congaplace.com

I need some help doing this. I have some vintage bongos that need more and better repairs than I can do. Small jobs like cracks and parts and rings and skins. I need to work with someone via mail - I have a US mailing drop - and email. No voice calls. I've tried the site - www.jcrpercussion.com/ - but it seems to be down. I would love to make a trip to The Bronx but ----. Is JCR a good place to work with this way? Is Issac still the best contact? I've given up on working with Matt Smith - good work but I don't have the time or patience.

I have dealt with Cali (JCR) through the years. He has always been a straight up guy. He does work in an efficient and quick
fashion, his turn around time is very fast, 2 to 3 weeks. He does quality work, his bells are the best in the planet, his bongos from years ago are very sought after and his timbales are also excellent. The best way to deal with him is to call him, he's old school and computer technology (emails, website) is not his bag. I suggest you call him, identify yourself, and tell him precisely what you need, he is a very honest person and a musician as well, so he knows his trade.

Dario

Thanks Dario. I don't like phones & he doesn't like email but the fast turnaround suits my attention span so - he's the man. I'll tell him you told me to call. Tomorrow - read that he is closed on Thursday.

Sure wish I could take a quick trip to The Bronx - NYC snow & all. I just read that the US has snow in 49/50 states right now - only Florida.

Personally I'd rather wait 8-12 months than 3 weeks.. and know I'll have the highest quality work done on my instrument.
When I need work done on wood, I go to a woodworker.
Matt Smith is the Man I choose for a complete over haul.

My Requenas before and after waiting 8 months for Matt to do what I knew he would do best:
http://fidelseyeglasses.blogspot.com/2010/04/candido-requena-bongoes-hecho-en-cuba.html

I've tried the site - http://www.jcrpercussion.com/ - but it seems to be down. I would love to make a trip to The Bronx but ----. Is JCR a good place to work with this way? Is Issac still the best contact?

Hi this is Isaac. I moved up to Canada 16 months ago, but not officially connected to JCR, although we're still in touch.
I've also had very good personal work on my drums done by Caly, Matthew ,and Jay when he was in Brooklyn.
I recommend all these people....
depending what you need done, skins, drums or bells, and the sound you're after...
is it a sturdy quick repair you need or a meticulous lasting work of fine craftsmanship.
It all depends on your expectations and your time frame.
With UPS you can send and receive from anywhere.
One must be patient with solo artisans.

That "JCR" website you referred to is bogus (from around 1996) and was never associated with JCR at all, had no products, and
was not in North America. They built the site without permission with the vain hope of selling it and the brand name of "JCR" back to Caly Rivera
I hope that site is down. I wrote many letters and emails to get them to cease & desist,
and got a response from their lawyer, refusing to cooperate. I think he eventually didn't
pay his server fee renewal so hopefully it may be down for good.

ISAAC

wow, that site was up a few months ago & looked pretty legit, considering that cali isnt a internet person, but it had some timbales for sale, a conga, fiber beaters, & cowbells...good thing i never tried to order from there..

Issac has a Face Book page and Caly is the Go to Guy ! Be patient and when you reach him, be specific as to the damage to the drums. They may need all new hard wares after shell repairs. Its best to do a complete rebuild if you love the drums that much but new drums may be a better option depending the repair & shipping $$. Unless the bongos have some historic value in a collectors market, they may never be of value except to you . Bongos are so common and are quite affordable and interchangeable as far as ultilitarian use is concerned. Donate the old drums to some kid to fix up as a project !?