventually going to come out. I just didn't want to be the harbinger of this fact on this forum.

I'd like to assume that Cherry-wood Isla owners have their own personal reason(s) for ordering them. Besides, given the prestige of Cherry-wood congas, the $100 per drum additional price of Cherry-wood Islas, are a bargain, in my opinion!

As I've said before, another main reason why I opted for Canoe wood with my Islas is because Canoe wood supposedly has the same, if not better, sonic properties as the more traditional and well-known North American Oak while, at the same time, being noticeably lighter in weight than the latter.

Before, I found out about Isla Percussion (from our CongaBoard Forum), I frankly knew nothing about Canoe wood and, actually, was initially reluctant about using them for my congas.

Yes, Mario considered Junior Tirado drums to be the "best of the best". He mentioned it to me a few times. I wasn't aware that the Junior Tirado drums also have carved solid staves, rather steam bent. (I also didn't know that Mario likes Timbas Ismael that much.)

I wonder if Mario is really trying to emulate the sound and some of the construction of Junior drums, if not improve upon them. If so, then, to me, that's an excellent direction that he's taking!

I'm aware that Natalio "Junior" Tirado, Jr. (R.I.P.) has gone ahead of us in this world and, sadly, no more new Junior congas are being made. Despite their rarity nowadays, I'd be ecstatic to own a set of 2 or 3 as my 2nd set.

A big factor for the superiority of Junior's drums is because Junior himself was a very competent conga player. So, Junior knew firsthand what he and other serious congueros wanted and needed in their drums in terms of sound (which is first and foremost) and materials (which is secondary). He was another "musician making instruments for other musicians".

Here's an excerpt from an article found in "DrumsOnTheWeb.Com" (http://www.drumsontheweb.com/DOTWpages/ ... /news.html - 178k -), posted in July 10, 2006, announcing the passing away of Junior:

"A master drum maker, Junior was known the world over for his meticulous work with African drums including congas, bongos, hand drums (panderos) as well as bomba (barilles) and bata drums. The late percussionist and bandleader Mongo Santamaria had Junior make him eight drums while vocalist Ruben Blades commissioned Junior to make bongos for him. Jerry Gonzalez had a pair of Junior congas and as of late, the orchestra from Japan, Orquesta La Luz commissioned congas from the master artisan. He also refurbished traditional African drums.

"Born in Alto Rey, Puerto Rico on August 23, 1938 Junior was a singer and a dancer on television. He would also make bomba drums for local bands before he arrived in New York in 1962 as a singer with the Arsenio Rodriguez orchestra. He then played bongos and congas with the Tito Rodriguez orchestra before fully dedicating himself to the craftsmanship of drum making in 1963."

Re: playing the waiting game, I know too well the feeling you're going through. I, myself, was hoping that Mario would be able to deliver my congas within 30 days--but only because I wanted to use it for the 1st time at a certain festival gig. In all fairness to Mario, per his website (http://islapercussions.com/index.html), he actually requests for a delivery time of up to 45 days.)

Due to unforseen events beyond Mario's control, my waiting time actually took almost 2 months--2 weeks more than expected! No big deal, really! Besides, he was pretty good about keeping me updated via phone and email.

I can guarantee you, though, that receiving your Islas for the first time is more than worth the wait! Besides, 30-45 days wait is still shorter than up to 3 months for the Gon Bops California Series and even much more (6 or 8 months or more) for other renowned boutique conga makers.

Do post the pics of your Islas when you can. I'm ever curious to see how the siblings of my Islas look! :;):

Musically yours,

Junior was the best, hand carved, mahogany, beautiful classic contruction, all hand made and painted by the master himself...

[109-1176549166]

Ralph,

Thanks for your response.

I mostly agree with you re: the "Junior", except for the mahogany wood.

Even the owner of Isla Percussion himself, Mario Punchard, has nothing but the highest respect for Senor Natalio "Junior" Tirado Ruiz and considers his drums as still the current benchmark for making the best drums. Junior wasn't only a master craftsman; he was also an excellent conguero. That unbeatable combination enabled Junior to make drums with sounds that many discriminating congueros wanted to hear from their drums.

Unfortunately for the rest of us, Junior has already left this world. So, no new "Juniors" are being made anymore and they've become even more as collector pieces. Consequently, too, "Juniors" can probably no longer be made to sound even better.

There appears to be a growing consensus that the new keepers of the flame include names such as: Matthew Smith, maker of "Ritmo" drums, Mario Punchard, maker of "Isla" drums and Juan Cali Rivera, maker of "JCR" drums, to name 3. Did I overlook anyone?

I, myself, own a set of 3 "Isla" tumbadoras (quinto, conga and tumba) and I'm extremely happy with them . Like Junior, Mario (and his crew) is not only generally reputed as an excellent craftsman but also as an accomplished rumbero. In the quest for making the ultimate-sounding drums, this combination, as I've said earlier, is simply hard to equal, more so beat.

Due to my insufficient knowledge and expertise, I don't presume to categorically claim, yet, that "Isla" drums are definitely THE best, although my good friend and brother, Yambu321 (Charlie), who's owned other drums and has decades of rumba-playing experience behind him, among others swears by them.

To the best of my knowledge, Mario himself, in all modest honesty, claims that if his drums aren't up there yet with the "Juniors", they're very close. Personally, at the rate that Mario is turning out his drums and considering his ongoing research and development related to the evolution of his "Isla" drums, I'm confident in speculating that in a relatively short time, Isla drums will equal and may even eventually surpass "Juniors" in terms of sound, which is really the bottom line of any instrument.

I don't know the current market values of "Juniors" and I have a pretty good picture of how much both "Ritmo" and "JCR" are currently selling. But, I do know that "Islas", ranging in price from only $350 for a 9-inch canoe reguinto (or an onkolo bata) to $900 for a 15-inch cherry supertumba are probably the best priced top-of-the-line, boutique congas out there. Many "Islas" even match or beat the price of top-of-the-line, mass-produced congas.

As to the ONE best maker of congas, my personal position is that there isn't one best maker of congas. There are several. The quality of sound even the most discriminating conga player and/or owner deems the best, IMO, depends on more than just one factor. There are several. For example, it depends on what specific Latin musical genre one wants to hear and/or play.

Therefore, judging which make of congas is the one best, among several makes of congas already rated as best, is, IMO, simply a hairsplitting exercise and boils down ultimately to one's personal need(s) and preference(s).



Edited By mjtuazon on 1187330040

[Whopbamboom]

mjtuazon-- perhaps Timba and Moperc might qualify for that list? Not sure if they are as good, but they look like quality drums of old-school design to me.

For that matter, Skin on Skin if they are still being made.



Edited By Whopbamboom on 1187296071

[109-1176549166]

Whopbamboom,

Yup, I'd definitely put Skin On Skin (SOS) and Moperc up there, not to mention also Volcanos. But, though I personally haven't played Mopercs, just based on what I've read and heard everywhere about them, my gut feel is that they're probably a slight notch below the "creme de la creme".

Re: Timba. I know that they also make great-looking, handcrafted drums--at least in pictures. In fact, I once seriously considered them before I discovered Isla Percussion. The major issue I have with Timba, though, is (as I understand it) that the major players who originally started the company as torchkeepers for the old Gon Bops (prior to DW taking over the Gon Bops name), after it closed shop, all have left (for some business and personal reasons) Timba. The company is currently being managed by default by someone who I believe is not necessarily competent and passionate to carry on the torch. As a result, I've heard a few horror stories about Timbas being prone to cracking and other major quality issues. These, combined with their relatively outrageous prices, to me disqualifies them from membership among the truly elite drum makers.



Edited By mjtuazon on 1187329692

[yambu321]

.

[109-1176549166]

Charlie,

Muchas gracias 'mano!

Please tell our buddy, Mario, that the skins of my Islas are beginning to settle-in and break-in and I've noticed that they sound even sweeter than before.

Bro, I'm sold on complete detuning! If partial detuning (which partially relieves skin tension) helps preserve the skins' resiliency, then complete detuning (which completely relieves skin tension) helps preserve the skins' resiliency even more significantly. This is not to mention relieving the stress on the shell and on the hardware. Complete detuning may involve more work, but, IMO, is well worth the reward of retaining the crispiness of the sound and projection.

BTW, I just discovered another cat who practices complete detuning: Pearl endorser Glen Caruba. He said so in one of his instructional videos.



Edited By mjtuazon on 1187345548

[bongosnotbombs]

But, though I personally haven't played Mopercs, just based on what I've read and heard everywhere about them, my gut feel is that they're probably a slight notch below the "creme de la creme".

Funny, I have the an opposite opinion, carved staves, stainless hardware that is guaranteed for life!,maple wood or ash construction, 4 different models to choose from ranging from traditional to modern, not to mention sponsoring the Afro-Cuban All-stars. I would put them in the creme de la creme for sure.

They certainly look top notch from all the photos I have seen, and sound that way from all the opinions I have heard.

I read a post where Michael Spiro says they were the best mahogany drums he had ever heard, back when they used mahogany. Maple is highly regarded in the drum set world.

Not trying to be argumentative, but I'm pretty sure Moperc's stand up to the best, while offering more choices in design and a whole range of drums, from Afro-Cuban to African.



Edited By bongosnotbombs on 1187370895

[folkloricoSD]

Alright guys....I just got the call from Mario yesterday, my drums are ready!!!! :p I'm going to pick them up next week.... I can't wait to break them in!! As soon as I get them, I'll post my thoughts...

[Tonio]

folkloricoSD next week?
Go to your nearest gas station, fill er up, and go now!!
Whats the adage? run don't walk :laugh: LOL

Hey I'm right behind you bro.

T

[Tonio]

oh, about those Mopercs being in the creme de la creme
catagory, I would think they should be included. At least by construction and design, but I will hold my true opinion (allthough bongos), when I get them in a couple weeks. If the bongos are good, I would gander to say the congas would be good also. I'm out on a limb here :p

T

[pcastag]

Yeah, the mahogany mopercs were the bomb!! Unfortunaltely they don't have that wood anymore, although I've heard maple sounds pretty good, but not as good as the mahogs. My buddy here in houston owns a set of the original mahogs, those were the ones that Michael said were the best sounding drums he's played on.

PS , michel oulet, (i think thats his name) said he basically modeled his drums after juniors, but beefed them up a bit with the stainless steel hardware.
PC



Edited By pcastag on 1187391604

[Tonio]

I had the suspicion that Michel uses the Maple for replacing the Mahogany. I haven't spoke to him in depth about the congas, but he did mention he loved the Junior's. I mentioned Matthew Smith, but he was not familiar with his work, till I mentioned SOS. The shape of his drums are georgeous. Though sitting may be hard, sicne the bottom end is really small for projection. Those Salsa models design is to die for !! Really innovative. He's actually a blacksmith by blood, so he knows his metal.
Seems he switched to steer hide from cow, based on the newer models.
Its rather hard to get in depth since he's got the French thing going, but a nice fella. Kind of forgetful about the details in orders, though he does send a invoice for confirmation.

He did mention to order soon if you want anything this year ..hint hint BNB. He'll be off to his other house in Havana or was it Matanzas- soon. I believe (guessing) he goes there around november for the winter. Hell I wouldn't blame him.

T