2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft late 80's & Palisades Park

Manufacturers, brands, skins, maintenance, stands, sticks, michrophones and other accessories for congueros can be discussed into this forum ...... leave your experience or express your doubts!

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby maelopr » Fri Nov 30, 2012 6:04 pm

Man, nice find!! I actually have a pair of those series bongos, 7" + 9", I'm pretty sure they're from around 1998- Made in Germany, they're still in excellent condition. The wood if I recall is Sessile Oak. They're big & heavy but so is the sound!! I'll have to say it's the one pair I don't think I'll ever get rid of.

Ismael
¡ ECUA JEY !
User avatar
maelopr
 
Posts: 114
Joined: Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:21 pm
Location: Puerto Rico

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby p.a.dogs1 » Sun Dec 02, 2012 12:47 am

I found an overview of conga models in an old magazin (1989). The original Woodcrafts were built in two colour variations: natural and wine red. Their hight were just 72 cm and the skins calf. All other Meinl models had cow skins at that time. The overview makes a difference between female and male cow (beside mule, reindeer, water buffalo and calf).

And here a YouTube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiREUXxzWsA

Btw. Meinl concepted a special Mongo Santamaria signature model in 1999: the body from ash (staves were made as a two-ply construction), height 75 cm, hardware in brass optic, comfort rims, natural wood (laquered transparent), water buffalo skins.
http://meinlpercussion.com/typo3temp/fl ... m-400m.png

p.a.dogs1
User avatar
p.a.dogs1
 
Posts: 117
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:17 am
Location: Kiel (Germany)

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby ABAKUA » Tue Dec 04, 2012 3:22 am

p.a.dogs - Thanks for the background info! Looks like these are from the mid to late 80's then, as the store moved in 80's and these were left behind in the warehouse.

Thanks for the comments guys, Im so happy I found these after so many years of searching. :D

KING CONGA wrote:.
Yhea right! C'mon Marcelo give us a break, "I think these will be the last of the additions to my drum family for a while", once a conga junkie always a conga junkie!!!! LOL


Ah truer words have never been spoken! hahahahaha I came across these today, getting more info from interstate seller, but if they are Palisades Park, which Im thinking they might be, they will soon be mine also! (congas only, not the bongos or stands) :oops: :oops: 8) 8) :lol: :lol:

Image
User avatar
ABAKUA
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3189
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: Earth

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby vinnieL » Tue Dec 04, 2012 6:34 am

those are awesome!
User avatar
vinnieL
Moderator
 
Posts: 768
Joined: Wed Jul 11, 2007 7:20 am
Location: ft lauderdale

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby Omelenko1 » Tue Dec 04, 2012 2:51 pm

Oye Marcelo, you're going to have to rent an auditorium to store all your drums. Is an addiction we all have!
Omelenko1
 
Posts: 1170
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:33 am

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby ABAKUA » Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:25 am

hahahahaha my living room is getting a little crowded :oops: but they all having a good time there! 8) :lol: :D

Selling the Matador Conga Tumba i picked up recently, turns out the white ones above indeed are Palisades Park model, Quinto Conga though, I was keen on them being Conga Tumba, nonetheless an absolute steal of a price. They are immaculate and have Raul skins on them. Will upload a few pics soon.
Might be a week or so before they arrive from across the country.
I couldnt help myself, had to have them! :oops: :mrgreen: :)
Attachments
image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg
User avatar
ABAKUA
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3189
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: Earth

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby ABAKUA » Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:02 am

Few more pics I was sent
Attachments
image.jpg
image.jpg
image.jpg
User avatar
ABAKUA
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3189
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: Earth

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft late 80's & Palisades Park

Postby Omelenko1 » Thu Dec 06, 2012 3:49 am

Now you must go hunting for a Palisades tumba, even if is not white. White would be ideal, but a black or a red or any other color will be a desirable addition. In my opinion, fiberglass Palisades are the best LPs congas of all.
Omelenko1
 
Posts: 1170
Joined: Wed Jul 23, 2008 12:33 am

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby Mike » Thu Dec 06, 2012 4:52 am

p.a.dogs1 wrote:Congratulations! Very nice drums. They are made by a traditional barrel maker (tubber?) in Franken (northern part of Bavaria) on the authority of Meinl. In 1998 there was an article in a German drum magazin on the occasion of the resumption of producing the Woodcraft series.

Here is the general description: http://www1.sticks.de/magazine/9801/woodcraft.htm

The mounted hardware is from Meinl´s production in Thailand. The so-called True-Skins are normal for this resumed production. So I think, your instruments are made in the end of 90ies or beginning of the new millenium. The Woodcrafts from the 80ies were all in natural oak (maybe also in Rustical, but not in Bordeaux like yours´). And at that time badges were not covered with films - this is typical for all kinds of revival stuff.



Yes, after having read all those articles p.a.dogs1 mentions you come to the conclusion that the set Abakua has purchased is most definitely a 20th anniversary set from 1998 - just like the one I have recently spotted on the second-hand market... 8)

But nevertheless, those are GREAT congas with outstanding construction features, simply stunning. 8) :D

One will have to see what the skins are like though, I can remember that Marcelo posted something rather negative about the "True Skins" which are water buffalo indeed some time ago.
Peace & drum
User avatar
Mike
 
Posts: 2193
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2001 6:00 pm
Location: Germany

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft late 80's & Palisades Park

Postby ABAKUA » Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:03 am

My ones are an earlier set, from late 80's, as this store moved in the 80's and these drums were part of an inventory forgotten behind at the warehouse, their records have confirmed this. Mikes ones are anniversary set, very beautiful dark finish on them. Now the True Skins used in more recent times were a white colour and lacked any definition or projection in sound, the earlier dark series of True Skins were quite good.
Look forward to receiving mine, prob 4 weeks away still.
User avatar
ABAKUA
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3189
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: Earth

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft late 80's & Palisades Park

Postby Mike » Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:07 am

ABAKUA wrote: My ones are an earlier set, from late 80's, as this store moved in the 80's and these drums were part of an inventory forgotten behind at the warehouse, their records have confirmed this. Mikes ones are anniversary set, very beautiful dark finish on them. Now the True Skins used in more recent times were a white colour and lacked any definition or projection in sound, the earlier dark series of True Skins were quite good.

Thanks for clarifying this, Marcelo! I was pretty sure, but what you mention about the storehouse makes sense, so yours really seem to be from the 1980s.

Well, the set I was talking bout looks like this, so it has also got the darker skins you mention:
Meinl woodcraft.JPG


ABAKUA wrote: Look forward to receiving mine, prob 4 weeks away still.

I am sure you do - wow, that will next year only. in the meantime, I guess there will not be "Silent night" all that much in your living-room,
as you have plenty of top-notch drums to bang on :lol:
Peace & drum
User avatar
Mike
 
Posts: 2193
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2001 6:00 pm
Location: Germany

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft late 80's & Palisades Park

Postby ABAKUA » Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:40 am

Man, those are gorgeous in that finish, beautiful drums. They will sound awesome I'm sure!!
User avatar
ABAKUA
Site Admin
 
Posts: 3189
Joined: Mon Nov 29, 2004 11:59 pm
Location: Earth

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft circa late 70's/early 80's

Postby p.a.dogs1 » Thu Dec 06, 2012 2:33 pm

Mike wrote:after having read all those articles p.a.dogs1 mentions you come to the conclusion that the set Abakua has purchased is most definitely a 20th anniversary set from 1998 - just like the one I have recently spotted on the second-hand market... 8)

I am still rather sure that these congas are from the end of 90ies. An indication for my guess is that a shop which (on one side) forgets to have such congas in the stock would (on the other side) probably not exchange the skins. And if the original calf skin would have become grotty (because of the indoor climate) over the years also the hardware parts would show signs of age.

But the quality of those instruments should not be less, because barrel makers practice their craft since hundreds of years and I don´t think that Meinl told them to change anything with the effect of lower quality. The general question is if bending staves (still tension in the body, kept together by the metal hoops) is better than sawing their form at a band saw (body is free from any tension except what is caused by the skin). But Meinl should have made good experiences with the 80ies´production of Woodcrafts - otherwise they would not have resumed it with the same methods.

Mike wrote:One will have to see what the skins are like though, I can remember that Marcelo posted something rather negative about the "True Skins" which are water buffalo indeed some time ago.

The TrueSkin on my Selection Tumba from 1998 (manufactured by Family Mueller with the same features as the Woodcrafts - just cherry wood instead of oak) seems to be of a comparatively high quality.

p.a.dogs1
User avatar
p.a.dogs1
 
Posts: 117
Joined: Sun Apr 26, 2009 8:17 am
Location: Kiel (Germany)

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft late 80's & Palisades Park

Postby Mike » Thu Dec 06, 2012 5:31 pm

Well, be it as it may (was that a correct sentence?),
I am looking forward to those Meinl as much as Abakua does.

Unfortunately an LP conga set of mine had been stolen from a session studio room,
so I am in need of a set of conga & tumba, and my guess is that the woodcrafts wil do perhaps an even better job
than the LPs. Well, wait and see what the "True Skins" are like.

In the meantime, I enjoy playing my Gon Bops at home, my former set of two (11+12.25")
has found an 11.5" complement which is perfect for the mellow rumba and Latin jazz sessions at home.
P1110002_2048x1152.jpg
P1100998_2048x1152.jpg

It is the conga on the left, and the great thing about it is that it
came in almost pristine condition, the hardware will just need a littlepolishing, that is all. Very hard to find over here.
Peace & drum
User avatar
Mike
 
Posts: 2193
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2001 6:00 pm
Location: Germany

Re: 2 gems found! Meinl Woodcraft late 80's & Palisades Park

Postby Mike » Mon Dec 10, 2012 5:40 pm

Well, my Woodcrafts arrived today - but what can I say: UPS delivered
the tumba with a long and ugly crack in it! :evil:
What a bummer!
I try to figure out if the insurance will pay for that,
but it is a nuisance anyway. I wonder if an how I can mend
that severe blemish.
PC100754.JPG

PC100756.JPG


Other than that, those drums are wonderful, heavy,solid,
and incredible crisp attack. The skins are still very fine.
PC100757.JPG
Peace & drum
User avatar
Mike
 
Posts: 2193
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2001 6:00 pm
Location: Germany

PreviousNext

Return to CongaSet and accessories

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 24 guests