Got a new El Piernas tumba!!!!!

[Bacalao]

Here's a shot, resized of the whole drum, hope you enjoy it.

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... G_5456.JPG

[JohnnyConga]

BEAUTIFUL CONGA DRUM!....just no "alma"(steel inner hoop) down the road potentially the drum would "egg" out...other than that my mouth is watering.... :p ..."JC" Johnny Conga...

[JohnnyConga]

How did u acquire this drum and what do the letters HR mean? Do they have a site?..."JC" Johnny Conga... ???

[Bacalao]

Haha, whats up JC! Thanks for the compliment. My bro's wife is from Cali, Colombia. She went down last month to take care of her mom who unfortunately had heart surgery. With the acquired knowledge from this wonderful forum I discovered "El Piernas" a.k.a. senor HECTOR ROCHA (HR).

Armed with this info, encarge a la cunada to stop by HR's shop in Cali for me. She scoped it out and e-mailed me some pic's of the humble shop, himself, workers and equipment. She was very impressed and so was I. I spoke with senor Rocha and gave him my request and he was more than happy to fulfill it.

My bro ended up going down there also and hung out the best part of a day with Hector Rocha. His shop is actually a concrete building in his backyard, and needless to say my bro was very impressed with the instruments and El Piernas hospitality.

My bro and his wife went through all kinds of security insp. trying to leave Colombia with that thing and it weighs a ton because its made with guayacan a.k.a. palo santo, iron wood which is supposedly the most dense wood known to man.

Once back in their home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, it took me another 2 weeks to go down and get it to bring it back to Atl, Ga.

And that JC is how I acquired this amazing instrument, a mission and a half, in so many words.

Bacalao

[rebongo]

Bacalao, awesome tumbadora!!!

[Charangaman]

Greetings!

She's beautiful! What's the sound like?

[ozrivera]

Saludos Hermanos

Man, what a great looking tumba. has a real barrel shape. no detail was missed.
hey bacalao,how much would one these set us back if we wanted one?

god bless

Oz

[taikonoatama]

Interesting facts about guayacan below. And check out where it is on the hardness scale - unbelievably hard (link at bottom). I've heard of claves made from guayacan, but this is the first I've heard of congas. Very curious how they would sound. Gorgeous drum - great score.

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Lignum vitae is the heartwood of species of the genus Guaiacum, the trees of which are usually called guayacan. The name is Latin for "wood of life", and derives from its medicinal uses. Other names are palo santo, holy wood, greenheart, and of course ironwood (one of many). The wood is obtained chiefly from Guaiacum officinale and Guaiacum sanctum, both slow growing trees that do not become large.

This wood has a density between 1.28 and 1.37g per cu.cm., so it will sink in water. It is a hard, dense and durable wood, one of the densest woods in the trade. The wood was important for uses requiring strength, weight and hardness. The Antarctic explorer Ernest Shackleton's ship Endurance was ribbed with lignum vitae (specifically Greenheart). Due to its weight, cricket bails, particularly 'heavy bails' used in windy conditions, are sometimes made of this wood. The wood also has seen widespread historical usage in mortars and pestles.

Master clockmaker John Harrison used lignum vitae as the basis for his nearly all-wood clocks, since the wood provides natural lubricating oils which do not dry out. For this reason it was widely used in shaft bearings. According to the San Francisco Maritime National Park Association website, the shaft bearings on the WWII submarine USS Pampanito (SS-383) were made of this wood. (Source:http://www.maritime.org/pamphist.htm) Also, the bearings in the original 1920's turbines of the Conowingo Hydroelectric Plant on the lower Susquehanna River are made from lignum vitae.

The resin has been used to treat a variety of medicinal conditions from coughs to arthritis. Wood chips can also be used to brew a tea.

Various other hardwoods of Australasia (e.g., the acacia and eucalyptus) are also called lignum vitae and should not be confused.

Verawood (Bulnesia sarmientoi/arborea) is an unrelated species also known as Argentine lignum vitae due to similar appearance and working qualities to lignum vitae. It has a strong, fresh aroma and is used as incense.

The Lignum Vitae is the national tree of Jamaica and The Bahamas.

On the Janka Scale of Hardness, which measures the relative density of various types of wood, lignum vitae ranks highest.
http://uberdense.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lignum_vitae



Edited By taikonoatama on 1183136870

[JohnnyConga]

Ok Bacalao ...whats the damage(cost) for a pair of those inredible drums...remind me of "Pan con Queso's"(1970's) de Venezuela..."JC" Johnny Conga...

[Bacalao]

I appreciate the compliments guts. I am very grateful to have been able to own one of these awesome tumbas.

The bass note on the drum is absolutely amazing. Check this out, my wife really doesn't pay any attention to my playing, or anything else for that matter but, the other day I was laying some golpes down and she stolled over and commented on how beautiful my new drum was. She even started to play them (as best she can) and noticed how deep the bass was. I was in shock because this rarely happens and she even hung out a while playing them for a little bit.

Anyway the drum posses an excellent tone with awesome sustain, no unwanted variences in the sound or ringy overtones. It's wonderful and motivates me to wanna play ALOT more.

OK, the cost was ~$400. I say about because he also sent me a set of claves (the ones where the hand held side has a whole bored thru the center) and maracas. I believe my brother, the brooklyn hustler that he is, had something to do with the extra instruments. Their also made from guayacan, I believe someone mentioned that in the post. I'll post pics of those also when i get sometime very soon.

Finally, for those of you out their that have heard of senor Rocha and know him as "EL Piernas", my bro was told by everyone in Cali and senor HR's employees that in Cali he is referred to respectfully as "Tres Piernas!"

Cojanlo suave hermanos.

[OLSONGO]

I did some research on El piernas percussion here are some pics. If anyone is interested in some of this beauties let me know I may be of some help.
First Hector and some arsenal.
The price sure is right.

Paz OLSONGO

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... STORIA.jpg

[OLSONGO]

Now in color .

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... rocha2.jpg

[OLSONGO]

And this the Colombian version of Boys in the Hood

Just having fun

Paz OLSONGO

Attachment: http://mycongaplace.com/forum/eng/uploa ... usicos.jpg

[ironman]

olsongo if you got a sec , get at me off the board , i would like talk about that...
jaisen 1(646)852-7866 ~ or ~ tucosabuena@yahoo.com ~ thanks ....

[ironman]

bacalao whats going on , very sweet drum , listen i was wondering if you had any contact info for hr percussion , direct in cali ? thanks...