Valje Tumba - Worth $500.00 ??

[bongosnotbombs]

Congratulations Jerry, whether Valje or Resolution you have a very fine drum. Nothing wrong with a few scratches, just means you won't be afraid to put a few more one. That's why I bought my Valje tumba. Truly a "thunder" drum if ever there was one.

I think the head you received with the drum may have been water buffalo and an LP Valje type head. Good job making the Remo head fit. That's the first I ever heard of a Remo on a Resolution. Maybe you'll get a cow skin on her one day.

[Jerry Bembe]

Thanks BNB.

Below are some photos of the modified REMO head on the Resolution Tumba. The original head sounded terrible but the REMO sings on this fine Tumba. It is now one of my favorites. If I had to choose one conga, a Tumba would be my choice.
(The final price was less than $500 with shipping.) I had to remove a most of the REMO metal retaining ring at the hardware points of the Resolution. It still sounds fine despite the large amount of metal removal on the REMO head. See below:

Here it is

Modified Remo Head

[Anonimo]

POST REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[Jerry Bembe]

Good question Leedy,

Thank you for pointing this out. I think this maybe worthy of a new thread. I modified (or butchered) this fine REMO head and I was aprehensive while modifying the head but afterwards I am glad I took the risk. The sound is excellent and I would do it again. This is why I showed this detail but I failed to explain why. You have an excellent eye for detail!

I don't think this Fiberskyn head was crimplock but possibly I'm wrong. I recieved this fine tumba that had a terrible head and I looked through what I had on hand and saw that this REMO head fit perfectly on the bearing edge of this tumba. Well I was eager to see how this tumba would sound with a better head because I was VERY DISSAPOINTED with how it originally sounded. Well dissapointment struck twice when I saw that the Resolution like the Valje crown has a very tight fit to the ring of the head, so the ring had to be modified to make this work.

Yes, I could have tried a different head or better yet tuck my own head but I did not have the materials on hand so I used what I had available. I donot like Evan's heads (so far) and I have always liked the Remo heads. (I had to dampen the head to muffle the sustain/ring, but afterwards the results for tone were excellent.) I was skeptical about finding the perfect head for a custom conga like "Resolution" so the can-do-spirit really helps out here.

So the moral of this story is take a calculated risk once in a while and you will be rewarded once in a while too. (I picked this head up for $20 so if it didnot work out I would not be at a great loss.) I have neve been one to be afraid to roll up my sleeves and work my instrument to suit my needs and taste. I have experimented with success and failure many times but I must say I really appreciate this forum to help limit those sometimes costly mistakes.

Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season to all!

Jerry

[Anonimo]

POST REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[Samba]

Siam Oak isn't oak ,and LP made Valjes are not in the same ballpark at all,though could be improved with cow or mule heads instead of the Thai water buffalo ones they come with. For a minute they made some called Armando Perraza models of Cherry wood,those have an interesting unusual tone .

[tootyfull]

I agree with the previous comment.Are yuou buying for the history or the sound quality? If can talk it down to at least 350-400,that would be great.Be sure to check it for worps,splits,cracks,etc.I am also in the market for a good used tumba as well.Good luck.

[Seneferu]

In my opinion, it is worth the money and perhaps alot more depending upon the condition. Keep in mind, Valje was pretty much a small company and their drums pretty much bordered being handmade if not handmade. That puts them head and shoulders above the mass produced drums of today. Old drums also have a certain character. To me $500 for an old Valje tumba is a darn good price. However, if you can talk the seller down, go for it. Peace

[Seneferu]

If it is a valje tumba by tom flores, it is definitely worth the price. Even one by Akbar Moghanam. If it is a lp valje, I wouldn't bother buykng it unless he offered you a deal you can't refuse. The lp valjes were made of siam oak, which tend go crack in ojr crack in our climate, especially Michigan. That has been my experience anyway.

[Seneferu]

You still have your Handsonic?