The Plastic Sound

[caballoballo]

Bongoceros, nothing than the good sound of a natural skin (MUle,Cow, Steer) to project the true sound of a Bongó. Yesterday at Buffalo Wings Pub the group Bongocero was using a sinthetic skin, you could hear the plastic sound from the parking lot. Although I always carry a spare Fyberskin in my gig bag, his sole purpose is to replace in the case that the natural skins brakes but will be back as spare as soon as the gig is done . Sinthetics for me are a short time solution.

[yambu321]

I TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU CABALLO. THERE'S NOTHING LIKE THE REAL THING. :;):

CHARLIE "EL COQUI" VERDEJO

[Mike]

Yeah, I also ditched my fyberskin. It didn´t even come close to what the "natural" sound is like. Even if this might not be the claim or aim, synthetic skins still don´t sound good to me either. I´m with you there guys.
Nothing beats good old cow and mule

Mike

[Gallichio]

I also agree. No drum sounds as good as a drum with a real skin head on it. But it has to be a good quality head. I do think the plastic have their place. They really stand up to humidity changes much better than real skin. In my drum studio, I have Remo tucked heads on Congas and Bongos. So we do not have to spend time to tune and to de-tune. For Gigs and recording, I will only use real heads. The sound is beautiful much warmer and very pleasing. I also like the feel of real skin on my hands.

[akdom]

I cannot agree more. I am a pro natural.. BUT, I have to admit that on bongoes, plastic can sound great. I put two X ray films on my bongoes while waiting to get natural skins, and... I still have them on after months...

X ray sound better than any shop plastic skins. Give it a try.

B

[OLSONGO]

I have x- ray film or mica on my macho, and when you leave in Florida where the humidity is high, naturals on my congas I can handle , but the high macho sound dying because of the weather I got tire of.

Paz
Olsongo

[Raymond]

Welll...my experience...Yes...nothing substitue the real sound of natural skin.

However, if you have had experience with sound systems. Not everybody tends to give the bongo a good "mike" sound. Most of the time with some sound systems and the way they equalize or mix the sound, you get a "plastic" sound with the macho of the bongo. Have you ever had that?...I had the experience in listening to some bongoseros, with natural skins, and myself too! I think you get that sound like 90% of the time out there. (Not everybody know how to mix the bongos in mike).

That could have been the case...if that is the case!

I have to admit, I am going back to natural skins myself..but I believe you could get good sound of some synthetic head with some bongos... Nothing against them! Not all natural skins sound good....

My five cents! Saludos!