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Hi conguero
If someone own Echo Tone drums , I would ask to post a picture of them.
I would like to understand how are common these drums.
Thank You

Paolo

Frank Mesa started making Eco Tone congas/bongos around 1957 till around 1971, when he couldn't compete with mass produced LPs. It took Frank one month to make a drum. They were sold at Manny's on 48th St in Manhattan. Back in the day, the big names played Eco Tone: Candido, Patato, Ray Barretto, Willie Bobo, Frankie Malabe....... Photo of my Ecos. Truly collectible congas.

Dario

Here is a photo of me and my 1960's Eco Tones 1967 NYC...with "no neck"..made by Frank Mesa...and given to me by my first teacher Hank Fields...and a set owned and played by fellow conga drummer in the midwest...

No more Echo Tones?
One more pic I have found in the web.
Bye Bye

THE PHOTO ABOVE WITH Juan playing an Eco-tone fiberglass I bought at a pawn shop for 5 bucks from the X timbale player Manny Ramos of that band-who sold me the pawn shop ticket ..back around 1971 I have one photo of me with it gotta find it...and then the "no neck' Eco-tones Im playing were given to me by my first teacher Hank Fields...and they were GREAT!...

Thank Jhonny to Your help , enclosed a picture of LP Dancin & Prancin of Candido.

Tito Echo

Eco Tones Joey Pastrana

Here are some, in fact, some that look like yours.

Hi King Conga , nice room!!
Now I understand I am not the only congaholic
The Yellow congas are 99% mine , probably a picture of the previous owner.
Bye

Espresso wrote:Hi King Conga , nice room!!
Now I understand I am not the only congaholic
The Yellow congas are 99% mine , probably a picture of the previous owner.
Bye

One thing can be said with all certainty in regards to these wonderful drums, that they are all, each one of them, unique. Each one was individually hand painted.
There is an old 70"s movie called "Super fly" in which it shows a guy at a bar grooving with a nice pair of blue echo tones. You can watch this for a good while so you can have a good look at them.


"congaholics" , are you kidding, that's an understatement for all of us here in the forum, we are all sick with that disease . I tend to call us "Conga junkies"
Cheers.
K.C.

The guy playing with Curtis Mayfield is the late great Master Henry Gibson...he passed away in Sweden in 2002...

Hey Echo tone enthuziasts!

Was there any sound quality advantage or disatvantage to having a neck on the old echo tone drums?

JohnnyConga wrote:Here is a photo of me and my 1960's Eco Tones 1967 NYC...with "no neck"..made by Frank Mesa...and given to me by my first teacher Hank Fields...and a set owned and played by fellow conga drummer in the midwest...

23445_1419328724619_1274692270_1177878_2772747_n.jpg

Black and White Eco Tones from Manny's.jpg

Man Johnny those echos are awesome. Do you still own them? better yet, do you want to sell them

KING CONGA wrote:One thing can be said with all certainty in regards to these wonderful drums, that they are all, each one of them, unique. Each one was individually hand painted.
There is an old 70"s movie called "Super fly" in which it shows a guy at a bar grooving with a nice pair of blue echo tones. You can watch this for a good while so you can have a good look at them.

"congaholics" , are you kidding, that's an understatement for all of us here in the forum, we are all sick with that disease . I tend to call us "Conga junkies"
Cheers.
K.C.

Here's a clip from 'Superfly' where a guy is playing maybe a pair of light blue Echo Tones and a third red one. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYNhhq22_Ak