Conga Vergara Rescue

[docarroyo]

Conga Vergara rescue project. I spotted this last night and could not sleep in anticipation of picking it up today. When I saw it in the flesh I was both delighted in finding a Vergara like the one I had years ago in Brooklyn and heartbroken by the way it has been mistreated. The black paint is no big deal mine were also painted black but the top band was missing, someone had started to carve the wood away in I guess an attempt to strip it. Wrong size hooks, various splits in the shell, misaligned side plates. But I look foward to hearing her sing again. I will post photos as I go along here some as she presently sits.

[KING CONGA]

What an incredible find. Congratulations. Do you have any history on this drum at all? It appears as though they tried to use a circular grinder to try and remove the paint . So tell us Doc, will you be taking on this project yourself or will you have someone else restore it? Dont you already own a requena that has a Vergara crown, which by the way the crown on that Requena is totally different than on this one, simmilar to the one attached.
Once again, congratulations.
K.C.

[pcastag]

Old cuban drums are cool. That's all I gotta say.

[docarroyo]

I'm going to attempt some of the restoration, stripping, glueing , sanding, staining and finnishing. Its missing one of the side plates and will need bands I usually go to Cali for that since his turn around for me is fantastic. Yes I do own a Requena which for some reason has a Vergara crown on it, If you look at old photos of Vergara and Requena drums you will notice various styles of hardware on both. Im not sure why the Requena has a Vergara crown I'm thinking somewhere down the line it was changed by someone. When I recieved the Requena I took the bands off and found white paint on the back side of bands. A while later I saw a album cover of Candidos Indigo and remembered he painted his drums white. I have been trying to see that cover up close to see if that Requena has the Vergara crown. If it does I will keep it that way if not I located a Requena crown to replace it with. I can't beleive someone used a circular sander on this rare beauty and used caulking as filler for the cracks. It will need alot of work but I'm sure the payback will be worth it. I feel blessed and SOOO lucky to have found it, there is a saying in spanish that says " Si para carpintero nacistes, del cielo te van a caer los clavos" a bit hard to translate. Wish me luck guys I will need it on this one, Thank you

[pcastag]

buena suerte doc! looks like a patient in need!

[bongosnotbombs]

Look like a challenging project with some excellent rewards. Good luck on the restore!

[PowerSemantic]

Nice find.

Was this posted on the Philadelphia craigslist? With a photo showing "panama" painted on it, perhaps?

The things that turn up in my backyard, if I only knew what to look for . . .

Good luck!

[docarroyo]

Yes it was listed in Phillys CR list. When I first spotted it I thought to myself I was wrong, the shape seemed correct but it had the one LP side plate. I copied the photo and then enlarged it and checked the hardware. I made the deal with the guy and he even met me half way I didn't sleep the night before in anticipation. I had two like this one which came from El Barrio in NYC, at the time everyone wanted LP's but mine were the favorites at the rumbas. I left one of the drums at a rumba in a bar one night and when I went back for it it was gone never to be seen. It was painted black just like this one its almost as if she has come home to me. The other one was in left in a room in Puerto Rico used for storage, it was attacked by polilla which are like termites on crack. What was left of the drum was burned and no one thought about saving the metal on the drum. I have done some stripping and gluing of it but its far from near completion. Everyday I come home a do a little more can't wait to finish her to playing condition.