congaplace.com

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:32 am**

i purchased this drum from a surfer in L A. he has had it for a long time, as he is a an old surfer. the wood is cedar, it has heavy duty hardware made of what seems to be aluminum, precise - as the side plates hit the middle of every stave, the bands and the alma are made of a wire stapled to the drum, the shape is great and the sound it fantastic. who the h$%l made this drum and when.

the drum is the third from the left

i am perplexed to say the least. i have not seen one like it.

Edited By congalero on 1188621556

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... -pic_7.jpg

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:34 am**

close up of the hardware - the aluminum is obvious and thickness of the side plates is as well.

Edited By congalero on 1188621678

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... -pic_8.jpg

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:36 am**

inside - aside from the spider tracks one can see the wire alma, how the side plates hit the middle of each stave with a plate and not a washer and how even the glue lines are - certainly made by a pro

Edited By congalero on 1188621834

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... -pic_9.jpg

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:37 am**

close up of the wood - bauer cedro? (my opinion of the wood on the bauer) in the background flanking the drum.

Edited By congalero on 1188621966

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... pic_10.jpg

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:57 am**

Is the drum light or heavy?
and is the wood soft to the thumbnail?

Olsongo

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 3:05 pm**

OLSONGO wrote:Is the drum light or heavy?
and is the wood soft to the thumbnail?

Olsongo

it is light in weight, and if one pushes a fingernail into it you certainly can put a very small dent.

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 3:52 pm**

Well those are some of the characteristics of red cedar another thing you can do is sand the inside and the smell of red cedar will hit you. It looks like a home made drum.

Paz Olsongo

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 4:06 pm**

If you exhale on a place where there is raw wood, and it smells like cedar, it is cedar. Cedar will lose its smell after a while. Buck

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 5:09 pm**

Quite shure this drum was made in Mexico, by someone who was familiar with cuban drums.

the crown is thick, like the rims on many Mexican congas, the lugs go over the rim, again mexican.

The things that look Cuban to me, the shape, the alma, and the wire rings on the outside.

This is not red Cedar, or Thuja plicata, but probably a tropical variety similar to the 'cedro' used in Cuba.

Ive played and held this drum, it is harder than Thuja Plicata, for sure.

however, i did see a drum listed on ebay as a 'Cuban mahogany Conga' (see pic below)

Tony

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

Posted: **Sat Sep 01, 2007 5:13 pm**

You know, after posting that pic,

i dont think the hardare on your conga is original, i bet it was retro fitted. The shells are so different.

Tony

Posted: **Mon Sep 03, 2007 2:34 pm**

Hey Brian,

That conga you picked up from "Surfer Joe" is a Zim-Gar conga they used to make in the 60's. Zim-Gars were one of the better Mexican made congas. You know who had a few in his shop, Jay Bereck from Skin on Skin,when he was in Brooklin.
Rompe tambo'. Dario

Posted: **Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:25 pm**

Dario,

So, Zim-Gar made Cedar drums without bands?

Most of the ones ive seen are like this one.

The white glue on the inside may be a clue.

It looks like the bands and the alma were fitted after the drum was made.

Tony

Edited By blango on 1188837560

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

Posted: **Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:27 pm**

Zim Gar too

Edited By blango on 1188837311

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

Posted: **Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:31 pm**

zim gars

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... 7754_o.jpg

Posted: **Mon Sep 03, 2007 4:37 pm**

Brian,

Are there any holes in the drum?

four tack holes where the lable was perhaps? or old bands removed?

Tony

congaplace.com

cedar? yes! cuban? hmmmm? - who made this one