Gon Bops California Series lower prices? - fewer finishes

[JimG]

Gon Bops California Series has apparently gone through some changes.

I see that most all finishes have been discontinued except for Satin Oil Mahagony and Natural. Gone are the stripes, fades, bursts and graphics that, while unique and colorful, probably weren't selling too well. With that, advertised prices have dropped some $30/drum. Sounds like some hunkerin' down to do what you do best. Which makes sense. Gon Bops in Mahagony or Natural Oak...duh!

Akbar does make a beautiful drum.

I was considering these before I happily decided on Isla Percussions. I've never played a CA series, but many owners on this forum speak very highly of the construction, sound....and weight. :O

Cheers,
Jim

[yambu321]

JIMG,
YES INDEED, THE CALIFORNIA SERIES CONGAS ARE GREAT. I HAVE PLAYED THEM, AT LEAST 16, OR SO TIMES, AT MY LOCAL GUITAR CENTER. (THE FULL SET!) I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO GET THEM BECAUSE THEY SOUNDED WONDERFUL, AND WERE BEAUTIFULLY DESIGNED. BUT MY GUT FEELING WAS TO GET MY ISLA PERCUSSIONS DRUMS INSTEAD, AND I HAVE MADE THE RIGHT DESCISION. TO ME, ISLA PERCUSSIONS IS THE 1ST PLACE WINNER IN THE AUTHENTIC RUMBA DRUM CATEGORY, BAR NONE!

THE GON BOPS "CA SERIES" CONGAS, COME IN SECOND PLACE, FOR BEST SOUND!

AS FOR THE BONGO'S, I'M SO GLAD I HAVE MINE. I ALSO PLAN TO ORDER A SECOND PAIR AS WELL. WE JUST DON'T KNOW. JUST LIKE SOL PERCUSSION, GON BOPS CAN ALSO BE GONE AT ANY TIME; ONCE AGAIN!
CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO



Edited By yambu321 on 1202525361

[umannyt]

Gon Bops California Series has apparently gone through some changes.

I see that most all finishes have been discontinued except for Satin Oil Mahagony and Natural. Gone are the stripes, fades, bursts and graphics that, while unique and colorful, probably weren't selling too well. With that, advertised prices have dropped some $30/drum. Sounds like some hunkerin' down to do what you do best. Which makes sense. Gon Bops in Mahagony or Natural Oak...duh!

Akbar does make a beautiful drum.

I was considering these before I happily decided on Isla Percussions. I've never played a CA series, but many owners on this forum speak very highly of the construction, sound....and weight. :O

Cheers,
Jim

JimG,

Just like you, I'm a proud and very happy owner of a set (quinto, conga & tumba) of Isla Percussion congas and in similar striking Rosewood color.

You've just stimulated my curiosity and I tried Googling the Internet to find out if your claim is true. I, too, had considered purchasing at least a pair of Gon Bops CA series congas--to match my CA bongos in Cherry Red.

I can't seem to find any information to confirm it. For one, Gon Bops website still "advertise" the California series (both congas and bongos) as still being available in various color choices.

Please correct me, if I'm wrong.

What I suspect is that, perhaps, you're finding (as I am) mostly ads by Gon Bop retailers that show mostly or only pictures of Gon Bops CA series congas in either Satin Oil Mahogany or Natural only. Being "almost" neutral in color, these retailers must just be playing it safe and stocking up on just these 2 colors.

To my knowledge, these congas are mostly purchased special order, with waiting time of "up to 3 months". Therefore, I believe that one can still buy these congas in the color(s) of your choice.

You're right, Akbar does make beautiful drums. They're very sleek-looking, yet minimalistic, especially their crowns (which I consider the best of both worlds--traditional and comfortable), and the quality of the make is topnotch!



Edited By umannyt on 1202582919

[morty]

Gon Bops are OK, in my opinion LP drums sound just as good.
Meinl, Pearl and other makers are fine. It's all about what you want to spend and the application or context.

Have fun and try out a lot of drums before purchasing.

[JimG]

InstrumentPro.com and WestCoastDrums.com (the only two real online Gon Bops dealers I've found) both used to offer all the finishes that are also on the gonbops.com website. Now they both just have Mahagony and Natural and the price is lower than they were a week ago. I was pricing one for sentimental reasons and literally the next day they dropped all the finishes and price.

I sent an email to DW customer service to see if there was a picture of a drum with the ebony finish as there were none on the website and got this response...

"Good morning and thanks for choosing Gon Bops,

We apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced. We unfortunately have discontinued the Ebony stain finish for the California series. We now offering a mahogany satin oil finish and a Natural satin oil finish. If would like we can mail you out our new catalog for Gon Bops so you can see for yourself. Just e-mail us back with your mailing address so we can send one out to you. Here is the link for our Gon Bops dealer listing http://www.gonbops.com/dealers/index.htm On that listing there should be a dealer that could help you out. I hope I was of help and feel free to get back to us with anymore questions you might have."

It's no big deal to me and I hope Gon Bops are here forever, as I've owned several and enjoyed them at different stages of my journey.

Cheers,
Jim

[pcastag]

I have a two of the new california series, super heavy, well made drums. In my opinion they do not sound anything like LP's, the slaps are much tighter and drier.
PC

[umannyt]

InstrumentPro.com and WestCoastDrums.com (the only two real online Gon Bops dealers I've found) both used to offer all the finishes that are also on the gonbops.com website. Now they both just have Mahagony and Natural and the price is lower than they were a week ago. I was pricing one for sentimental reasons and literally the next day they dropped all the finishes and price.

I sent an email to DW customer service to see if there was a picture of a drum with the ebony finish as there were none on the website and got this response...

"Good morning and thanks for choosing Gon Bops,

We apologize for any inconvenience you have experienced. We unfortunately have discontinued the Ebony stain finish for the California series. We now offering a mahogany satin oil finish and a Natural satin oil finish. If would like we can mail you out our new catalog for Gon Bops so you can see for yourself. Just e-mail us back with your mailing address so we can send one out to you. Here is the link for our Gon Bops dealer listing http://www.gonbops.com/dealers/index.htm On that listing there should be a dealer that could help you out. I hope I was of help and feel free to get back to us with anymore questions you might have."

It's no big deal to me and I hope Gon Bops are here forever, as I've owned several and enjoyed them at different stages of my journey.

Cheers,
Jim

JimG,

Thanks for your update.

I bought my Gon Bops CA bongos from Bentley Drums in Fresno, CA last June 2007. I had a very good experience with them. I was very fortunate 'cause they had those bongos in stock and in the color I wanted--Cherry Red. So, I didn't have to wait weeks or months for them to be delivered to me.

Dana, the owner, always gave me the best quotes--even better than both InstrumentPro.com and WestCoastDrums.com.

As I said earlier, for a while I seriously considered purchasing a pair of Gon Bops CA congas (conga and tumba)--as a 2nd set (in Cherry Red) and also to exactly match the color my CA bongos. I tried calling Dana earlier today just to find out if it were still possible to order the CA congas in Cherry Red. But, I was surprised to find out that their phone no. has been disconnected. So, I just left Dana an email to which he hasn't responded yet.

Gosh, I hope that Bentley Drums didn't sink under.

Btw, since we both own some Isla Percussion drums in Canoe Wood, I'm pressuming that Gon Bops are heavier than our Islas since Gon Bops are made of North American Red Oak which is a denser, harder wood.

You said that you've owned several Gon Bops. Would you be so kind enough to confirm this for me?

And, if so, are the Gon Bops significantly heavier than Islas?

Do Gon Bops project more sound because of their denser wood?

Thanks in advance,



Edited By umannyt on 1202626712

[JimG]

Manny,

I have not owned the California Series. I've never even seen and played one. I had a set of fiberglas back in the late '70s/80's and recently Tumbao. I cannot speak of their weight, but most CA owners from these forums, like pcastag here, certainly do. North American Red Oak is a great wood. I have made serveral pieces of furniture and cabinets with it and it is a very strong and beautiful wood. In the hands of an experienced craftsman, that's a powerful combination. I like the Gon Bops crown and it comes fitted with cow. Hence my attraction.

I find it interesting, after a couple of years of offering a whopping 30 different finishes, it's now down to 2. And a $30 drop in price. That drop is not much considering it's still $600, but that's a typical "increase" in price from other manufacturers. Whether that price is justified depends on each player.

And yes, I too love my Isla Canoes. They are sooo easy to move around. And yet, they are a very solid standing drum. I love the warmth and feel. They are comfortable to play and pleasant to listen to. Even flat on the floor, open tones are clear and full. Lift em a little off the floor, and wow!

Cheers,
Jim

[windhorse]

I love my Sols,,
So does EVERYONE who plays them! The tones and muffled tones are very warm, full and mellow,, slaps sound like wood - like old Mahogony Gon Bops.. But unlike the old Gon Bop, Akbar made a wider upper body on the Sols that push out huge FAT bass notes. If you lift it, it gives you a giant thundering low bass note, almost like those thumping cars with the subsonic whoofers...
The Gon Bops barrel shaped body stifles the bass, but accentuates the slap. That is until you get up to the 15 inch tumba where the bass finally shows up.

We just used three of my Sols in a local TelevisionShow for Jazz hour. We had six guys playing percussion, singing, and the sound came out really nice. I'm hoping next week when I go back to practice Dave will have a DVD for everbody, and maybe I can upload some clips to UTube.



Edited By windhorse on 1202658627

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... assicB.jpg

[yambu321]

WINDHORSE,


SOL'S DRUMS ARE AWESOME, I DO AGREE.

CHARLIE.

[bongosnotbombs]

Yeah Dave, we are all fans of your Sols here in SF. Can't wait to play them again.

When Akbar went to DW Gon Bops, it seems he changed his shape from the Sol shapes and Valje shapes he had made before.

The new DW Gon Bops have their own shape. In my opinion they don't really share the same shape as the vintage Gon Bops I see around, nor do they look much like Valjes or Sols.

Several stores sell Gon Bops here in SF. Also I recently saw Sandy Perez perform on a set of DW GB's. They are made very well and sound excellent.

[umannyt]

JimG,

Thanks for your update.

I bought my Gon Bops CA bongos from Bentley Drums in Fresno, CA last June 2007. I had a very good experience with them. I was very fortunate 'cause they had those bongos in stock and in the color I wanted--Cherry Red. So, I didn't have to wait weeks or months for them to be delivered to me.

Dana, the owner, always gave me the best quotes--even better than both InstrumentPro.com and WestCoastDrums.com.

As I said earlier, for a while I seriously considered purchasing a pair of Gon Bops CA congas (conga and tumba)--as a 2nd set (in Cherry Red) and also to exactly match the color my CA bongos. I tried calling Dana earlier today just to find out if it were still possible to order the CA congas in Cherry Red. But, I was surprised to find out that their phone no. has been disconnected. So, I just left Dana an email to which he hasn't responded yet.

Gosh, I hope that Bentley Drums didn't sink under.

Btw, since we both own some Isla Percussion drums in Canoe Wood, I'm pressuming that Gon Bops are heavier than our Islas since Gon Bops are made of North American Red Oak which is a denser, harder wood.

You said that you've owned several Gon Bops. Would you be so kind enough to confirm this for me?

And, if so, are the Gon Bops significantly heavier than Islas?

Do Gon Bops project more sound because of their denser wood?

Thanks in advance,

JimG,

Here's the response of Dana, the owner of Bentley Drums (a Gon Bops authorized dealer) in Fresno, on 2/11/08 to my recent email inquiring re: Gon Bops discontinuing most all finishes on their California Series congas, except Natural Satin Oil and Mahogany Satin Oil. I hope this information may be of help to anybody.

Hi Manuel,

They are discontinuing some colors. We may be able to order some drums in the old finishes. Let me know.

Thanks,

Dana



Edited By umannyt on 1202855304

[umannyt]

I just visited my nearest musical instrument "candy store", Gelb's, in Redwood City, CA yesterday and earlier today. I just got a hold of Gon Bops' 2008 Catalog. (Actually, their website has been updated based on their 2008 catalog.)

The catalog confirm's JimG's earlier report: The Gon Bops CA Series congas (and bongos) now come in only 2 colors--Natural Stain and Mahogany Stain. Gone are the many color choices that they offered in their 2007 catalog.

Well, here's the shocker! The drum/percussion manager at Gelb's told me that Gon Bops has just very recently also raised the prices of their California Series congas and bongos. The congas are now priced no less that $1,000 each; the bongos are now priced over $500 each!

Mind you, these are already discounted prices, not retail!

Over $1,000 for a conga puts the Gon Bops CA congas, pricewise, above even most handcrafted congas (including the Matthew Smith) and near the league of Volcano Percussion congas! And over $500 for a bongo puts the Gon Bops bongos, pricewise, at the league of most handcrafted bongos!

Does Gon Bops realistically think that their Gon Bops CA congas will still sell at those "outrageous" prices? (At over $500, there might still be buyers for the Gon Bops CA bongos.)

What do you guys think? Are the Gon Bops CA congas and bongos worth their latest prices?

Here are the 2008 prices of West Coast Drum Center.Com of So. California, one of the largest Gon Bops dealers here in the U.S., for the Gon Bops CA congas and bongos (http://www.westcoastdrums.com/gonbocaseco.html):

Gon Bops California Series Congas

9.75" Super Quinto gbca0975
Regular price: $1,711.99
Our price: $1,027.99

10.75" Quinto gbca1075
Regular price: $1,729.99
Our price: $1,037.99

11.5" Conga gbca1150
Regular price: $1,752.99
Our price: $1,051.99

12.25" Tumba gbca1225
Regular price: $1,766.99
Our price: $1,060.99

13.25" Super Tumba gbca1325
Regular price: $1,796.99
Our price: $1,078.99

Gon Bops California Series Bongos

Regular price: $880.99
Our price: $528.99

So, if anyone's planning to score some Gon Bops CA Series congas and/or bongos, better snatch those 2007 models (if there are still any available) while they last.

Scratching my head,

[RitmoBoricua]

That put's "Gon Bops" on an elite group price wise.
I was reading some of the info on the new Gon Bops
website an according to them it takes a little
while to make this California Gon Bops, sounds
like a very meticulous process. They even discontinued
the Tumbao Pro Custom line. So basically most finish choices
went out of the door. I guess when you offer a superior
product you can get away with a couple of finishes. Probably
quality over vanity or something like that...............

[umannyt]

RitmoBoricua,

That does put the Gon Bops CA Series among the elite group, pricewise.

Yes, their manufacturing process is quite meticulous. Although their waiting time (if there's no stock) is supposedly "only" about 1 to 6 months, Gon Bops has pre-made shells (like many conga manufacturers) just awaiting final assembly. But, according to their catalog, from bare lumber to final product, it actually takes about 1 whole year!

Btw, not only has Gon Bops discontinued their cheaper Tumbao Pro Custom Series but also their (bottomline) Tumbao Series (with comfort rims). They're still continuing to carry their Tumbao Pro Series (with CA Series rims and Siam Oak wood).

After eyeballing Gelb's remaining stock, there's no doubt in my mind that the Gon Bops CA Series congas and bongos are superior products. They're among the most cleanly- and uniformly-made percussion instruments out there.

I also tried playing with them and they definitely project sound louder than any of my Isla Percussion congas. As as result, I'd say that they're easier on the hands to play, especially in a loud live band gig situation. I believe that this is accounted for by the harder, denser property of North American Oak vs. the Canoe wood of my Islas. This makes the Gon Bops noticeably heavier than any of my Islas. Nevertheless, the heavier weight is still reasonable and bearable, IMO.

As to the quality of the sound between the Gon Bops CA Series and my Islas, I'd say that the Islas have a fatter sound and less ring to them. Islas are definitely designed more for folkloric Latin music. Meanwhile, the brighter, louder sound of the Gon Bops make them more ideal for louder, contemporary music. I foresee situations where one has less need to mic Gon Bops than the Islas (and, perhaps, other conga makes as well). And, although the Gon Bops have more ring, the ring sounds just right to me.