Thanks for the complements! I was a bit hesitant going into this because I didn't want to be the djembe builder that makes crappy congas to just say I can make them. I've seen some below par djembes out there from excellent conga builders and didn't want to fall into the same category. I know I've got a few things to tweak still but I believe my years of building djembes / ashiko / and dunun has taught me a lot that carried over to the congas. I hope I get the orders to continue this adventure
This quinto is 30 inches tall with a 9 inch head - more of a super requinto haha. It was commissioned this size and I figured it would be a great first project.
It sounds good. I headed it with a thinner mule and it's got a really nice pop to it. I wasn't sure how high to tune it as I'm use to playing lower congas or super tight djembes. So I cranked it till I got a really tight, crisp slap and even tone all the way around. It sounds excellent held above the ground or tilted, and it sound really good on hardwood floor, but pretty muffled on carpet. I assume this is common but I am just now getting into playing congas more so might be something that I experiment with. I built a djembe before for someone who always wanted to play it on the ground without tiling the bottom, and I cut a series of holes around the bass to let the air out so the bass would resonate. In the future I might play around with this idea - a conga set that has the bass and resonance of being on a stand, but on the ground.. ?? I don't know
I dream too much that's why it takes so long to get anything out!