How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray film

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How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray film

Postby Beatnik07 » Sat Oct 17, 2020 12:34 pm

As mentioned earlier Remo synthetic heads are really good but not cheap.
So I was interested when I saw these couple videos explaining how to install X-ray film on the heads.

To tell the truth, in these videos sometimes the end result seems visually a bit "rough": the head edge being at places a bit kinked. Although I suspect that the film thickness plays a role: the thinner the film, the easier it is to form the film correctly.

But once installed these film heads do sound alright (to my ears).

The videos are in spanish, and auto-translate in english is as usual almost useless.


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Re: How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray

Postby Chtimulato » Sat Oct 17, 2020 5:08 pm

From what I've read and heard, it is very tedious, not so easy as it appears on the videos. The Cubans invented this because they had no other choice at some times.
I had been told this would fit only on the macho, and folks sometimes use 2 films, one on another, certainly because it's sturdier.

I wanted to try this out once, but never did it.

What I can suggest is to use carabiners (https://www.decathlon.fr/p/mousqueton-scd-70-mm-de-plongee-sans-illet/_/R-p-173626 or https://www.manomano.fr/p/mousqueton-ovale-zingue-taille-4x33-mm-capacite-de-charge-90kg-7607418#/) or S-hooks (https://www.manutan.fr/fr/maf/crochet-en-s-symetrique-acier-inoxydable-a2-54619) instead of the wires used by both guys. And it works fine with natural / flat skins too. I now use extra-long hooks I had a guy make for me, but have used the carabiner or S-hook trick for a while.
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Re: How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray

Postby Beatnik07 » Mon Oct 19, 2020 5:35 am

Chtimulato wrote:From what I've read and heard, it is very tedious, not so easy as it appears on the videos. The Cubans invented this because they had no other choice at some times.
I had been told this would fit only on the macho, and folks sometimes use 2 films, one on another, certainly because it's sturdier.

I wanted to try this out once, but never did it.

What I can suggest is to use carabiners (https://www.decathlon.fr/p/mousqueton-scd-70-mm-de-plongee-sans-illet/_/R-p-173626 or https://www.manomano.fr/p/mousqueton-ovale-zingue-taille-4x33-mm-capacite-de-charge-90kg-7607418#/) or S-hooks (https://www.manutan.fr/fr/maf/crochet-en-s-symetrique-acier-inoxydable-a2-54619) instead of the wires used by both guys. And it works fine with natural / flat skins too. I now use extra-long hooks I had a guy make for me, but have used the carabiner or S-hook trick for a while.


Thanks Chtimulato.
True, the process seems a bit messy and awkward.
This guy seems to have a X ray film on his Macho, and it has a nice dry popping sound:
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Re: How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray

Postby Juaort » Mon Oct 19, 2020 4:59 pm

I tried it once and gave up on it lol. I don’t dislike the sound from synthetic heads or X-ray mounted heads. I just love the sound of real hide on a conga or bongo, even on timbales.
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Re: How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray

Postby Siete Leguas » Sun Jan 24, 2021 4:11 pm

I recently decided to give that a try and mount an X-ray film on the macho of an Afro fiberglass bongó that I had bought for little money on the internet. I didn't find the mounting particularly difficult! I got the tip of warming up the X-ray film before mounting it, by holding it 10-20 cm above a hot stove (electric in my case) for a short while. That makes the film a bit flexible, so that you can bend it more easily when you wrap it around the flesh hoop (kind of the equivalent of soaking a skin). After that, I just used tape to keep it together.

I haven't had the time (or place) to test it properly, but it feels and looks nice so far. The feeling on the hands is very different than an animal skin, since it is completely smooth, and the sound is also quite special (not sure how to describe it), but I like it. I am looking forward to playing it loud, hopefully with other musicians some time.

Another tip that I read somewhere (and sounds important!) is washing the X-Ray film, with bleach for example, before mounting it. This is because X-Ray films have a coating of metallic compounds (the ones that are sensitive to radiation, I think they contain silver) that could be potentially toxic if you are going to be playing the drum with your hands. After washing it, the film color turns from black/dark blue to light blue. I didn't have to do this step though, because the film that I got was already washed.

If somebody wants to try it out and doesn't have access to X-ray films, I have a few films left that I could send. Just send me a PM.
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Re: How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray

Postby Beatnik07 » Mon Jan 25, 2021 12:53 pm

Siete Leguas wrote:I recently decided to give that a try and mount an X-ray film on the macho of an Afro fiberglass bongó that I had bought for little money on the internet. I didn't find the mounting particularly difficult! I got the tip of warming up the X-ray film before mounting it, by holding it 10-20 cm above a hot stove (electric in my case) for a short while. That makes the film a bit flexible, so that you can bend it more easily when you wrap it around the flesh hoop (kind of the equivalent of soaking a skin). After that, I just used tape to keep it together.

I haven't had the time (or place) to test it properly, but it feels and looks nice so far. The feeling on the hands is very different than an animal skin, since it is completely smooth, and the sound is also quite special (not sure how to describe it), but I like it. I am looking forward to playing it loud, hopefully with other musicians some time.

Another tip that I read somewhere (and sounds important!) is washing the X-Ray film, with bleach for example, before mounting it. This is because X-Ray films have a coating of metallic compounds (the ones that are sensitive to radiation, I think they contain silver) that could be potentially toxic if you are going to be playing the drum with your hands. After washing it, the film color turns from black/dark blue to light blue. I didn't have to do this step though, because the film that I got was already washed.

If somebody wants to try it out and doesn't have access to X-ray films, I have a few films left that I could send. Just send me a PM.


Congratulations Siete Leguas !!

Very nice and clean job !!
The light blue hue also looks quite handsome.
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Re: How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray

Postby Siete Leguas » Mon Jan 25, 2021 5:07 pm

Thanks Beatnik! I call this bongó (for obvious reasons) "the Afro Blue" ;)

The job was not perfectly clean, though: it has a couple of wrinkles around the hoop that could have probably been avoided if I had been more careful (rookie mistakes!). I hope it's not too bad anyway.

Just one remark: I wouldn't put an X-ray film on the hembra like in the videos, at least if you are going for a "traditional" sound - it only works for the macho!
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Re: How to make step-by-step your own bongo head with X-ray

Postby Siete Leguas » Mon Jan 25, 2021 5:18 pm

Here's a video of Mark Sanders (aka Fidels Eyeglasses) playing on an X-ray film with "Grupo Afro Andes" in the NYC subway in 1996. I love his playing!

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