Vintage Lp's

[randyc]

Hi Mike,
Those are some spectacular drums!
Just curious, in your old catalogues, is there any other info that would apply to my 'new' Conga pics on pg 2 of this thread?
Cheers, Randy.

[Gallichio]

Thank you Dario. I will keep you in mind if I ever let them go. My Wife Phyllis bought them for me as a gift years ago. You should hear them. And they are light weight. Here is the story on them believe it or not. This is the story I was told when I purchased them on E-Bay from a store owner. The drums were in a window in a New York music store. A bus driver would drive past the store every day on his bus route and see them sparkle from the sun. He wanted to purchase them. He was not a drummer but he liked the way the congas looked and wanted to give drumming a try. When he was on his route he stopped the bus with people on it, ran into the store and purchased them. He loaded them on the bus and took them home at the end of the day. He did try to play them but became frustrated and put them in the original boxes and he put them away for the next 35 or 40 years. Then he went into a store years later and just wanted to sell them. The store owner put them on e-bay and I was lucky enough to purchase them. They looked good in the pictures at e-bay, but when they were delivered I could not believe my eyes because they were like brand new. I have keep them that way ever since. I also received the original LP stand. The stand was also like new. But very heavy. I still gig with these congas to this day. I take very good care of them. I hope you enjoyed the story and the photos.

[Gallichio]

randyc,
I will look for you.

[bongosnotbombs]

Those are solid gold!

My white conga is most similar to your gold ones. I have noticed it is much lighter in weight than my red and black one.

It is an inch smaller, but I also think it is made differently somehow.

This era of fiberglass LP's were made to last, I bought my white drum beat all to hell, scratched, dented. It sounds great though.

I hope your congas never get this way, but it's nice to know they are tough enough to withstand the abuse and still sound good.

That's why I bought this set, they were used, and I intend to use and abuse them!

[Gallichio]

bongosnotbombs
You have some awesome congas. I know they sound great. You have 3 pieces of conga history. I wish I could find a quinto to match my set.

[Gallichio]

randyc,
I am sorry I could not find any more info for you on your wood conga in my vintage catalogs. But I can tell you it is awesome! I would be very proud to own it.

[burke]

Hey Randy - kinda sad to say I just talked to my friend in Halifax and its not my old drum - but he took a look and agreed its close match!

Man when I looked at the picture of the inside - I could actually smell it.

[randyc]

Hi guys,

Thanks for having a look Mike, I'll keep my eye on this post to see any background info.

Burke, do you have any info on your friends drum.

I got a great deal on this one. I took advice from this forum and found this listed as a "large Bongo" on Craigslist (thanks for the advice everyone here!!) for $40

[burke]

I have one peice of info - you flippin scored BIG time my friend!

Honestly - all I can say is what I told you before. The guy I bought it from said it was Classic, but the plate had come off, but the shadow of it was still there - which seems to be the case with yours. Thats why I was so sure it was my old one.

So whichever model it was - they seemed to had bad nameplate glue!

[Mike]

I see badges for old Lp's stating Palisades Park, New Jersey and Garfield, New Jersey.

Which one was first? When did they move? How long was LP at each location? and when did Lp sell to Kaman and move production overseas?

My three Palisades Park, New Jersey Lp congas.

BnB,I know the thread is somewhat older, and many congaplace members have contributed to it, but having become curious about those old LP Palisades Park models lately, I put this li´l text together from different online sources. Correct me if I´m wrong with some figures:


Martin Cohen´s story

In 1964 Latin music was such a minute category in the larger music world that the idea of building a viable business around bongos and congas seemed impossible.

Moving to a modest house in Maywood, N.J. in 1963, the Cohens launched their cottage industry while Martin was still working as an engineer. "There were bongo shells drying all over the backyard all summer," Marilyn remembers. They risked it full-time starting in 1965 and, while raising two young children, plowed every available cent into the business. "I'd have a baby in one arm," says Marilyn, "and be taking orders over the phone with the other."

While he desperately wanted to make congas, he lacked the money to buy the wood-working equipment to produce the shells. In a moment of inspiration, he began experimenting with a fiberglass conga shell and in 1968 unveiled his first fiberglass conga. Building a fiberglass conga required a smaller capital investment than a wooden one, and fiberglass was also easier to finish.

By 1969 they were big enough to open a small factory in nearby Palisades Park.

In 1981 LP expanded again and had three plants in the Meadowlands vicinity of New Jersey.
(=Garfield ?!?)

In the late '70s, as woodworking and metal fabrication and plating facilities began to close in the U.S., LP was faced with a tough dilemma: Raise prices dramatically, reduce quality, or find other sources of supply. In 1983 a conga and bongo manufacturing facility was established in Thailand.

Since the 1990s, to support its overseas manufacturing effort, LP maintains its own research and development group in New Jersey. A staff of machinists and engineers are capable of executing highly complex products, from the initial concept to final tooling. The precise tooling, produced in New Jersey, is critical to maintaining quality at the plant in Thailand.

In October 2002, Kaman Music Corporation purchases Latin Percussion.

Last but not least: Fender acquires LP through Kaman 2007. This information came from you!

Main sources:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Latin+Per ... a016437446

http://www.people.com/people/archive/ar ... 45,00.html

http://www.pas.org/About/HofDetails.cfm?IFile=Cohen

[Mike]

Hola again!

Part of the reason why I was interested in reviving this thread is my most recent grab at ebay,
namely this vintage beauty I won for 100 EURO incl. shipping:

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie ... :IT&ih=001

It is a late 1970s LP Palisade Park Fiberglass quinto, pretty much the same model Bongosnotbombs has had. My drum was sold without the head, but crown and skinwire still exist.
The foot ring is missing though.

I will soon start an own thread on the question I ponder day and night, i.e. which skin to mount.
To tell a secret: I have different skins on my mind...
Any input is - as always - welcome!

[taikonoatama]

In 1981 LP expanded again and had three plants in the Meadowlands vicinity of New Jersey.
(=Garfield ?!?)

In the late '70s, as woodworking and metal fabrication and plating facilities began to close in the U.S., LP was faced with a tough dilemma: Raise prices dramatically, reduce quality, or find other sources of supply. In 1983 a conga and bongo manufacturing facility was established in Thailand.

I've been curious about when the Palisades Park to Garfield move took place - I wrote to LP and got this response, which only partly clears things up:

"I have a '77 catalog that says Palisade Park, and a '79 catalog that says Garfield. To my knowledge, the Garfield facility was for the most part office space and warehousing, with assembly of some of the smaller items. I believe drum manufacturing was already moved overseas at that point, though there was a time where the wood drums were being made overseas, and the fiberglass drums were still being made in the states. When all drum production was moved overseas, I do not know."

[Mike]

I've been curious about when the Palisades Park to Garfield move took place - I wrote to LP and got this response, which only partly clears things up:

"I have a '77 catalog that says Palisade Park, and a '79 catalog that says Garfield. To my knowledge, the Garfield facility was for the most part office space and warehousing, with assembly of some of the smaller items. I believe drum manufacturing was already moved overseas at that point, though there was a time where the wood drums were being made overseas, and the fiberglass drums were still being made in the states. When all drum production was moved overseas, I do not know."

What? They do not know that at LP?
Well, who does then? I can´t believe there are no records.
Or did you contact Martin Cohen himself? Who is the "I" in the response you quote?

As I understand it from my old road map, Palisades is situated at the eastern Hudson bankside,
whereas Garfield is some miles further southwest.
see also here: http://maps.google.de/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=u ... 12&iwloc=A

[taikonoatama]

Who is the "I" in the response you quote?

I wrote to LP using the form on their site ...

http://www.lpmusic.com/The_LP_Family/contact.html

The response I posted above (with the "I") was from the guy who responded to my email, named Bob Larko - no title in his response, so really no idea who he is, aside from a guy that answers questions at LP. Somebody must know, though, for sure.

[Mike]

Yeah, maybe this guy you contacted did not seem to have a clue...