congaplace.com

Posted: **Sat Dec 22, 2007 4:20 pm**

HELLO;
MERRY CHRISTMAS, AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

THIS IS JUST MY LITTLE STORY ABOUT MY FIRST PRO LEVEL SET OF BONGO'S. MY WIFE ORDERED THEM FOR ME FROM LP OF NEW JERSEY BACK IN OCT 1984. AND RECIEVED THEM IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS. THEY ARE DATED FOR COMPLETION ON NOV 17 1984, AND THEY STILL LOOK LIKE NEW, TODAY. THROUGH THE YEARS I HAVE REPLACED THE SKINS AT LEAST 4 TIMES WITH ORIGINAL LP'S, AND HAVE ALSO REPLACED THE TENSION RODS AT LEAST TWICE. MY LP GENERATION 2'S ARE TRULY HEAVY IN WEIGHT AND THE HARDWARE AS WITH ALL, IF NOT MOST, OTHER LP BONGO'S, DIG INTO THE LEGS. THROUGH THE YEARS I'VE ALWAY'S FELT THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE AN AUTHENTIC AFRO-CUBAN BONGO SOUND.

AS YOU ALL MUST KNOW BY NOW, MY ALL TIME FAVORITE BONGO TODAY IS THE NEW GON BOPS CA SERIES BONGO. BUT WITH THAT SAID, LAST WEEKEND I WAS BORED AND SO I THOUGHT OF A TRICKY EXPERIMENT TO TRY. SINCE MY LP'S HAD A TORN MACHO SKIN THAT OCCURED TWO WEEKS PRIOR, WHEN I PLAYED THEM HARD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MAYBE TWO YEARS. I WONDERED WHAT IF I JUST SOAK ALL MY BONGO SKINS ( LP AND GON BOPS), AND SEE IF I COULD PUT THE GON BOPS SKINS ON MY LP'S. IT WAS TRICKY BECAUSE THERE WAS VERY LITTLE SKIN TO GRAB FOR THE INSTALLATION PROCESS. BUT WITH PATIENCE I PULLED IT OFF. THE MACHO IS A MULE SKIN THAT I HAD PURCHASED FROM ISSAC OF FUNKYTRADITIONS/JCR. THE HEMBRA IS THE ORIGINAL G.B. COWHIDE. I PLACED THE SET UNDER THE CONSTANT AIR FLOW OF TWO FANS FOR 24 HOURS, AND BINGO!!! THEY WERE READY. SINCE THE BEARING EDGES ON THE LP'S ARE DIFFERENT FROM THE GON BOPS, I KEPT THE THE NEWLY TRANSPLANTED SKINS UNDER HIGH TENSION FOR TWO DAY'S, THEN BROUGHT DOWN THE TENSION TO A MINIMUM LIGHT TENSION FOR 12 HOURS, AND THEN RETURNED THEM TO HIGH TENSION ONCE MORE, FOR ANOTHER 24 HOURS.

THE RESULT IS AMAZINGLY CRAZY!!! MY LP GENERATION 2'S SOUND SO AUTHENTIC AND SOOOO GOOOD THAT SO MANY OF MY FRIENDS HAVE PRAISED THEIR SOUND. EVEN "VINNEL" OF THIS CONGABOARD PRAISED THEIR SOUND AND THAT WAS FROM AN OVER THE CELL PHONE DEMONSTATION!!!! WOW! I JUST DONT WANT TO PUT THEM DOWN. ONCE I'LL GET MY NEW SKINS I'LL PUT THEM ON MY GON BOPS, AND ALSO REPORT ON THAT.

QUE VIVA LOS BONGOCERO'S Y LOS BONGO'S!!!!

CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

Edited By yambu321 on 1198387941

Posted: **Sat Dec 22, 2007 4:26 pm**

I can assure you that if they sounded that good over the phone then the sound must be well BESTIAL!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: **Sat Dec 22, 2007 4:41 pm**

Charlie and VinnieL,
I´m glad you had the same overwhelming experience I also had just a couple of days ago with my freshly mounted MULE MACHO skin from ISAAC on some 20-year-old Supercussion vintage bongos. It was the proverbial fat grin that wouldn´t leave my face for days. It is really amazing what mule skin can do.
And congrats, Charlie, to the tricky mounting job!
So slap it hard - it won´t break - donkey´s business...

Mike, the Muloholic

Edited By Mike on 1198341719

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... umb_up.gif

Posted: **Sat Dec 22, 2007 5:33 pm**

Hey guys, I've been reading your posts on the new bongo skins and wondering where I went wrong. In Aug. of '06 I put mule hembra & macho on my Meinl 1986 model bongos (rubberwood) and couldn't get them to sound right. I had previously had gray xray film that was great. I've replaced both heads with Remo tucked Fiberskyn on the macho and Nuskyn on the hembra. Its much better but not what other bongos sound like. I got 3 xray sheets from Bongosnotbombs but each one split while tucking it. They felt too brittle. I don't know if its the drums or what. Any suggestions? Pray for me-in a few minutes I'll be tucking a head on some cheap bongos for my 10 yr. old great nephew's Christmas present! Buck

Edited By buckoh on 1198344978

Posted: **Sat Dec 22, 2007 9:03 pm**

Hola Charlie,
Good to hear your experiment worked !!

But, does that mean you didn't like the mule skin on the GB's?

T

Edited By Tonio on 1198357466

Posted: **Sun Dec 23, 2007 1:38 am**

HI TONIO,
THE GON BOPS WERE DAILED IN. THE MULE SKIN WAS PERFECT, ONCE IT WAS TOTALLY BROKEN IN. COMBINED WITH THE HEMBRA'S ORIGINAL COWHIDE, IT WAS A GREAT COMBO, WITH TOTALLY AUTHENTIC AFRO-CUBAN SOUND. THE MACHO HAD GREAT SLAPS, MUFFS AND OTHER TONE VARIATIONS, AND THE HEMBRA'S COW HIDE DID GREAT MUFF AND OPEN TONES.

THE THING WAS, I GOT BORED AND WANTED TO FIX MY LP'S. THE GON BOPS, I KNOW, WILL STILL BE READY FOR THE NEXT STAGE. BUT MY LP'S WERE DUE FOR A MAKEOVER. THE RESULTS ARE, AND THIS IS NO JOKE TONIO, JUST STUPID-CRAZY BAD ASS INCREDIBLE AS COMPARED TO THE WAY THEY HAVE SOUNDED BEFORE, WITH THE ORIGINAL LP SKINS. MY LP'S NOW SOUND PERFECT! SO MUCH SO, THAT I'LL HAVE TO COMPARE THE SOUND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MY GON BOPS, AND THEM, ONCE I RESKIN MY GON BOPS. WOW, I'M EXCITED AGAIN WITH THESE, AFTER 23 YEARS, NOW THAT'S A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT!

TAKE CARE TONIO,
CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

Edited By yambu321 on 1198386760

Posted: **Sun Dec 23, 2007 5:03 am**

HI MIKE,

THANK YOU, FOR YOUR KIND WORDS. I'M SO GLAD YOUR SUPERCUSSION BONGOS HAVE ALSO GIVEN YOU SUPER HAPPINESS, WITH THE NEW MULE SKIN ON THE MACHO.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE OUR OLD FRIENDS, PERFORM SO WELL!

TAKE CARE,
AND HAVE FUN, DURING THIS FINE HOLIDAY SEASON

CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

Edited By yambu321 on 1198386479

Posted: **Sun Dec 23, 2007 5:51 am**

HI BUCKO,

ONE THING WILL BE NEEDED BY US ALL, BEFORE WE CAN CONSIDER GIVING ANY REAL ADVICE. WE NEED TO HAVE A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF HOW YOU HAVE MOUNTED THE SKIN. DRYING TIME, COMPLICATIONS IF ANY, TENSIONING, HOW MUCH OF A CHANCE HAVE YOU GIVEN THE SKIN BEFORE DECIDING ON REMOVING IT,
CONDITION OF THE DRUMS, ETC.

THANKS.

Edited By yambu321 on 1198389298

Posted: **Sun Dec 23, 2007 2:06 pm**

Thanks, Charlie and enjoy your bongó too.
I guess Silent Night won´t stay that silent among many of us itchy-fingers-bongo-y-conga-loving-fellows after a while...

Cheers
Mike

Posted: **Mon Dec 24, 2007 6:10 pm**

yambu321 wrote:HI TONIO,
THE GON BOPS WERE DAILED IN. THE MULE SKIN WAS PERFECT, ONCE IT WAS TOTALLY BROKEN IN. COMBINED WITH THE HEMBRA'S ORIGINAL COWHIDE, IT WAS A GREAT COMBO, WITH TOTALLY AUTHENTIC AFRO-CUBAN SOUND. THE MACHO HAD GREAT SLAPS, MUFFS AND OTHER TONE VARIATIONS, AND THE HEMBRA'S COW HIDE DID GREAT MUFF AND OPEN TONES.

THE THING WAS, I GOT BORED AND WANTED TO FIX MY LP'S. THE GON BOPS, I KNOW, WILL STILL BE READY FOR THE NEXT STAGE. BUT MY LP'S WERE DUE FOR A MAKEOVER. THE RESULTS ARE, AND THIS IS NO JOKE TONIO, JUST STUPID-CRAZY BAD ASS INCREDIBLE AS COMPARED TO THE WAY THEY HAVE SOUNDED BEFORE, WITH THE ORIGINAL LP SKINS. MY LP'S NOW SOUND PERFECT! SO MUCH SO, THAT I'LL HAVE TO COMPARE THE SOUND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MY GON BOPS, AND THEM, ONCE I RESKIN MY GON BOPS. WOW, I'M EXCITED AGAIN WITH THESE, AFTER 23 YEARS, NOW THAT'S A GREAT CHRISTMAS GIFT!

TAKE CARE TONIO,
CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

ah-OK,

boredom strikes for a great result!

T

Posted: **Mon Dec 24, 2007 9:29 pm**

Charlie,

Congrats on your newfound discovery and the wonderful transformation of your cherished original LP bongos! I'm very happy for you that you have another pair of bongos that'll give you much happiness and joy in addition to your killer Gon Bops CA bongos!

May you and all of your loved ones have a most Blessed and Joyful Christmas, bro!

Edited By umannyt on 1198531993

Posted: **Mon Dec 24, 2007 11:26 pm**

MANNY,
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KIND WORDS.

MAY YOU, AND YOUR FAMILY, ALSO HAVE A WONDERFUL MERRY CHRISTMAS AND AWESOME NEW YEAR.

TAKE CARE BRO.
CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

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AN INCREDIBLE BONGO SOUND TRANSFERMATION. - MY LP GENERATION 2 BONGO SKINS UPGRADE!