Jazzman Posted December 21, 2001 Share Posted December 21, 2001 Being a drummer, do you have congas that you play? If so what types are they? I plan on getting a set, actually 3 congas to add to some of my music. A good friend of mine has a set of 2 that he uses. I currently use the synths and drum machines that I have in the studio to do this task. Another question, what are the best sizes to get? I'm not sure I would know the differences, other than price. Thanks folks in advance........... Jazzman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted December 21, 2001 Share Posted December 21, 2001 I've got a set of three Latin Percussion Classic Congas; a quinto, a conga, and a tumba. The names of each drum is based upon their sizes and the parts they play in traditional latin music. As far as what sizes to get, I would get a Quinto and Conga first. You can check my website and view my Equipment List to get a full description of the exact sizes, etc., if you need it. Some lines of congas don't come in a variety of sizes; usually this is the case with lower quality, less expensive congas. So basically you need to decide what you want to spend and go from there. What brands are you looking at? What's your budget? I would discourage you from buying the cheap models, such as the Cosmic Percussion (made by LP) congas for example. If you get congas that are too small, you can't play them correctly with the full hand. You're caught in between a traditional conga sized drum which is the full hand most of the time, and the bongos which usually uses just the fingers. Feel free to email me if you have any further questions. I'm sure there are some others on here who will offer up some advise for you. Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzman Posted December 22, 2001 Author Share Posted December 22, 2001 Bart, thanks alot for your help as usual, I checked out your gear list on your site(mind blowing list to say the least my friend). Bart I saw only a 3/4" difference between the Quinto and the Conga. They must be different lengths and Dia's in the middle of the drums, right? I really want to get a good set that will last and sound good, I don't care too much on price right now. The wine color is the look that I like. I would want to mike them too. Ps......Hey Bart, I figure if you played a song with each of your instruments and started in the new year 2002, It would be 2003 when you would repeat yourself again. Ha,Ha! Really nice gear!! Thanks again for your time.......... Jazzman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted December 22, 2001 Share Posted December 22, 2001 Thanks for all the kind words Jazzman. As for the congas, no ... they are all the same length. There typically isn't that much difference in the diameter of the head, but your are correct in that the belly of the drum is varied ... creating more air space, etc. Basically, my Quinto size is the smallest conga, although they do make a Super Quinto or Requinto which is 9 3/4 inch diameter head; a full 1-1/4 inch smaller than the Quinto. All the other drums are just 3/4 of an inch in head diameter difference. If you stick to these sizes, you will almost automatically eliminate the cheap, crappy sounding drums. Most of the low quality congas come in sets of two with a stand and have smaller head diameters. If you want an inexpensive set of congas that actually sound good ... I would HIGHLY recommend the Matadors ... which LP makes. Other than those, stick with the PRO series from LP, Toca, Juggs, or Gon Bops. There may be others, but I can't think of any other names at this point. One more thing, watch out for sewn drumheads. The heads that they supply with drums like Cosmic Percussion have sewn heads. By this I mean that the heads aren't professional tucked, but rather the skin is just wrapped once around the flesh hoop and sewn into place. STAY AWAY FROM THOSE! The only way you will be able to tell is to turn the drum over and look up under the rim. Staying with the pro lines of drums will keep you from getting these crappy heads. And one more, one more thing ... ... try to get drums that have nice calfskin heads. To do this, look for opaque coloration; not translucent. If you can almost see through the head, it's a thin area ... and you don't want that on a conga drum. Try to get as uniform of a coloration as possible. This will mean that the thickness of the head is relative through out. Hope this helps. Email me if you have further questions or even call if you are in the middle of a purchase transaction and have an emergency question. Peace out. Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzman Posted December 22, 2001 Author Share Posted December 22, 2001 Thanks Bart for the information, a tremendous help indeed. I will use this information when I check these babies out at a couple of drum shops. Bart your a walking percussion dictionary, I hope others appreciate your expertise and help here like I do. You the man! Jazzman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted December 23, 2001 Share Posted December 23, 2001 Thanks for the kind words! http://baeproductions.net/images/emoticons/smokin.gif Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agogobil Posted December 28, 2001 Share Posted December 28, 2001 Originally posted by Jazzman: Being a drummer, do you have congas that you play? If so what types are they? .... Another question, what are the best sizes to get? I'm not sure I would know the differences, other than price. Jazzman The LP Classics are beautiful sounding congas, but the LP fiberglass are louder ... so you might want to take that into consideration. I play in a small Latin group, and we're definitely not overbearing. The Classics work well with this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jazzman Posted January 14, 2002 Author Share Posted January 14, 2002 Thanks for the heads up, agogobil. Are the fiberglass congas louder because they are more dense and reflective, like a metal snare to a wood snare? I'll be doing studio work so I will probably go with the wooden ones, for the warmer sound, if that is the correct term Bart. The LP Classics it is, but I will start to hit a couple of music stores to test them out. I also found out that Pearl makes wooden and fiberglass models too. I plan on sticking with the LP series instead, they have been around longer. Is there a book or video that explaines the proper technique in congo playing, hand positions. I'll be able to get the sound, but my hands will look like ground meat!! I also want to mic these babbies in the studio, how about the AT Pro 35X Condenser mic with a Uni-Mount? I would like to stick with the AT line if possible. I would be able to use this mic on horns too. I'm open for suggestions. Thanks in advance........ Jazzman ` Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DrummerCafe Posted January 14, 2002 Share Posted January 14, 2002 Yeah, if you were playing live with a Rock band all the time, and really needed some volume ... more than just micking the drums, you might want the fiberglass. I think you are wise to just go with wood. As far as instructional material, there is so much out there, you almost can't go wrong. Here's just a few names that you can go for; anything by these guys will be great. Giovanni HidalgoKalaniRichie "Gajate" Garcia There are others out there obviously, but these are a few to get you started. Drummer Cafe - community drum & percussion forum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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