Old Vergara Bongo Project Finished

[docarroyo]

Ok I know many of you were watching these on ebay and wondering and asking questions, thanks for not bidding on them. I won with my first bid much to my surprize no one else bid.they are a bit smaller than the ones I have seen here but after checking with some friends they told me he made many different size according to the wood he had to work with. These are tack head macho=6 1/4" hembra 7 1/4 " not bad for me. The chibo heads were dried and looks to be about the third set on them all left scars, some genius almost burned them and chared some of the interior of the hembra. It is Caoba light with lunares the photo doesn't show it but they are pretty beat up not alot of love was given these babies and if they did it was rough love as they say. My intention is to clean them up a bit I do not mind battle scars I play everything I own and none of my drums are imaculate if thats a bearing on my charecter oh well. But I digress LOL, I plan on putting hardware on them and will post photos as I go along. They seem to have had a sello or tag inside the shell yes they are solid one piece but its now long gone may have read Casa Latina in El Barrio or Casa Solis boy I wish it was still there. Speaking of Casa Latina I remember going there with my dad to pick up strings and to see how his records were selling and later going there to buy skins and looking and all the records that had just come out. I used to hang out at Fonsecas which latter became the 3 in One shop or was it the other way around I cant remember. Richie Ray started at Fonseca and the 3 in One had a club on Atlantic or Flatbush produced great Dances and is were Ralph Mercado started, I grew up on the same block as he but again I digress. I will post more photos later check this one

[bongosnotbombs]

A beautiful set of bongos for sure. I think your crazy for wanting to put hardware on them though.
A collector's item like this should be left in it's original state as a tack head, that's just my
opinion, but there are so few examples of tack head drums left, if you put hardware on them
you'd have some sort of hybrid drum not a 100% Vergara anymore, or anything else.
Your certainly going to have to make irreversible alterations to the shells to fit a bottom hoop on them.

[docarroyo]

I agree with 100% but I will have to make no alterations to add hardware to the shells, they already have a falda cut in them and crown is free floating. I have save the bottom hoops and brought one chibo skin already in case I change my mind and restore to original condition. Nothing I plan on doing is irreversable I would be a criminal to hurt these in any way your correct. Its good to have the comment and you have made me think as to the restoration and its direction Gracia hermano or Thanks Bro heres a flic of them cleaned up a bit.

[bongosnotbombs]

Oh yeah, I can see that now, there is a place for the bottom rim to go. I guess changing
them to hardware would'nt be as drastic.

Still if they were my bongos I think I would keep them as tack heads. A hardware system
might put some new pressure on the shells that were never there before, you know?

Also anybody can get a set of hardware bongos, I don't know where you could get a real
tack head bongo.

An excellent pair of bongos, if I had seen them I would have bid. Congratulations.

Here is Jack Costanzo with a very similar pair of bongos to yours.

[Omelenko1]

Hy Doc,

I have the same Gonzalo Vergara bongo' and Matt Smith made the hardware. Do the same and put hardware on them. I also have another Vergara from 1948 that belonged to La Coja (bongocero for Noro Morales) and John "Dandy" Rodriguez had Cali make hardware for them . I recently bought them from Dandy.
Hare are photos of both. First photo is La Coja/Dandy's Vergara, it was originally a tacked head, second photo is a Vergara that Matt Smith (Ritmo) made hardware for. Don't even think about it and go for it.

Saludos,

Dario

[docarroyo]

Hey Guys for all those who are interested I cleaned the shells up but did not go beyond that I went with Omelenko and droped them off at JCR. When Cali saw them he got very excitedand stated to me and my friend Rey he modeled his bongos after this type of Vergara. He also said he had a list of guys waiting for bongo like this. Just to let you guys now he has no bongos at this time but is waiting on two sources for wood one is Santo Domingo the other is from Viet Nam. He does have lathes to turn drums of all sizes on downstairs so they will be available in the near future. As soon as I get them back I will post the photos. Thanks guys.

[docarroyo]

OK guys here they are I just got back from El Bronx the skins are still moist and already have a great tone I will let cure for at least 2 days before initial tunning, Im like a kid looking at the presents under the tree and not being able to open them. I also saw all the new shells Cali has, nice looking one piece non stave. Hung out with Tato who has a beautiful old set of Junior T's congas and some Cali bongos that are pretty old with his older logo.

[docarroyo]

This is a flic of Cali a couple of his assistants and Carmelo a Rumbero from the NYC

[docarroyo]

With Tato, Cali and my new Toy. They say the difference between men and boys is the price of the toys LOL

[Omelenko1]

You can always count on Cali, now your Vergaras are priceless. He's done a lot of work for me through the years and his turnaround time is very fast.

Saludos,

Dario

[docarroyo]

Just an update, The skins are dry and I took them out for a test run. I cant wipe the smile off my face they are more than I expected I am a very happy to say the least. By the way I should mention that the guy who took the photo is Juan the bongocero for Wayne Gorbea not only a great drummer but a nice guy.