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All I can say is bueno, bonito y barato. Pesan bastante pero tremendo sonido, coño!

Now I understand why you posted the wood density chart. Great bongos - as dense as they come!
Great wood, skin, hardware & sound. They give your legs a workout too

Tigre , that is a great Bongó, heavy indeed but sound is what counts. I had one just like that one at 13 pounds and sold it to friend who took a very long time to convince me . I still have a very old one from the 80s which I will not trade for any of the fancy ones that show in here now & then, it is posted in various mesages in this forun. Believe me, your El Piernas sound is old school just be carefull because sometimes the Macho skin is too thick which could damage the shell with too much preasure. Do you got the small jar of cream (lubricante de cuero) with the purchase ? if you did just rub a little every so many months into the skins specially the macho will last many moons.

Oye thanks for the replies. I don't know the proper way hold them or even how to martillear just yet but they match my congas %100 so I jumped on them when the opportunity opened up. I did not know they came with this exterior. Enpingao.

Tigre,

Nice set, they sound great. Miguel Cruz is going to make them sing!

Cuidate,

Dario

Thanks again to the forum members for the invaluable information which has served me quite well. Below is a video of my greenhorn martillo on these excellent drums. I know it doesn't happen overnight but I can tell my left hand needs to be abused more in a practice-wise sense from the obvious lack of sound coming out regardless of the mechanics that are present. This is my only subjective outlet so below is a video if anyone cares to look and tell me what I could improve on or eliminate but no pressure asere.

<Link removed on edit>

A very nice set of bongos you have there
The martillo you are playing is not the way I know martillo.
It looks to me as if you have your left hand manoteo backwards.
Thumb is first, then fingertips.
The thumb follows the strike on the hembra, and the thumb maintains pressure on the macho for the following macho strike with the right hand.
The thumb in the manoteo also maintains pressure when it repeats.
The pressure with the thumb changes the sound of the macho strike

Basically the thumb precedes the finger tips and the thumb maintains pressure on the macho for the following strike twice during the martillo. There is only one open strike on the macho in the martillo.
That is how I learned it anyways.

+1. I agree with BnB.
I don't know where you are located, but if you can find a good bongocero locally to teach you that would help a whole lot. You don't need more than a half hour a week with a good bongocero teaching you plus practicing what you learned every day and playing along with CDs of great bongoceros. Listen to those Omelenko listed in a recent post including Johnny Dandy Rodriguez, Yeyito Iglesias, Papa Kila, plus a few others like Ralph Marzan (with Pacheco), and some of the son bongoceros like Agustin Gutierrez who played with Septeto Nacional and other son groups.

Tigre,

You got one of the best bongoceros as your teacher. Miguel Cruz will give any world class bongocero a run for the money. Just do what Miguel says and video tape his martrillo, manoteo and tasty contratiempos. As a young kid of 7 or 8, Miguel used to play at "La Bodeguita Del Medio" to the amazement of locals and American tourists. His father used to take him there and a young Miguel used to blow people's minds, this was mid to late 1950's. He would play bongo' with trovadors the likes of Carlos Puebla and Sindo Garay. Just call me and on the weekend we could do a routine of tumba y bongo'.

"La Gente Pide Para Gozar, tumba y bongo' " (Arsenio Rodriguez)

Dario

Essooo BNB, a thousand thanks bro! I completely misread the video and you saved me wasted time and subsequent reeducation practice time. No one can deny the power of the internet coño. Y tambien Jorge/Dario for the references y Dario, ahora voy los sabados so si quiere en este que viene pasa por ahí. A lighter file download of proper martillo below...no?

http://12.204.110.67/temp/sample/martillo2.mp4

Just glad to be of help. Keep practicing and playing, don't ever quit!

Not to saturate my own post but the day after I looked at the video again and there are no open tones on the basic martillo. Again, not that I am a stickler for tradition but I thought if you are playing old school covers the sound must match and this is what is being shown to me. I checked it against the usual suspects in youtube.com and it rings true. Still I thought martillo2 sounds like a worker martillando in a construction site but I am finding musicians have their own personal touch and ear to what they think sounds good. Impressive sound coming out of these bongos, you can't go wrong.

http://12.204.110.67/temp/sample/martillo3.mp4

The way I know basic martillo beat two is open on the macho and beat 4 is open on the hembra.
In this video it looks like you are making the mistake of not leaving the thumb pressing on the head while striking with the right hand on the macho.
http://12.204.110.67/temp/sample/martillo2.mp4
The thumb strikes on the 4&, then the thumb must stay pressing for the strike on the 1. Then the fingers, then an open tone on the two. Then repeat, except for changing the macho strike for the hembra.

1=right macho strike with thumb pressing. 1&=fingertips, 2=right open strike on the macho. 2&=thumb strike remains pressing.

3=right macho strike with thumb pressing. 3&=fingertips, 4=right open strike on the macho. 4&=thumb strike remains pressing.

I can't open your latest video. Keep practicing, you'll get it.

tigre, I definitely agree with bnb, and you have a problem with your thumb. Pressing with it is important, but it is also important to strike properly to get the right balance in the martillo. I have seen your last video, and it seems you are hardly striking with the thumb at all. I did not get that point myself until I listened several times to a track on Youtube with Jose Mangual with Charlie Parker. It is an old recording, but Manguals martillo can be heard very clearly. Of course Jose Mangual does everything with absolute perfection, and listening to him is a very important part of my bongo practice.
The Youtube track is from the CD: Charlie Parker, South of the border, and the rhythm section is fantastic.
casaet