INTERESTING Valje drum on Craigslist (Nebraska area)

[Whopbamboom]

Saw this. Anyone ever seen one?

http://denver.craigslist.org/msg/635173018.html


Oh, and for the sake of archiving on the congaplace forum (long live congaplace!), I'm snatching two photo's and posting here. Supposed to be from the 'late 1950's and looks like a Boku... there is an old water-transfer label on a leg...

ValjeBoku1.jpg (6.85 KiB) Viewed 9493 times

[drum4fun]

Yes, ive seen one of these at a garage sale not too long ago. Rough condition and i didnt have the 250$ to pay for it. The one i saw didnt have the screwed on legs like the one pictured here. The one i saw had a short metal hoop basket stand.

There are pictures of african congas similar to this omaha craigslist Valje at the following webpage: http://resolutiondrums.com/gal/Big-Black-Comp-flat.gif

and here: http://resolutiondrums.com/gallery/Al-H ... posite.gif

D4F

[Whopbamboom]

Drum4fun-- does Resolution make the drums in those photo's?

[drum4fun]

No, i believe those pics at Resolutions site are archived photos of original (or akbar? ) Valje drums. I had talked to Ralph Flores on the phone the day i saw the drum at the garage sale. As we talked, and i described the drum in question, he led me to the photo gallery that i posted links to in my previous post. I believe he does not repair or support the later LP Valje drums. I believe the african congas pictured at his Resolution site are originals.

Im not sure if Ralph is making or intends to make african style congas. I have done some considerable google searching and have not been able to find much info on these african congas. In fact the google search is what led me to this forum in the first place.

I see that Akbar went on to create 'Sol' drums after the fire that destroyed the Valje shop in San Francisco in 1985. Akbar was making african congas then...but i believe is now with Gon Bops.

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

I did go and buy the drum i saw at a garage sale....just this past weekend. The guy still had it and agreed to come down from his original asking price of 250$.

Ive got a few questions to ask about this drum too...and will do so after i can post a couple of photos.

d4f

[blackflag]

Hi, Chris Robarchek here. I'm the owner of this drum and yes, I posted it at Craigs List Omaha, Lincoln, Denver and Los Angeles. I've talked extensively about this drum with Ralph Flores and Tony Norris (AKA Tony Stern, "congadr.blogspot.com"). Tony is a professional musician and repairs all congas on his down time. He has seen hundred of examples of all brands and specializes on Valje's. Tony and I believe with certainty that this is one of Tom Flores' earliest drums, made in about 1955-56. Probably an experiment and out of his garage. The decal was probably added later after he opened the shop. Tony and I've agreed the wood is Douglas Fir. The hardware is all handmade, cut individually so the lugs/plates/holes are all very slightly different and not stamped out of a sheet like his later work. Tony brought up someone who said they bought their drum (that he still owns) back in ABOUT 1957 from his neighbor, Tom Flores, out of his garage. The plates on his drum were stamped, not individually cut like this one. The drum is an "Ashika". Tony believes that if you're going to make an Ashika, fir is a good choice because you'd want a softer wood so it makes sense that Tom used it to make this drum. The gluing is Toms glue and even has brush strokes in the glue. At the time, nobody was as exacting about their drums as Tom Flores, down to making sure there were no beads of glue inside his drums. The legs are red oak (and steel) which also makes sense because if Tom had used fir to make the legs, although reinforced with steel, the legs would still snap like twigs. The staves are slightly thicker than Toms later production drums which also makes sense because if you're going to make a drum out of a softer wood like fir, you'd want it a bit thicker. Ralph agrees with certainty that the hardware, glue and assembly is all his dads but because he didn't start working in the shop until '64 and didn't see his dad ever use this kind of wood, he is reluctant to say with certainty that his dad made the shell. Tom Flores put his label on it, which means he backed it and after learning what I have from Ralph, he wouldn't have done it if he didn't make the shell. The drum screams original Tom Flores Valje (which by the way, wasn't a combination of "Valerie" or "Jean". He named the brand after his dog and NOT his dog after the shop, a black standard poodle which he called "Valje")..... I've decided not to sell the drum, for now at least and certainly not for $300. It seems too important of a piece of Valje history to part with and I'm a history freak. I'd love to see pics of the other Valje the guy bought at the yard sale. I'm sure Tony would too. I can be emailed at "robarchekchris@yahoo.com". Peace, C

[blackflag]

I wanted to add that Ralph Flores just got the rights back to make Valje drums. He intends to make them exactly as he and his dad did back in the 60's.. He's tooling up right now and is about ready to start taking orders. That's right, no more rubber tree LP Valje's! I doubt anyone will miss 'em. Resolutions will still be available if you prefer. I have my order placed for his first set of Valje bongos, the first set of Flores made Valje's in over 25 years! Who, I ask (hypothetically) is more qualified to make valje's than Ralph? Maybe we can get him to quit his day job and just make Valje's for us full time! Best, Chris

[blackflag]

P.S. More pics of my Ashiko can be seen at Tony Norris' site, "congadr.blogspot.com".

[congaDR]

Welcome to the board Chris, if i may,

well, yea, for the most part.

I dont think Doug Fir is an ideal wood for any drum (even though it has a wonderful sounding scientific name psudotsuga menziisii.. im sure thats not how its spelled ), but, yes,

I do believe this is an early Tom Flores Drum. There are many features of this drum that look like Tom's work besides the two Valje lables, etc.

I detailed it on my blog, as Chris said.

Tony

[JimG]

There is a similar drum from Gon Bops on ebay now. I've never played one. Can you speak to the sound of these shaped drums?

Jim

[blackflag]

Yeah man, I can. They are incredibly bass-ey and you can get a LOT of different tones out of them, ideal for a drum circle. Not super practical to gig with though.

[blackflag]

Sorry teddy, I've decided to keep it. I'm refinishing it now as we speak with Tony's much needed and appreciated coaching.

[GonBoper]

That's GREAT news that Mr Flores got his beloved Valje name back.There must be a "Drum God" .
Snatching back from corporate America...a Brand name that always had quality and was prostituted
by LP.


Peace

Bops

[congaDR]

hear hear, Bops.

Nice to hear Ralph, one very nice cat, is going to carry on the tradition of his fathers work.

What a fat way to honor ones ancestors!

Tony

[bongosnotbombs]

Ralph told me when I got my Resolutions that I could trade them in when he
started making Valjes again. A cool offer, but I really like the Resolutions.

[blackflag]

I love Resolutions as well and intend on keeping them in ADDITION to anything else Ralph makes for me. If it came from his hands, it's all golden!