Afro Timbales?

[Juzzi]

Hello.
Any comments of Afro(nowadays Pearl?)Timbales?

Thanks,

-J

[Raymond]

I've tried the current Pearl Elite, which are in brass, that I assume are the same as the old Afro. (Not sure if there was a steel version in Afro).

The shell is very solid, style as the old LP steel/brass, therefore, when you do cascara they do not have the overtones the current timbales out there provide. (That are made of thinner shells than the ones from old time). The stand was "managable" and cowbell holder was pretty good. However, the volume of the Pearl Elite in brass was not that great.

Pearl now has the Marc Quinones signature timbales, that I am currently waiting for from them, and I've heard they are pretty good...

Sorry, not that much on info on them...

Are you getting some???

Saludos

[Juzzi]

Hello Raymond.
Yes, I am thinking about buying them. The price for 13" and 14" + stand was around 200 euros. I think they might be worth that money 'cause the LP's I first tried cost around 400 euros.

-J

[Raymond]

Are they brand new? Don't know...If you are going to invest in used "stuff" get a good set....What about Meinl Marathons? They appear to be easier to get in Europe, since they are from Germany. I had a set once and they are pretty good. (They are 14 and 15) (Cost me brand new around $300 in a sale. I know top of the line cost close to $400 but when they are used you could find them in half the price). What about some used ones from LP. Have you tried E-bay? I have found some good deals there....

If they are brand new you might have a good deal with the Afro but still makes me wonder about the amount of money you are going to invest in a set of timbales they do not make anymore ..They might become a collector's item in the future but who knows...(Have to admit I have not seen a set of Afro in quite awhile).

Saludos!

[Juzzi]

Thanks for the advice.

-J

[Mike]

Hi Timbaleros!
I´d like to revive this very old thread by asking if those of you out there with some experience can tell me if the "old-style" Afro Timbales that were made in Holland way BEFORE Pearl took over are of any good. With congas it seemed to be that the older Afros are of legendary quality. Thus the timbales?

At present there is a set of Afro-Timbales at German ebay for offer : #160157915136 NB the seller calls them Tomtoms
Well, the Afro-LOGO looks quite different from the "later" Afro. So maybe I´d make a vintage grab if I bought them?
Whaddayathink?



Edited By Mike on 1189945847

[niallgregory]

I have played afro timbales on a few occasions .Very nice drums .Decent shels , good heads .very bright and loud .IF they are a good price they are well worth buying . Niall .

[Mike]

Thanks for the quick reply, Niall.
Well, I´m going to do my best in bidding - but I have to be a bit careful, because the purse strings are not very loose
at the moment and my wife would like to have a holiday trip :;):
A QUESTION again:
Are the Afro Timbales you played brass models as well?
I have the LP Timbalitos in brass, they´re a really nice set I incorporate into my multi-instrument setup, but I thought about some bigger-sized timbales just in case I manage to be a good timbalero :p



Edited By Mike on 1189955794

[Raymond]

I know the guy who started Afro very well. He is from Holland and is a serious craftmaker. (Forgot his name..he still advises and works with Pearl and is a percussion freak. In the last NAMM, I introduced him to Paolia Mejias who he really admires. Anyway...In a nuthell, he got interested in percussion and thought he could make the instruments himself.....that's how everything started).

Well...Afro was bought by Pearl and they took the name out because of marketing problems with the name...Is obvous it could be taken with racial overtones....

My understanding is that the last "batches" of Afro percussion is good as Pearl and some of the "oldest" Pearl stuff, models, designes, etc, like the brass timbales, and that are still around is Afro carryover. (I am told that the original batch of Afro stuff that was massed produced had all kinds of problems but they got fixed. Remember...the guy from Holland used to make them himself just like JCR does...)

Saludos!

[Mike]

Well, finally I bought the timbales for about 60€ (=84$).
For a second set this should be alright I hope...
They do not come with a stand, but I am going to organize s.th. on my own... Basically it is the same holder as LP´s, one hole (1cm diameter).
I´ll let you know how they sound...

[Mike]

BTW the Dutch drummaker who founded the original Afro company is called JOHN VAN DER MEULEN. He is working for Pearl now.
Cf.
http://www.mikedolbear.com/story.a....Search=



Edited By Mike on 1190546276

[Mike]

Jippiiiiiieeeeeh! Now I got those AFRO Timbales, solid brass, 13+14" and with the help of Raymond who established contact to an expert no lesser than Glen Caruba I could find out out that these are vintage timbales indeed:

Those were handmade by the master craftsman himself John van der Meulen in Holland sometime in the 1980's pre-Taiwan manufacturing.

as Glen Caruba has pointed out. Now I am also in the Timbales vintage club :;):
I managed to mount the timbales on an old SONOR cymbal stand.
The hardware (rims) is very solid and the sound is really brilliant, lively but with only few overtones, superb, cutting attack on both heads and cáscara.
So thanks again, Raymond and Glen, for your incredible expertise. I couldn´t have figured out the value of this instrument on my own.
(BTW it´s not precisely what you call a bad deal for 60€ :p)

Maybe I should replace the REMO Ambassador heads some time, but for now they´re OK. I´m thinking of Evans J1 Etched drum heads as a replacement. Any opinion on those? Or is REMO the brand to go for?



Edited By Mike on 1191330695

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[Mike]

Afro timbs as good as new :;): (now that they have been cleaned...) - well of coursethey´re not unmarked by time, given the fact that they are presumably 25 years old, but the sound is what matters!



Edited By Mike on 1191746018

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[Mike]

Just one more addition: Compared to my Tito Puente Timbalitos, the shells of the AFRO Timbales are way thinner - which is a plus on the weight side! The sound -even if brass- is an ounce more hollow though, but still very good.