Ritmo Drums (Matthew Smith) Info.

[Doctorumba]

MATTHEW SMITH-RITMO DRUMS
1515 BIRCH LANE
PERKASIE,PENN. 18944
USA. (215) 795-2267

Aside from making congas,bongos,batas,tamboras,snare drums and now timbales.Matthew makes excellent repairs to existing congas and other drums.He refurbished an old Junior tumba I have from the late 60's.He duplicated Junior side plates and actually made them much stronger.
Matthew is a young guy,in his 30's and loves his work.He also makes very highend custom furniture and uses a variety of woods,even the most exotic hard to find woods.
The ones below are made of walnut,in person they have a dark chocolate color with lighter streaks in some areas,incredebly beautiful and built to last a lifetime.
Folks,I don't get commissions from the man,but now that Junior is gone and Jay is semi retired,he is the alternative and his hardware is superior. Moforibale al tambo'. Dario

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

[ironman]

muchacho....

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

[ironman]

feel me on this....

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

[Whopbamboom]

Nice looking... Is have two sets of congas continually on my mind. One is Matthew's (the others are Volcano's).

Are the above pictures all from the same set? Just different tinting on the photos? Or different sets?

[ironman]

1 set.

[Bongorific]

I had one of Matt's Quinto in oak and it was a wonderful drum. well made and hardware was definately heavy duty. I sold it a few months back. I would buy his drums again...my biggest complaint was my thumb took a beating playing it . His Heads are so close to even with traditional rims. I'm by no means am an exspert and my technique is probably not the best but it was impossible not to tear up your Thumb. That being said slaps cracked like a whip and drum was awesome.

Peace

Bongo

[109-1176549166]

Bongorific,

In another thread, I, too, made exactly the same observation that you did re: the rims of Matthew Smiths being so close to the top of the skin. I also expressed concern about hurting one's hands when playing.

Some responders on that thread commented that that's really their preference not just with Matthew Smiths but with other congas as well. As to hands getting hurt, they said that it shouldn't really be a concern as long as one were using correct fundamentals.

Supposedly, the rim being so close to the top of head is good for the sound. To minimize overtones perhaps? I'm not sure. I probably need to go back and review that thread.



Edited By mjtuazon on 1186004568

[Tonio]

IMO, most salsero/folkorico style is to use the hands really flat. Also the skin mounted high on traditional congas tends to resonate more due to the skin not touching the shell as much if mounted lower. If you look at most traditional style congas the crown/skin is mounted closer to the shell than the mass produced drums. I think that having the skin farther away lends to more ringing. But on traditional drums being so close, after use the skins stretches and gets somewhat muted from being in contact with the shell. I personally experienced this with SOS's. That may be the reason for mounting so high.
Kinda ironic ,that the old Gon Bops had the good tone after use-got somewhat flat / less resonant which I liked so much. It may lend to loosing the bass "boom".
I do like the rim to be about3/4 to 1 " from the bearing edge. My thumbs are normally close to the fingers, so I wouldn't have a problem with it, it is uncomfortable too close.
What I hate it LP's Comfort curve I, that thing is so thick, even mounted way low, its a PITA.

T

[109-1176549166]

I do like the rim to be about3/4 to 1 " from the bearing edge. My thumbs are normally close to the fingers, so I wouldn't have a problem with it, it is uncomfortable too close.
What I hate it LP's Comfort curve I, that thing is so thick, even mounted way low, its a PITA.

T

Tonio,

Ditto re: 3/4" to 1" below the bearing edge and LP's so-called "Comfort Curve".



Edited By mjtuazon on 1186006469

[bongo]

I like the rim a little low too, one inch plus, it does save on the hands, especially on quinto for cupped slaps on the edge.

Some say wait for the skins to stretch naturely, but this can take a long time. If the quinto has the rim too high I have had success by soaking the skin at the ring and pushing the end of the skin down to just above the ring as I tighten the lugs, there is always more skin than needed. I have gained an inch this way. One should be careful though of trying to stretch a wet skin by force of the lugs without pushing down on the edge, I have split one between the bearing edge and rim where it was weak / thinner.

I have trouble with traditional cuban style rivetted flat bar hardware like on SOS. I hit the sharp edge with my elbows and take skin off and bleed. Valje style round rod ears aren't so hard on a guy, and neither are the old voodoo style gon bops.



Edited By bongo on 1186011483

[yambu321]

TO ALL MY BROTHERS,

ANOTHER REASON FOR KEEPING THE CROWN UP HIGH, NEAR THE BEARING EDGE, IS MOSTLY, MERELY, FOR COSMETICS. IF THE SKIN IS UP HIGH, IT GIVES THE IMPRESSION OF A NEW SKIN ON YOUR DRUM, AND WILL DO SO, FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME. THE DRUM WILL ALSO LOOK MORE SO, WELL MAINTAINED, NOT ONLY JUST BECAUSE OF THE SKIN, BUT ALSO BECAUSE, THE TENSION HOOK THREADS, WON'T BE RUNNING CRAZY, PAST THE NUTS.
WITH (TOO MANY SCREW THREADS SHOWING) IT SAYS ALOT ABOUT IT'S OWNER, AND THE DRUM'S UP KEEP. IT WOULD REALLY LOOK TACKY! IT'S MORE OF A PRIDE OF OWNERSHIP THING. NOW, IF AN INDIVIDUAL PREFERS THE SKIN TO COME FURTHER DOWN ON THE DRUM, THAT'S FINE TOO! THERE SHOULD BE NO REAL MAJOR DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THE DRUM WILL SOUND. THAT WILL ONLY TRULY HAPPEN IF A SKIN IS EITHER WORN, AND OR, NOT WELL MAINTAINED.

REMEMBER THOUGH GUYS, IF YOU DECIDE TO MOUNT THE CROWN UP HIGH ON YOUR DRUM YOU MUST HAVE PROPER HAND TECHNIQUE WHEN YOU PLAY IT, OR YOU'LL QUICKLY DISCOVER THAT YOU DON'T.

I LIKE MINE UP HIGH!, ALWAYS HAVE. :;):

RESPECTFULLY,
CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO :;):



Edited By yambu321 on 1186377220

[109-1176549166]

Bongo,

>take skin off and bleed

Eeeewwww!!! :O

>Valje style round rod ears aren't so hard on a guy, and neither are the old voodoo style gon bops.

Current style Gon Bops California Series/Tumbao Pro "hybrid traditional" rims which are relatively thin and sleek (IMO, sexy) and adapted from Akbar Moghaddam's (who's currently running the elite Gon Bops California manufacturing team) design for his discontinued Sols (which, in turn, he may have adapted from the old Valjes on which he used to work for many years prior to Sols), are not too bad either.

So are the intriguing but currently-discontinued, supposedly-soon-to-be-revived Fat Congas (maker of my and my favorite string cajon). Click on: http://www.fatcongas.com/CongaProduct.html



Edited By mjtuazon on 1186013129

[Bongorific]

My Gon Bops are older and have traditonal rims. I can live with a 1/2 of play between rim and skin. God knows I 've let a little blood over the past 35 years of playing. But I'm sorry ritmo are entirely to close for my taiste....That's why I sold it. Look at the new Resolution(Valjie) drums ....they may be extreme but you can slam the heal of you hand into those followed by a slap....not on Ritmo. Don't get me wrong Matt's drums are awsome but this ANGLO can't Play em. If I want to play "Patty -Cake" fine but Heal tip is part of my style and Ritmos' restrict me.
Still a ass-Kickin drum...but my 57 year old Hands don't like em

Peace

Bongo

[bongosnotbombs]

I don't get it, could'nt you have just remounted a new head at the level you liked instead of selling the whole drum?

Is'nt there like a 1 year wait for those things?

It was your drum you can do what you like, but if it had been mine...

[bongosnotbombs]

Current style Gon Bops California Series/Tumbao Pro "hybrid traditional" rims which are relatively thin and sleek (IMO, sexy) and adapted from Akbar Moghaddam's (who's currently running the elite Gon Bops California manufacturing team) design for his discontinued Sols (which, in turn, he may have adapted from the old Valjes on which he used to work for many years prior to Sols), are not too bad either.

Akbar at Sol designed his rim to keep players from hurting their hands from playing...

http://www.soldrums.com/drumbusiness.html

thats why they are so low and rounded, a very intelligent design.

Aren't the rims of Isla's a little similar to Sol in their low rounded profiles? Of course where they attach to the lugs is different. I am thinking Moderna series here...