New Congahead

[Krp]

Hi everybody, few weeks ago i bought a first quality congahead for my PJ Sessionline fiberglass conga (PJ is a Danish brand known by it's quality. The "Sessionline" model looks like, - and sounds like the Patato model from LP). Today I recieved the drum with new head - but... It's really difficult to tune the drum. No matter what i do there is this strange dissonance. When i recieved the drum I noticed that the head has different thickness's. Some places on the head the thickness is about 3mm and other places it's only 1mm! Does this have any influences on the sound? -And is that the reason why I can't tune it correctly? I payed about *£140 so it's important to me that the quality of the head matches the price.. I had exepected a clean singing sound from my new congahead but at this moment I'm not satisfied at all. Will the problems with the sound and the tuning of the drum disappear after a while or should I contact the shop where I bought the congahead? (Just to mention, tuning congaheads are not new to me. I have done that for several years.) (*£140=1500 Danish krones)



Edited By Krp on 1123270511

[Raymond]

Some of the technicalities about head thickness, etc, I have problems explaining and normally I have to see the head or listen to it to "solve the problem." However, based in my experience what you might have is that your head might be too thin or needs break in...

Whether the inconsistancy in the thickness around the whole head has something to do I do not know. In my experience, thin heads tend to need break in to get a sound you like. (Break in is play it, leave it tuned, allow the head to tensed, etc, etc) What you are experience I had it with the major brands treated heads, example, LP heads). (Question here is your head a "see through" head???? In my experience the less see through the head is the more "broken" it is and more defined sound you get)

A thin head sometimes tend to have overtones when is not broken in. Another thing that is complicating your situation is a fiberglass conga (that has overtones all by themselves).

My recommendation here is to detuned your congas and start slowly to tune it, as even as possible, and see when do you get a sound you are comfortable with.

I know is hard when you buy something, and I do not know if you were involved in the process of selection, and not get what you wanted. You feel cheated. For heads, I follow my success in the past with sounds I like and is based in my observation of the head prior to installment and the sound I eventually get. Maybel you need to do that next time you invest in a head...

Other recommendations, experiences or comments might follow here.

Saludos!

[Krp]

Thanks a lot for your reply and help. My head is pretty much a see-through head. If i could change the past i should have been more involved in the process I see. I only told them that i wanted the head to have a medium thickness. Not how I wanted it to sound like and such. I think I will try to do what you explained to me and then hope for the best.

[Raymond]

Based in your response, a "see through" head, what you have is a head that needs to break in. (Is the same type of sound like I mentioned with LP "treated heads". These heads gives you a ringing sound for awhile and you have to play with them until they start turning white/beige with the playing, tuning, detuning, etc.) Don't throw it away, what you need here is to break it in....

Like I mentioned, I tend to purchase something that is not that much see through that in my experience is more broken in and that ringing sound is not there....

Saludos!