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Posted: **Fri May 04, 2007 4:55 pm**

Greetings, everyone--

This is a wonderful forum.

I have a strange tumba. It is yellow fiberglass, and supposedly a Gon Bops. The head and the hardware clearly are ("Tumbao Series" style), but the shell has no markings of any kind on the inside. The DW Gon Bops people had no idea if Gon Bops ever made fiberglass drums, but they know that they haven't. It's tone is big, but "spanky." Like the world's largest basketball. Does anyone here know if Gon Bops did ever make a fiberglass drum, or if this is perhaps just some sort of odd, fiberglass shell somebody put Gon Bops hardware on?

Thanks in advance, and take great care, everyone.
--Zack

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... _small.jpg

Posted: **Fri May 04, 2007 9:23 pm**

Yes Gon Bop made fiberglass "made to order" I know this cause I had Mariano make me 3 congas with fiberglass and wood...now this drum has Gon bop hardware, and I recognize the shape of the drum,which also reminds me of the ol conga make called Zim-Gar from Mexico as I stated in another post here...".JC" Johnny Conga..

Posted: **Fri May 04, 2007 10:27 pm**

Thanks, Johnny.

I'll look into Zim-Gars. I've never heard of them.
When did Mariano make those congas for you? That's wonderful.

I'm having an impossible time dating this particular drum. It's in almost perfect condition. The fellow I bought it from had it for a few years, and never really got around to playing it (it was his only drum). He bought it from an old player who said it was 100% Gon Bops. Unfortunately he is no longer in contact w/the guy he bought it from.

It's my first fiberglass drum, and I'm still a bit annoyed by the ringiness (the fact I usually play it on a hardwood floor doesn't help). It is nice to get a loud, cutting tumba sound so easily. I've put a little tape on the inside, and that has helped some, but you can really hear that *TANG* just by slapping the side of the shell (whereas my old mahogony conga produces a flat, dry clap).

I'm a bit reluctant to cover the insides w/tape entirely :laugh:

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Fiberglass Gon Bops? - What is this drum?