LP Original Fiberglass or Meinl Fibercraft?

[Doctor_J]

I'm looking at replacing my LP Apsire congas.......I've been playing congas for 4 months now and started playing with my church (they have a set of LP Classics wood), but now I realize how garbage the Aspires sound compared to other congas. I was talking with my conga instructor and he was telling me that I should get a set of fiberglass congas. I did some research and I see the LP Originals are good because they are 28" high and I like to play sitting down, but then there are the Meinl Fibercraft black congas that I heard were really nice as well and they have that sparkling black texture and are 30" high. I go to New York salsa dancing and there is always this guy there with a set of Meinl Fibercrafts that sound SOOO good...and they are LOUD too! What do you think I should get? My conga instructor also told me not to put synthetic heads on them until I developed my slaps, he said synthetic heads will prevent me from learning proper technique and I should learn on the regular leather and then get Remo heads later when I have mastered those open slaps and proper technique.

Bottom line has anyone had any experience with LP Originals? or Meinl Fibercraft? Any recommendations?

[willie55]

try to find a set of both and play them, whatever feels comfortable for you and sounds good for you, get them. if you played the lp classics wood, and that sounds and feels good, get those, don't rush, go to the music stores and play..KEEP ON DRUMMING..

[roberthelpus]

Try some others if you can, but it sounds as if you really like the Fibercrafts so go for it.

[mrhands]

Hey. If you get the Fibercraft, let me know how they are..

Btw, don't let the height of the conga determine your choice. I've come to believe that it is just a gimmick. The height of your stands or chair is what really matters. The only thing height should really affect is the sound. At least on a drumset, a shallower drum means more high end. Deeper drums have more low end and body. I'll just assume that this same principle applies to congas. I'm an average sized guy and I love to play sitting down. My congas are 30'' tall. I almost always have to put the congas in stands when I play live because of the size of the stage and the amount of members in the band. I find that the stands are still too short for me to play, and I find I have to hunch over slightly to play the congas. So it really doesn't matter. It's all in your preference, of course.

[congamyk]

oops.

[Mike]

Salsa models are wooden only - so..?
Besides there might be confusion about vintage vs. current models:

LP´s fiberglass congas from Palisades Park times were between 28 and 29" tall.

As to Meinl: I have heard that the current Fibercraft models are very ringy
and not too heavy, but i do not have any first-hand knowledge.
What I can say though is that older Meinl Fibercraft congas are the bomb!
The sound is absolutely great with the right skin. Even though I am not a great
fan of fiberglass congas, the Meinl Fibercraft I picked up for somebody else
and boosted with an L&H skin is a mind-blowing conga. BTW it is also 28" tall.

Just my two cents.

[Ernesto Pediangco]

Lp's original glass drums had tendency to delaminate glass plys at the lug cleats / side plates from the constant high tensions so later models added interior re inforcements of glass & kevlar , adding strength and muffled some ringyness but still, glass is not a warm resonator. Some of the top of drum metal edges inlaid into the sound edge, had air pockets and the drum edge would dent in and warp the drum edge. Later models corrected this and what is called Matador model, is in fact the orig Lp fiberglass shell w/ matador side plates, but Lp discontinued the light traditional rim crowns whic was very weak & prone to warping ~ and the original Lp comfort curve crowns were put onto Matadors ! That crown is extremely strong, better than the new comfort curve II's on the top line of Lp ! Such Matadors are actualy a good glass drum. Meinl Fiber Craft is an excellent glass drum too regardless of crown type, they are strong and dependable as well, but have fatter bellies and rubber bumpers that are a good feature to protect the drum, and floors and allows full resonnance of the shell. In general, I prefer Meinl for always improving flaws in most cases and adding smart features and being price competative. The head sizes are nicer too, not odd sized fractions but even 11, 12 & 13 inch heads approximately.