Conga Head - Need help - Replacing new Toca head

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!

Postby rhythmisit » Thu May 27, 2004 7:00 pm

I have ordered Toca head for my Remo quinto. On the manufacturer site they recommend soaking the playing surface of the new head in warm water for an hour before putting it on the conga. Let it dry overnight and apply hand lotion before tuning. Is this still normal practise before you replace your Head. Toca head is made of Bison skin. I am replacing NuSkyn - just too ringy specially on quinto. ???
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Postby Astoe » Fri May 28, 2004 8:17 pm

Hi Rythmisit,

The soaking changes from skin to skin.

Some people I met in Cuba like to soak the skin something like a few hours. On the other hand I heard other people in my place claiming that soaking the skin too long would make the skin loose some elasticity...

My advice: Don't not to worry to much you'll get it right.

1. Soak the skin until you can handle it comfortably
2. Pre-mount the skin on the drum. there should be only a light tension. Don't forget that the skin will build up tension when drying. Just get the skin nicely even.
3. Let it dry long enough!!! This is very important in my experience. In think one night is not enough. you can progressively put the tension up but wait until the skin is totally dry to give it the final and real kick-the-ass-quinto tuning. In other words if you live in a warm&dry region wait AT LEAST a week before doing that.

Well that's my experience. I have not one drum with industrial skins on it and believe me that once you put a "real" skin on your drum it sounds ways better.

Hope this was of some help for you.

Astoe
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Postby Ivan » Fri May 28, 2004 9:15 pm

Rythmisit,

Everybody has their own techniques for mounting... Another addition to Toca's suggestion is to take a candle and rub the wax on the inner rim of the frame of the drum; you know, the part where the skin touches the frame of the drum...

Anyway, in terms of soaking the skin (assuming it's either water buffalo or cow hide) the length of time you soak the pre-mounted head really depends on how the pre-mounted head rests on the drum with out tunning & tigtening... You can also just try resting the pre-mounted head on the frame of the conga to get an idea of it's inperfections... I recently purchased a pre-mounted mule skin head from my buddy Isaac and because of the thickness of the head - I soaked it for about an hour in almost HOT water (just the playing surface as TOCA suggests). I don't recommend the pre-mounted head be soaked until it's loose & jelly like - but just until the pre-mounted head is still tight but manouverable... (Kind of hard for me to explain).

Anyway, after all of this is done, let the head sit on the drum tightining the lugs until the head has a little tension - not too tight or you'll stretch the head; I would say until you feel the first tension in the lugs by twisting with your fingers. DO NOT PLAY the drum while it is wet or damp - I know it's hard to resist, but you really should wait until the pre-mounted head is completely dry (Along the lines of what Atoe said).

Lotion - I wouldn't just put any loation on a head. I have never put lotion or any kind of lubricant on my conga heads previously, but recently my friend and teacher JC advised bee's wax (I think that's what he said..???)

JC, you care to jump in on this? :O
Or
Isaac, what do you think?

Those are my humble opinions.

Good Luck,

Ivan

P.S. You may want to consider getting heads from Isaac - he has access to some nice pre-mounted and unmounted conga, quinto, tumba and bongo heads. I am very please with a pre-mounted conga head I just purchased from him.




Edited By Ivan on 1085779135
Ilu Ache,
Ivan
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Postby Isaac » Sat May 29, 2004 12:34 am

Thanks for your comments Ivan. I enjoyed hangin
with you Alice in NYC last weekend.
~ for the premounted heads, if the fit is good
I wouldn't even bother soaking them. After a
few days of playing, tightening etc. They'll
become well seated. The sound will also improve over time.
~ I would also avoid very hot water when mounting loose skins. Room temp. is sufficient.
~ the main thing is to have a plan and do it slowly and calmly.
It can get frustrating at first when the wet skin
slushes around and slips away from your rim and hands.
It couldn't hurt have a helping hand at this critical
stage. I think Laurent Lamy once posted a good "recipe"
for mounting - I recommend it.
~ If you're unsuccessful with the positioning/centering
of the head, don't start the trimming/cutting of the
excess hide, because you can still resoak it and
start all over again another time. You do
have a 2nd chance to get it right at this point.
The rewarding feeling of mounting your own head
I feel really brings you more in touch with the instrument.
I guess you could call it the "Zen of mounting an animal hide".
~ ISAAC
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Postby Johnny Conga » Sat May 29, 2004 6:11 pm

I personally use "Palm Oil" for my heads. I only apply a very "thin" coat on the head and then sit it in the sun for about 4 hours. I DO NOT play it for at least 2 days, to give it time for the oil to completely dry into the head. I also do not "tune up" until then either.......JC JOHNNY CONGA.....
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