Conga Identification help. Suspect: Gon Bops

[ABAKUA]

A student of mine recently picked up a set of 3 of these babies at a bargain price off Ebay.

9.5"
10.5"
11.5"

(measured across the top of the head)

Pictured is the 11.5" I have borrowed for a few days to experiment with it. They have a great sound and appear in reasonably good condition, nothing a bit of love and care cant fix. Super light weight and stand taller than the LP Classics and Gio Galaxy pictured.

I suspect them to be old Gon Bops, can anyone else shed some light?

Pics below: (if you click on pics you can see larger scale of the pic)

[tjaderized]

Are the original labels still on them? I suspect not, as they stated "Gon Bops" and the serial number.

Are there residues of adhesive labels somewhere below that metal band just below the crown? If so, it's a 1970's model - they started tacking metal plates to the shell in the 1980's, and these would still be there, but the adhesive labels came off after a while.
The type of hardware was the lightest Gon Bops used, they called it "Super hardware". The shell are either a Mariano model (3300 series) or the "Super series" (3000 series) - same hardware. Phillipine mahagony wood, natural finish. The Marino series was like this initially, but to distinguish them from the standard Super series they dyed them in dark walnut and used black hardware.

Looks like this is still the original head. Not their most expensive series, but a nice find.

[ABAKUA]

Thanks for the info, the shells have no plates or adhesive labels or residue etc. None of the 3 drums has any markings whatsover to identify them, i have gone over them in every detail and covered every inch.

[tjaderized]

Here's a scan of a photo from a 1989 Gon Bops leaflet showing the Mariano Model I congas - the ones with black hardware were named Model II.It seems the Mariano model was firnished with the metal labels from the start. So I think yours are the older International 3000 series congas.

[tjaderized]

Here's a scan of a photo of a 1986 Super International 3000 conga - walnut stain.
If you look at the wood on the inside, where there is no varnish, is it a slightly reddish color? If so, it is mahagony - from the look on your inside photo this seems to be the case - if it were more on the yellow side, and the drums were rather heavy, it would be Californian oak. That they are light drums speaks for the Super International 3000 series made from mahogany wood.

[bongosnotbombs]

Mahogany Gon Bops for sure, probably 31" right?
Definitely Gon Bops, nice set.

These are my 2 Gon Bops and the one with bands is Windhorses. His is mahogany,
mine are oak and mahogany, the mahogany one is the dark one and was refinished.

Gon Bops made different styles of hardware. The hardware on these is the welded style, similar
to Dave's. Mine are the riveted style.

Hey Abakua, you can post all those images? The rest of us can only post 3
per reply!?

[congaDR]

Tony

[randyc]

Hi Abakua,
Just picked this one up myself that looks almost identical to yours.
Model # ICL-3000
I've started a new thread to get some opinions.
Cheers, Randy.