LP Vintage bongó: repair & restoration issues

[RitmoBoricua]

Excellent restoration work, Mike. Them bongos are real beautiful.

[Mike]

I would like to thank everyone for the kind words.
I will cherish this bongó very much and hopefully I will be able
to play it for a very long time.

Thanks again for all the support!
-Mike

[Anonimo]

POST REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[ABAKUA]

Awesome work Mike. They look great.

[Congadelica]

Hey Mike .
You did a great job on the restoration . Im sure they must sound great with perfect Cuero`s .

I followed the refurb and the finished Bongos are looking awesome the wood colour finish is old skool .

Whats your next project ?

marco

[Mike]

Hey guys, thank you for the kind words. With those skins on,
the bongó sounds just as old skool as it looks really.

Next project? Marco, I am still with the Gon Bops restoration.
If I should be bored out of my mind, I have a severely damaged
LP Palisades Park fiberglass Okonkolo flying around, which will
be rather difficult to fix.
To be honest, I also enjoy playing.. That fiber repair can wait.
..and holiday is lying ahead - which instrument should I take with
me, I wonder. Got to be careful, the kids must be crammed in´to the car too

[yambu321]

WOW!!!,
WHAT AN AWESOME TRANSFORMATION OF A PAIR OF LP'S. THOSE SHELLS ARE GORGEOUS!!!

IF YOU ARE EVER GOING TO SELL THOSE BONGOS, PLEASE CONSIDER ME FOR FIRST DIBS.

MIKE, THE WORK YOU HAVE DONE ON THOSE SHELLS, ARE A TRIBUTE TO YOUR SKILLS.

CHARLIE.

[Mike]

Thank you, Charlie. What I feel most proud of is mainly that I was able to fix the fallen-apart hembra.
I am really in love with the shells, but also with the sound!
And they will be a perfect match with the Gon Bops which I will be able to present soon!
I am sorry to say this, but I think I won´t ever sell this bongó (hopefully), it just gives me too many
good vibes
I tell this to my friends time and again when they ask why I spent so much time (and also money) tinkering
with "those old drums", even if they acknowledge they look good: Hey, it is not a museum piece I am trying to restore, but it is a musical instrument with its own soul. And the true sound comes out of the drum you placed a part of your soul in - and you get it back, bit by bit, when you play it - que sublime emoción

[yambu321]

OH YEAH, THAT IS SO TRUE!!!
MIKE, MUCH RESPECT MY FRIEND.

CHARLIE.

[Mike]

I know it´s been a while since I posted in this thread,
but I just wanted to update it: The macho has been replaced
by one of Manito´s outstanding mule skins (a rather thin one),
and here is a pic of the set that I cherish so much, taken in the warm
evening sun (aah, spring!) while waiting for the macho skin to dry.
Now I feel this "project has been completed, it has come full circle.

[Mike]

Here is another shot.

Tuned the skins up this morning - wow, what a sound,
perfect thin mule and thick cow combo
I can only recommend Manito´s drum skins,
they are top-notch quality and also look very nice.

[RitmoBoricua]

Here is a rare Garfield era Gen II in Mahogany. I have not seen too many
of these mahogany Gen II's around. These set had to be made toward the end
of LP mahogany bongos run. This thing is feather light with great projection.

[Mike]

Wow, quite a beauty as well,
and I dig the shell rib-design too.

[RitmoBoricua]

Thanks Mike, I dig your mahogany LP bongo too. Another thing that
surprised me about the mahogany Gen II is that the center block is
made out of walnut.This was when LP was using premium hardwoods
to make bongos I am pretty sure those times will not come back any
time soon.

[Mike]

Another thing that
surprised me about the mahogany Gen II is that the center block is
made out of walnut [!].This was when LP was using premium hardwoods
to make bongos I am pretty sure those times will not come back any
time soon.

Yep, you are dead-on right there.