by Snake » Tue Oct 26, 2004 5:57 pm
I've read on some of the reviews at Music123's web site and it seems that a lot of people have trouble with the overtones and a metallic sound from the smaller drums like the quinto and the requinto. Some even suggest that you have 2 tumbas and 1 conga or 2 congas and 1 tumba for your setup. Even in LP's top Giovanni congas, there are posted problems with the 2 smaller sizes.
So do the larger drums have a better sound to them if tuned to the same pitch as the smaller drums? Say you tuned a conga and a quinto to the same pitch. Will the larger drum sound fuller and richer given everything else equal? Or are there other dynamics at work which make the smaller drum an advantage to have? If the bigger drums sound better, then why don't these companies start there line at 11 3/4" and go on up to say 15"?
I can see the common sense in hauling a 10" drum to the park over a 15" drum just from the logistics aspect, but if you are planning on using them in a home or church where they will be stationary for extended periods, should the set be designed around the larger drums? Or is the overtone issues more of a freak circumstance, and if you tune it different or use some type of lubricant for the head, the problem disappears?