congaplace.com

I just these Matadors for a great deal. 2 years old, but the guy never played them -- not a scratch on 'em! Completely like new. He was asking $99 and I talked him down to $85. A friend is gonna hook me up with muleskin heads for $10 each, so for a total of $105, I've got a damn decent bongo.

I'm sure you will get plenty of enjoyment from those Matadors. My first set of Bongos were Matadors and now I've got 3 sets and still grab the Matadors first. They might be a little lower standard than what the players that frequent this forum use, but they have got to be one of the best values in bongos ever.

Great deal, just make sure you get a thick mule skin for the hembra and ready to go.

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Thanks for the tips!

Steven, where in FL do you live? I'm originally from Tampa, currently live in Gainesville. I bought the bongos in Davie last Friday.

Also, I have a couple questions about the mounting process. Is it as important for bongos as it is for congas that you mount the skins really high, so as not to overstretch them, or is this not really an issue with bongos? Also, oil on the heads, yes or no?

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They look fantastic. And do you pre-treat them with oil?

Saludos, for the Macho it is ok to leave the skin high or at least 1/8" down but for the Hembra it is better to at least 3/8" down. Been the Hembra a thick skin that will not stretch too far down and you do not want your hand hiting the rim. Remember the hembra should produce a mid to low sound so if it is too high then too much tension is needed to get it down to a comfortable level thus making the sound too bright.

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Just mounted some JCR muleskins on them last night. I did it with my friend Johnny, who actually did most of the really difficult work. I mainly held the skins down while he mounted them, and I trimmed the excess skin at the end. All in all, I'm happy with how they came out. Here are some pics that I took last night, soon after mounting the skins. I might post some more in a couple days, after they are fully dry.

Nice bro! You'll love them my friend! Good seeing you at Transit last week. See you in columbia next summer.

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6x8 - It was great to see you too, bro! And don't worry, I won't tell your girlfriend that you spelled her country with a "u".

Steven - I can hardly wait to see/hear it!!!! I wish they were dry already!
As far as the treatment, I did what you said and treated them right after mounting while they were still wet. I used manteca de corojo -- I slathered on tons of the stuff on those heads. Even now, 24 hours later, if I need to moisturize my hands all I have to do is wipe my fingers on the skins.

Great job my friend, great job. Now be patience until they dry because the top will dry quick but under close to the wood is a slower process. What I do is to use a 60 watts spot light hanging about 8" from top of skin to speed the drying process then I turn the bongo on the side and use a fan to dry on the outside of the shell. After that process then apply a light coat of manteca de corojo (palm tree oil ) to lubricate the skin then wait until next day,cranked up an play.