GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Manufacturers, brands, skins, maintenance, stands, sticks, michrophones and other accessories for congueros can be discussed into this forum ...... leave your experience or express your doubts!

Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby Thebreeze » Tue May 14, 2013 11:47 pm

I respect your opinion on the sideplates, but I totally disagree with you as to the Macho sideplates being stronger. I too have had my fair share of Gon Bops, and have seen those loops where the tuning lugs go thru lifted up beyond level so that it is obvious to see it. And while you may be able to put a skin on the crowns rather easy you say, try putting on a thicker skin and see that it becomes difficult because of the clearance issue. I have skinned many King Congas, having had over 20 in my time and they are very difficult to to because the clearance is very tight, but I can do it. Now someone wants to say that these teardrops are easier than traditional rims, which are the easiest to do by far, is just exagerating to say the least. But........ I respect your opinion on it and will stop any further posts on this thread just to avoid escalations. By all means add more info on the subject if you want, I have said what I am going to say, and it should make sense to anyone reading it if they want to be HONEST.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby Omelenko1 » Wed May 15, 2013 2:27 am

I put a medium skin on the macho from Matthew, why would I want to put a thick head on a drum that has no alma first of all. All my previous Gon Bops after 20 yrs. tend to split, except these because of the fiberglass layer. Thick heads are a conga worst enemy, will cause out of round if the drum has no alma, it will add a lot of stress when tuning. When I got my Juniors back from you I had to removed the thick heads they had and then the sound improved and relieved the pressure. Gon Bops had a variety of side plates, the ones on the macho have a thick steel plate reinforcing where the lugs go thru, amplify the photo and you will see. It seems from reading your posts you always try to bring a negative comment to every post, I have definitely noticed that.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby Thebreeze » Wed May 15, 2013 5:20 am

I said I would not post any more but I have to reply to your comment. Yes, you are right, I do post lots of negative stuff, I am the first to agree to that. But if you notice closely, you will see that my negative posts ( which although negative, are still accurate statements as far as I am concerned ), bring out positive posts, such as BNB's post as well as others, all positive about your drums and teardrop crowns. So now we have a good, informative, multi participant, balance on this thread. If you recall, There was a Thread about old school LP Bongos with zebra wood and I posted negatively about the thick cast aluminum bases on some of those bongos shown, but I could not stop saying enough good, positive things about your bongos. I posted that they were the best I had ever seen, or something to that effect, and there was a lot of good posts that came out of that thread. Had these Gon Bops been someone elses and not yours, I would have posted the same exact way as I did here, so you can know it is not personal.

Having said all that,....I am at the point that if you or any other member feels you have heard enough of Thebreeze, just say so and I promise this will be the last thing I ever post on the Forum. My word of Honor, just say the word.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby Mike » Wed May 15, 2013 6:00 am

Will and Dario,
I do not see any point in your posts that would
justify stopping to post here whatsoever,
to me it is just a discussion and yes, while you
seem to disagree, hey, is that not normal?
Nobody got personal, so I everything´s fine IMHO.
Peace & drum
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby RitmoBoricua » Wed May 15, 2013 11:01 am

Good perscussion brothers no need to leave the forum, nothing wrong with a balance
forum with a diversity of opinions and very little sugar coating. As long as we keep
it real,honest and respectful the rest will take care of itself. Let's agree to disagree,
it would be a very boring life if we all like, do and view things the same way. Nothing
wrong with a little bit of conflict and bumping heads. I learned a thing of two about Gon
Bops side plates and hardware on this thread thanks to Mr. Breeze and Mr. Dario.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby Omelenko1 » Wed May 15, 2013 1:37 pm

Whenever a member highlights a new find, be it a set of congas or a pair of bongos, I'm the first one to say "congratulations on your find" or something positive. If I don't like or agree with what I see I simply don't post. I might give a recommendation is someone is asking for advice, but I don't say "that crown is no good, or why didn't you put a thick head on". If I'm not going to be positive or agreeable I just stay out of it.
Gon Bops started in 1954, it just so happens these teardrop models with a layer of fiberglass on the outside were their most expensive model and they advertised them as "tough congas", you might not like them, which is fine, but Gon Bops thought it was their best product.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby Omelenko1 » Wed May 15, 2013 2:16 pm

Here is an advertisement from Gon Bops 1970's on these style congas. Also a photo from the internet of the macho side plates in question, notice the back plate where the lugs go thru, about 1/8" thick.
m3grc7l34okr6q.jpg
22688d.jpg
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby bongosnotbombs » Wed May 15, 2013 5:11 pm

They made this model with both types of sideplates, riveted and welded. I prefer the riveted. I have seen examples where the owners of the congas were not careful in their tuning and stretched the rivets. I have seen the welded ones tuned so poorly they were lifting the screws through the wood and deforming the holes drilled into the shell.

I think the riveted ones are better in this regard, if you misuse the drum the rivets give rather than the wood of the shell.

Of course there may be a limit to the thickness of skin you can place on one of these rims, but all rims limit thickness due to their diameter. The benefit of the decreased diameter rim and the design if the shell is of course comfort, you are much less likely to hurt your hands on a tight fitting and sloped rim such as these.

I love traditional rims, but I admire Gon Bops for their well thought out design of the tear drop rims, similar to LP's confort curve, but a much more attractive design. I love owning one.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby RitmoBoricua » Wed May 15, 2013 5:26 pm

bongosnotbombs wrote:They made this model with both types of sideplates, riveted and welded. I prefer the riveted. I have seen examples where the owners of the congas were not careful in their tuning and stretched the rivets. I have seen the welded ones tuned so poorly they were lifting the screws through the wood and deforming the holes drilled into the shell.


Yours look exactly like mine except that mine has the wood inlay.
I also have the Gon Bops case. Mine is only a 10" head but it has
a big sound with virtually zero overtones.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby Omelenko1 » Wed May 15, 2013 5:43 pm

I took the quinto to an occasional rumba that is held here in Miami, of course I put a new head on it, the main quinto player down here, Miguel Cruz, fell in love with the sound, mind you there were other quality quintos in the rumba such as Patato model 9", there was an Isla requinto and also a SOS. Miguel played the Gon Bops quinto all afternoon, claiming that it had a sharp dry sound with no overtones, also the comfort of the teardrop. I don't care for comfort curve crowns, except for this one, its got a very art deco sleek design.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby RitmoBoricua » Wed May 15, 2013 6:00 pm

Dario,

What year do you think my Gon Bops quinto is?
The thing is this one does not have the fiberglass
outerlayer and I see no signs of staves separation
or anything. I was thinking from the early to mid 1980's.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby bongosnotbombs » Wed May 15, 2013 6:11 pm

RitmoBoricua wrote:
bongosnotbombs wrote:They made this model with both types of sideplates, riveted and welded. I prefer the riveted. I have seen examples where the owners of the congas were not careful in their tuning and stretched the rivets. I have seen the welded ones tuned so poorly they were lifting the screws through the wood and deforming the holes drilled into the shell.


Yours look exactly like mine except that mine has the wood inlay.
I also have the Gon Bops case. Mine is only a 10" head but it has
a big sound with virtually zero overtones.


Also yours is the oak model, I used to have one of those oak with the inlaid bands, but with a traditional rim. I actually bought and then traded that drum to back the breeze! My teardrop model is the phillipine mahogany.

It's obvious to me that Gon Bops put different all the different hardware components on the different shells; rims, lugplates, oak, mahogany, all the parts seem interchangeable. Probably someone could order a premium shell and then order less expensive hardware, are the least expensive shell and hardware, or the most, depending on their budget.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby Omelenko1 » Wed May 15, 2013 6:14 pm

I'm sure yours is from the early 80's. I had a friend who played with Nestor Torres, the flute player, who had a set just like yours with the wood inlay and he asked my to store them for him in my garage, this was 1984, the year my daughter was born.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby roberthelpus » Thu May 16, 2013 12:11 am

I know I said this on here before. I kept my two fiberglassed Gon Bops at a friends studio, for a couple of years,that was only heated or cooled when actually occupied. This was here in the variable weather of Cincinnati, OH. I can't even remember how many of his non-glassed Gon Bops split while sitting right next to mine which of course remained unharmed and in whole.
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Re: GONBOPS TEARDROP MODEL TRIO 1974

Postby RitmoBoricua » Thu May 16, 2013 12:12 am

I have seen old Gon Bops catalogs and saw the oak
congas with the inlay but always with the traditional
hardware, most likely somebody placed an order with
this configuration. So 1980's good to know. Thanks
Bongosnotbombs and Dario for the information,
good to know.
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