congaplace.com

I went to a local Timba dealer to check out a Conga and Tumba that they had in stock. Nearby was a pair of Gon Bops in a cherry finish. They were a Quinto and a Conga. The Timbas were awesome, but I could not keep my hands off of the Gon Bops. They literally played themselves. I got effortless volume out of them and the tone reached out and grabbed you. He wants $1500 for the pair. Is this fair market value? He wants $1400 for the Timbas. I cannot get my mind off of those Gon Bops, but I just can't swing the money (wife, 3 daughters in private school, bills, house payment...whine, whine, snivel, snivel!) It's obvious that the Timbas run along the same design as the Gon Bops. I am thoroughly impressed.

Big Ben

Hola Benjamin, hope all is well! Which store are you referring to? and what is the color of the Timba drums?


Saludos, Jorge Ginorio

Jorge,

The name of the store is Solutions. It's on Whittier Blvd. in East Los Angeles. They are a Timba retailer. The Timbas are brown stained. I had a dream last night about those Gon Bops!

Big Ben

Ben,

I know the feeling. Every time I go to my lesson, I end up playing on either a set of Gon Bops or a set of custom congas that were made to Mongo's design before he sold his name to Meinl. Both sets are some of the sweetest sounding drums I've ever heard.

I still love my LP Classics, but that sound that comes from drums shaped like gon bops and made with that quality is incredible.

Zach

it's too expensive.

Ben,

I thought so. $1500 seemed a little too much for the pair, even if they are no longer being made. What do you think fair market value would be for a mint set (Quinto/Conga) of Gon Bops?

Big Ben

Benjamin Esparza wrote:Ben,

I thought so. $1500 seemed a little too much for the pair, even if they are no longer being made. What do you think fair market value would be for a mint set (Quinto/Conga) of Gon Bops?

Big Ben

Yeah, they are way too expensive! You can get a set of Natalio Tirado "Junior", or Jay Bereck's Skin on Skin drums, for much less than that. "Junior" drums go for $400.00 a piece.
Both guys are based in NYC. Hope this helps!


Saludos, Jorge Ginorio

WHOA! WAY TOO EXPENSIVE AND GREEDY!.....Yes Jay's and Juniors are less money and even the hand crafted Mopercs are cheaper than those. Some companies or individuals are taking too much advatage today. I know wood is become more expensive but it's coming out of Thailand now, what are we paying for AN Import Tax?......Disgruntled conga drummer JC JOHNNY CONGA.... :angry:

Big Ben,

I've seen pairs of Gon Bops go for under about $800-$900 on ebay. So, if you're in love with the sound, be patient. I'm sure that someone will be forced to part with a nice set of drums in the not to distant future

Zach

What's up Ben! The price is toooooo high! You should checkout Sam Ash or Manny's Music! You will definitely get a better price.

Vaya Benjamín, hope all is well! Currently there is a Gon Bops trio of quinto, conga and tumba for auction at e-bay. Check it out! They look with a lot of mileage, but you can always restore them. Hope this helps!


Saludos, Jorge Ginorio