How much do pros modify their congas?

[Simon B]

I'm wondering to what extent pros modify their endorsed congas.

Johhny Conga has said on the forum that he changes the skins that come with his Pearls.
What about Giovanni - does he leave his signature model of LP intact?

Simon B

[JohnnyConga]

Hi ..I have never changed my skins on my Pearl congas and I have had them for over 6 years now. Why would I try to modify them if they sounded great to me? I'd like to see the post where I said I changed them. The water buffalo heads are fine with me . If I was to change the heads, it would be to mule skin. But like I said the heads on my congas are just fine. I don't believe in "artificial" heads for congas. At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA....

[Simon B]

Sorry Johnny!

I think I misinterpreted an earlier post!

While you're there - have you had the SAME skins on for six years?


Simon B

[JohnnyConga]

HI SIMON YES i HAVE HADTHE SAME SKINS ON MY CONGAS FOR OVER 6 YEARS. i ALSO HAVE A QUINTO WITH A SKIN ON IT FOR 20 YEARS. AT YOUR SERVICE...JC JOHNNY CONGA

[Simon B]

Hmm - same skins on for years and years, and I bet they've been hit hard for long periods of time each day.

I've had my Marathon Exclusives for about a year, and the quinto skin has a noticeable two inch crack starting in the centre. Yes I've played with them up to three hours a day, lugged them to practices and gigs each week, but I've also de-tuned every night and kept them out of the cold and wet. Yes they are not the quality of Pearl Elites - but less than a year and a re-skin?

I've done the lard treatment for the first time tonight, maybe that will stop the quinto getting worse!

Simon B

[JohnnyConga]

Hi Simon ..if your skin has a 2 inch crack in it no amount of manteca or plam oil is going to save it, I'm sorry. Eventually it will get larger in time. Time for a new one. And guys please don't play your congas with any kind of mallets or sticks OK. Unless it's a session that may call for a diferent type of sound asked by the producer or created by you. I can't stand it when I see cats hitting congas with mallets or sticks. But that's me......At your Service...JC JOHNNY CONGA...

[120decibels]

Johnny,

I have been taught, played, and seen much more experienced players play Tambora rhythms on congas with a stick in one hand. I have seen this enough to know that it's a common practice. I agree that playing with kit drum sticks or mallets is unwise, but a big thick tambora stick shouldn't do any damage.

Zach

[120decibels]

I reread my last message and thought that I might have stated the damage thing a bit strongly. A big, thick tambora stick certainly can do damage to the head and the bearing edge of the drum. However, as with anything else, playing with this stick must be done properly.

Zach

[michaelangelo rosario]

mr simon b, if you have a problem with your skins then change them to mule head skins. the water buffalo skins that comes with the mass produce percussion companies such as, pearl, Lp, Toca, Meinl and some of your other top brand are not really that great, the skins on them congas are too hard on the hands over a long period of time. it;s very simply, the quality of sound from mule head skins on the congas can;t be beat. Mule skins are softer and you don't have to kill your hands hitting them hard to produce a loud and full sound.. recently, i bought a pair of Lp aspire supreme
from the guitar center at a big discount. right out of the box i took the head and change them to mule skins and they sound awesome. i swear they sound just as good as any top L.p conga on the market... i did the same thing to my new Patato conga which is one of the top drum anyway so you could imagine what the sound is like,it's a motherfucker!....{ i am in the process of selling my Patato drum for $425.oo and im getting a ton of calls because of the upgrade}.......i work for a small drum shop in nyc so if you need some more infor on mule head skins just let me know.... michaelangelo rosario
e-mail is fyodor212aol.com

[michaelangelo rosario]

mr simon b, if you have a problem with your skins then change them to mule head skins. the water buffalo skins that comes with the mass produce percussion companies such as, pearl, Lp, Toca, Meinl and some of your other top brand are not really that great, the skins on them congas are too hard on the hands over a long period of time. it;s very simply, the quality of sound from mule head skins on the congas can;t be beat. Mule skins are softer and you don't have to kill your hands hitting them hard to produce a loud and full sound.. recently, i bought a pair of Lp aspire supreme
from the guitar center at a big discount. right out of the box i took the head and change them to mule skins and they sound awesome. i swear they sound just as good as any top L.p conga on the market... i did the same thing to my new Patato conga which is one of the top drum anyway so you could imagine what the sound is like,it's a motherfucker!....{ i am in the process of selling my Patato drum for $425.oo and im getting a ton of calls because of the upgrade}.......i work for a small drum shop in nyc so if you need some more infor on mule head skins just let me know.... michaelangelo rosario
e-mail is fyodor21@aol.com

[michaelangelo rosario]

mr simon b. i just one to add one more thing all these conga /percussion companies are all the same for the most part. the drums are all mass produce in thailand there is very little different from the top models to the middle of the road models except for the hardwear.the top model drums in each of the companies are all basically the same. you dont pay the hardwear or the wood you play the skins and that is where the big difference is... i tell you what, you take a giovanni Lp model with the same skins the come with ,water buffalo skin
and you play it for a while, then you take a marathon Lp model conga {which is more than a $100.oo cheaper } ... with a mule head skin,you play that for a while.. and i bet you any amount of money that the marathon will sound better, because of the skin... for natural skins Mule heads are the only way to go..michaelangelo rosario

[michaelangelo rosario]

mr simon b. i just one to add one more thing all these conga /percussion companies are all the same for the most part. the drums are all mass produce in thailand there is very little different from the top models to the middle of the road models except for the hardwear.the top model drums in each of the companies are all basically the same. you dont pay the hardwear or the wood you play the skins and that is where the big difference is... i tell you what, you take a giovanni Lp model with the same skins the come with ,water buffalo skin
and you play it for a while, then you take a marathon Lp model conga {which is more than a $100.oo cheaper } ... with a mule head skin,you play that for a while.. and i bet you any amount of money that the marathon will sound better, because of the skin... for natural skins Mule heads are the only way to go..michaelangelo rosario

[Simon B]

Thanks MichaelAngelo - I might just do that!

[Firebrand]

Regarding Giovanni Hidalgo's preference, I'm a friend of his, and had an opportunity to work with him over an entire weekend of clinic/concert activities. Giovanni was taken to a local Latino music store owned by a former childhood friend and given the choice to select between a LP Classic Wood Quinto/Conga/Tumba set, MY LP Classic Wood Quinto/Conga/Tumba set (one of the earlier models), and THE prototype of the Patato model congas, gifted to Freddie Moreno's son, Toli Moreno, by Patato, for the child's prowess as a burgeouning conguero. They're specifications were later used by Martin Cohen for mass-production of the Patato line.

Giovanni chose the Wood Quinto/Conga of Freddie Moreno, and My Conga/Tumba (because mine are very warm and deep sounding, but, not very bright). All of them had regular LP hand-picked skins. Judging, also, by the fact that all of the official "GIOVANNI" products are made of wood (bongos, congas, etc.), I would put forward an informed guess that Giovanni prefers the warmer sound of natural skins/wood congas.

One last thing is that Giovanni told me of stories about how different companies have tried to take him away from his Zildjian, Yamaha, and LP endorsements, and he has remained loyal to them for more than a decade. So, I trust that LP's conga products bearing Giovanni's marking are truly the preference setup of Giovanni.

Giovanni is a wood/natural skin man, in my opinion.

[Roryboy]

Firebrand- I think the point rosario was getting at was the comparison between natural skins, and the "natural skins" on the drums that are put together in taiwan (be it LP or whoever) using nasty chemicals to de-hair the skins which dulls the sound (at the top of the line "hand-picked!!" they'l still sound ok, hence giovanni's preference compared to artificial skins- so you were right, in a way, but compared to a nice mule hide or cow hide((checkout bongocentral.com)) they just don't cut it.) And of course, Gio preferes wood, but I think rosario used the comparison of fibreglass Aspires to show that a decent skin can make a crappy pair of congas piss all over the top-end Pearl/LPs out there. Personally i'd rather use the old style of tacking a good cowhide onto an old barrell than get any more "top end" congas! Anyways, Gio has to remain loyal to LP in pubic- but i bet he's got the real deal at home for when he wants to properly connect to MotherEarth....