SKIN ON SKIN's Please comment

[Omelenko1]

More Skin on Skin madeness, Here is a photo of My Cherry Wood 12" & 13" next to 70's Gon Bops. I really love the sound and the fact that they are very light compared to my Oaks. Jay, "El Judio Maravilloso De Los Cueros".

Dario

[bongosnotbombs]

Hey Omelenko,
that video you posted of yourself playing the cherry wood SOS really influenced my
decision, they sounded so good.
please post as many imgaes of those drums as you have.

[KING CONGA]

Can someone please tell me is SOS's have an alma ring on them? Thanks.

[Omelenko1]

Yes sir. SOS, Matt Smith, Juniors, Timbas have almas in them. I don't think I 'll keep a conga drum without an alma. Almas were a creation of Gonzalo Vergara going back to the late 40's. An alma makes all the sense in the world, as years pass congas will have the tendency of going out of round due to the tunning over the years, an alma will prevent this from happening. I could not conceive why nice drums such as Valjes and Gon Bops never had almas.
I have a friend that has very nice Volcanos, they cost him a fortune, but I don't recall seeing almas in them,also Islas don't have almas, how about Moperc, do they have almas? I think they definitely should. If I pay that kind of money I expect an alma for every conga.
I recently bought a pair of Timbas Ismael (Bayamon, P. Rico) from the early 60's and I was surprised they didn't have almas, as a matter of fact, the macho was out of round, only natural from a 40+ yrs. conga. The first thing I did was send the macho to my pal Cali (JCR) and told him to make an alma for it, the hembra does not suffer becuase you don't tune it that high. If it ain't got alma is got no "soul". By the way, "alma" means "soul" in English.

Dario

[Omelenko1]

Here is a photo of the P. Ricans Ismael that I recently bought (1960's) beautiful incredible sound, but no almas. The macho "esta enhuevao", egg shaped, out of round. I still payed a pretty pennie for them, why, becuse an Ismael Ramos, just like a Junior or a Vergara has a lot of heritage "herencia rumbera" and if you want treasures, you have to pay no matter if they are not excellent. What I did was send the macho to Cali and Cali (JCR) made an "alma". Now with an alma in it, when I put a new head and tune it the out-of- round condition will eventually disappear. I will take a set of beat up Ismael,Juniors,SOS, Pan Con Quesos and pay good money for them, rather than buy a brand new set of lets say Palladiums or Galaxies, these old timers have, herencia, historia y sabor and with patience,a bit of money and the right craftsman (Matt Smith,Cali, Jay....) you can make them sound and shine again and will bring many more years of enjoyment and uniqueness that nobody has.

Dario

Enclosed: Ismael congas when I got them (macho egg shape). I just got back the macho from Cali with an alma in it. Will post pictures once I mount a new skin. Out of round condition will go away.

[KING CONGA]

Here is a photo of the P. Ricans Ismael that I recently bought (1960's) beautiful incredible sound, but no almas. The macho "esta enhuevao", egg shaped, out of round. I still payed a pretty pennie for them, why, becuse an Ismael Ramos, just like a Junior or a Vergara has a lot of heritage "herencia rumbera" and if you want treasures, you have to pay no matter if they are not excellent. What I did was send the macho to Cali and Cali (JCR) made an "alma". Now with an alma in it, when I put a new head and tune it the out-of- round condition will eventually disappear. I will take a set of beat up Ismael,Juniors,SOS, Pan Con Quesos and pay good money for them, rather than buy a brand new set of lets say Palladiums or Galaxies, these old timers have, herencia, historia y sabor and with patience,a bit of money and the right craftsman (Matt Smith,Cali, Jay....) you can make them sound and shine again and will bring many more years of enjoyment and uniqueness that nobody has.

Dario

Enclosed: Ismael congas when I got them (macho egg shape). I just got back the macho from Cali with an alma in it. Will post pictures once I mount a new skin. Out of round condition will go away.

Timbas Ismael, Mine.jpg

Wow those are some beautiful drums, congratulations, the shape does have some resemblance to gonbops. Truly you have a peace of history in your hand but I must know, how in the world do you come up with such great opportunities By the way, thank you very much Dario for sharing the pictures, I look forward to seeing them with new cueros. If possible could you please give me a little bit of history in regards to Ismael's, thanks.

[Omelenko1]

Ismael Ramos, out of Bayamon, PR, started making congas in the 50's. He was the pioneer in PR just like Gonzalo Vergara in Cuba. Old PR bands, the likes of Cortijo and El Gran Combo, their common conguero Matin Quinones, always used Ismael congas and I used to watch him with those bands, when I was young and I always noticed the Ismaels. In the early 70's I visited PR and I had a chance to purchase a set of Ismaels in the town of Humacao, the guy wanted $400 dollars, which for 1973 was a fortune and I couldn't afford them. I have an Ismael bongo now and also had one that was stolen about 25 yrs. ago. The opprotunity presented itself to buy these and I got them about 6 months ago. All the hardware is stainless steel. They might resemble Gon Bops, but no offense, Ismaels are a few steps above Gon Bops. They have heritage, herencia, culture y mucha sandunga, which you don't find in new mass produced tambores.

Saludos,

Dario

[Mr. Conga]

Very , very nice timbas Dario.

"when I was young and I always noticed the Ismaels. In the early 70's I visited PR and I had a chance to purchase a set of Ismaels in the town of Humacao, the guy wanted $400 dollars, which for 1973 was a fortune and I couldn't afford them".

You said when i was young, going back to the good old days, can you give us a bit of history, on your first ever timba, and bongo, how it got all started. Because i iknow back in those days, el dinero venia despasio (money would come slow), specially in young days.
How you got it how much, and from there how your passion for percussions just kept growing?

I know women, tend to get very jealous over congas, when they see us putting good care on them, and spending a lot of time playing them.
Did pass girl friends have a problem with that? and now days, wife?

[Omelenko1]

I'm 57, me and JC are among the senior citizens of this forum. JC has always been a full time musician, I'm an accountant and gigs are very limited here in Miami. I got my first conga in Cuba at age 9, my dad bought it from Vergara at a cost of $37 Cuban pesos. My first congas here were Valjes back in 1971, my first bongo' was a Gon Bops from that time also. After that I must have had about 200 congas and about the same amount of bongos. I have always bought and eventually sold. My keepers have been Junior Tirados, Skin on Skin, Matt Smith, Echo Tones and now these old Ismaels. On bongos I have Mongo's Vergara, my other keepers are Dandy Rodriguez's Valjes, a Candido Requena, a JCR, a Charlie Vega from PR and an Ismael from PR.
My current wife hates the fact that I collect percussion instruments, she can not understand keeping more than 2 congas and a pair of bongos, however, she keeps over 50 pairs of shoes. I tell her some peple collect guns,you collect shoes,I collect percussion. What I do is occasionaly sell a few items to keep her calm.

Dario

[Mr. Conga]

Thank you Dario, for sharing the history, i know you have great memories, of starting young, and having a father that supported music in you, buying you your first Gonzalo Vergara's.
Were you able to keep them?

Your collection is a very nice one.
Can you let us know around what cost are Ismael's at?....we know the SKIN ON SKIN,JUNIOR TIRADO ,MATHEW SMITH, ISLA, J.CR.
But not so much on Timbas Ismael.

Your Cherry Skin on Skin's next to THE Gon Bops look very nice.

They seem to have a metal plaque, that has some writting on it, can you tell us what does it read?

Does Jay still put the metal plaques, or handle on the congas, they look really Beautifull, and retro like that.

[Omelenko1]

Ismael Ramos died about 20 yrs. ago (90 or 91) His instruments are legendary and are a natural treasure of Puerto Rico. His bongos are the best sounding of any I have played. His congas are also legendary and great sounding. I will say if you can find a set, there is no set price, they just don't exist anymore. Is like Vergaras and now Junior Tirado. People that have them demand good bucks if they are forced to sell for economic reasons, otherwise they just keep them. I paid good bucks for mine, but I had to have them because I had the bongos. Years back I had 2 sets of Ismael congas in oak (wine barrels) but I wanted them in Caoba, which these are. You got to pay for tradition,heritage,uniqueness and the fact that they were very well made and sturdy. The price is what the seller demands, if you are lucky to find some. I will say anywhere from $1,500 to $2,000 for a conga tumba and from $800 to $1,000 for a set of bongos.

Enclosed, when they were first shown to me.

Dario

[Omelenko1]

Here is a 13.5" hembra (Ismael) that I had and stupid old me sold it on Ebay. I only had it at the time and never thought I get more. (estupideces de la vida)
If I only had it now , Ño !!!

Dario

[Mr. Conga]

THANK YOU
Very nice Caoba shade of wood.

[Omelenko1]

Enclosed: My Ismael bongo'. I have 2 sets of hardware, a 5 lug (original) and a 4 lug made by JCR. Shown here is the 5 lug hardware.

Dario

[bongosnotbombs]

Dario,
you've got to tell us more about that Iya.