King Conga Parts

[bongosnotbombs]

Tito

[No.2-1820]

Very nice Dario, they are beauties for sure, I have a new screen saver now ! Any pics of the bongos around that you know of ? Now they have to look amazing, so funky !!!

Cheers, Barrie

[No.2-1820]

Hey Dario, do you know any history of echo tones ? Just realized i know next to nothing !

[Omelenko]

Barrie, Echo Tones were the first fiberglass congas made in the world. They were the creation of Frank Mesa, a P. Rican gentleman from Brooklyn, NY. Señor Mesa work in the boatyards and was an expert in fiberglass. He started making Echo Tones around 1957. Frank Malabe, the late great conguero, was the first to play them. He worked out a deal with Manny's Music Store on 48 St in Manhattan and that's were they were sold. Candido became Echo Tones' world ambassador, Patato loved them and palyed mine here in Miami, Ray Barretto played them, Willie Bobo, Willie Pastrana. The rock group, The Young Rascals, had a set, James Brown percussionist had a set. Through the years I had about 10 of them. I just sold mine the other day to Brian Mazda (congalero) in our forum. I had Echo Tones for over 20 yrs. I occasionaly played a gig in Ft. Luderdale for Jewish dancers from NYC from the Palladium days, they flipped out when I played the Echo Tones, thinking they were back in the Palladium.
Frank Mesa stopped production around 1971, when LP started mass producing fiberglass congas. Mesa was a one-man operation and it was a labor of love. It took him over a month to make a set of conga and tumba. Accordin to my friend percussionist and historian, Bobby Sanabria, Mr. Mesa is still around and is in his 80's.

Saludos,

Dario

[No.2-1820]

Thanks Dario. An interesting read, I'm guessing there is not a great deal of them around today. I think I saw a couple in the "Rare Earth" 70's rock band set up as well.

Cheers, Barrie

[taikonoatama]

I prefer the echo tones

Hey Barrie,

Curious whose Echo Tones you played or heard (in person)? I might have to take my Kings over to Brian's place for a drum-off.

James

[taikonoatama]

They are good nostalgic congas but limited in sound projection.

I have the complete set of all four sizes, and the super-tumba and tumba, in particular, are not lacking in sound projection at all - they're just awesome drums, with great projection. They can hang with my SoS's and Tom Flores Valjes and not be embarrassed at all. I'm not saying they're superior to the Echo Tones - I've never seen them in person - but I'd characterize their sound as more than simply "good."

James

[Gallichio]

Awesome Congas,
I wish I had a set. Years ago I would see them new every week at the old Frank's Drum Shop. In Chicago on Jackson and Wabash.
The sounded great to me. I wish I purchased them. I hope the company makes a comeback. I won't miss out this time if they do.

[No.2-1820]

Purely superficial with me James, I just love the look of the Echo Tones and I'm not a big fan of the hardware etc on the kings, I would guess the sound is fairly comparable, loud and a bit 'boomy' to my ears is how fiberglass congas sound to me. I replied yesterday but went off on a tangent about high end congas and lost the post when I tried to edit it !

If you do have a comp test with Brian I'd like to hear it, mostly as I'd like to see the echo tones in the flesh.

Barrie

[taikonoatama]

I would guess the sound is fairly comparable, loud and a bit 'boomy' to my ears is how fiberglass congas sound to me.

I'd never been a fan of fiberglass congas until I played the Kings - in particular the super-tumba and tumba. It's not so much the loudness and boominess that'd turned me off, but the ringiness that is typical, and the oft times lack of fullness of sound. Kings are not ringy in the way that most fiberglass congas are. They're lightweight, have a sexy profile, have funky hardware which I happen to really like (though good look finding replacement parts at this point), have a handmade quality to them that I also like, easy slaps, great projection (at least my set - don't know what's up with Dario's), nice round open tones, and, of course, very cool racing stripes.

James

[Omelenko]

This Bobby Valentim album is from the early 60's. Catch Willie Pastrana with a matching set of Echo Tones. I loved my Kings and they sounded good, the only thing, from having had both Echos and Kings is that the Echos were built heavier (the shells), so the sound was more solid (afincao) than the Kings. Both great drums and part of Americana percussion history. I'm glad a true collector, like Brian Mazda in SF, has my Echos.

Saludos,

Dario

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[bongosnotbombs]

I like the Kings, because they used to be local. Sound good too.
I hope they make a comeback. SF needs a drum maker again
after losing Valje and Sol.

It would also be good to have a artisan fiberglass drum being made again too.

[Omelenko1]

From my photos archives. Here is a photo of Willie Rosario and his orchestra fom 1958 in Club Caborrojeño,NYC. Notice his Leedy Humberto Morales timbs and some early Echo Tone congas (photo dated 1958) probably among the first Echo Tones made.

Saludos,

Dario

[Gallichio]

Hello Congaplace,

I have contacted the King Conga Team and the news is they will start making the legendary fiberglass congas in around 8 to 10 months from now.

http://www.kingconga.com/

This is some of the e-mail from the King Conga Team -

Everyone involved with this
company are players and we are extremely passionate
about congas and
percussion. We have tremendous respect for the
legendary builders like
Vergara, Frank Mesa, Jr. Tirado, Tom Flores, Jay
Bereck and Matthew Smith.

The current site for King Conga has only been up for
about 4 months. Prior
to that there was a splash page that simply showed
the King Conga logo and
it was there for a year or so. As you can imagine,
it has taken considerable
time and effort to rebirth these legendary drums.
We are going to
extraordinary lengths to make sure that the new
Kings keep all of the same
attributes as the original Kings while also making
some needed structural
and hardware innovations. Our main goal is to bring
back that authentic
vintage King Conga sound since that is what really
sets these drums apart
from any other fiberglass congas. We are also
employing some unique
fabrication techniques and composites that have
never been used before. The
new Kings will not be mass produced. These drums
will be handmade to order
and to very strict standards. More importantly they
will be made here in the
USA with high quality skins.

We were hoping to start accepting orders this Fall
but realistically we may
not be ready for at least another 8-10 months. We
are a small shop and the
entire process has taken longer than originally
anticipated.

This is great news. I have always wanted a set of King Congas. I would see them every
Saturday at Franks Drum shop downtown Chicago when I was taking lessons years ago. At
the time I could not afford them so I will be happy when they start producing them again.
If anyone has photos please post them.