Back in the game - with new Congas!

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: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Mike » Sat May 25, 2019 3:33 am

Thanks everyone.
These babies are awesome. The sound is the best I have come across in 20 years (and that is out of the box!)
With 9 tuning lugs per drum they keep their pitch perfectly.
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Mike » Mon May 27, 2019 4:54 pm

FWIW: I do not dare to think how well the sound will develop
over the next years once the skins are completely broken in!
Last edited by Mike on Sun Jun 09, 2019 9:15 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Juaort » Thu May 30, 2019 12:10 am

Mike, What kind of skins are you packing on those?
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Mike » Thu May 30, 2019 6:37 am

Juaort wrote:Mike, What kind of skins are you packing on those?

They come already equipped with the best cow skins you can get in Germany, so there is no need for new skins.
Those rawhides Jost Reiche has picked match my idea of a perfectly sounding conga skin anyway.
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby KING CONGA » Thu Aug 22, 2019 2:55 pm

Congratulations Mike. Those are some gorgeous top quality tubs. Not many around so its awesome that you found these. They look to be in exceptional condition as well. Thank you for sharing and welcome back!!
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Mike » Wed Sep 11, 2019 4:42 am

KING CONGA wrote:Congratulations Mike. Those are some gorgeous top quality tubs. Not many around so its awesome that you found these. They look to be in exceptional condition as well. Thank you for sharing and welcome back!!

@KING CONGA Thanks a lot for your kind words. I do enjoy those Reiches every day.
The sound is stunning, and the condition? Well I bought them new! ;)
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby jorge » Wed Sep 11, 2019 5:39 am

Congratulations, they do look very nice. I have never seen congas before with 9 lugs, that would reduce the stress on each lug and on the rim between lugs. The skins look great, similar to skins Gon Bops used to use many years ago. I am happy to see some growth in the small but very old Afrocuban music tradition in Germany represented by this German conga builder and the few conga players and Afrocuban percussionists I have seen coming out of Germany.
Do you have any audio or video recordings you can post so we can hear them?
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Mike » Wed Sep 11, 2019 9:14 am

No audio or video yet, Jorge.
I simply have not had the time,
and I am also struggling with some
health issues at the moment.

As to the 9 lugs: tuning was a bit of a hassle at First,
but once a drum is tuned it holds its pitch incredibly well.
Last edited by Mike on Thu Feb 27, 2020 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby KING CONGA » Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:05 pm

So Mike, you said that you bought them new, are you saying that they are still being manufactured? If so, can you provide us with the contact info? Thank you.
Are the drums stave built or are the a solid shell construction?
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Mike » Wed Sep 11, 2019 1:37 pm

@King Conga
Yes, they are still being made by himself,
but only on demand via e-mail: See http://reiche-trommelbau.de/kontakt.html for details.
Superb stave construction all the way.
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Juaort » Wed Sep 11, 2019 10:03 pm

Thanks Mike for sharing. These are pretty awesome Tubs. I’ve been looking at a custom set, these are definitely at the top of the list. Hope you’re feeling well brotha.

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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Mike » Thu Feb 27, 2020 5:59 am

Almost half a year later, the skins are beginning to break in, and I can only say WOW - these Reiche congas are really the best I have come across so far (and there have been quite a few congas under my hands...) Full, rich tone and they do everything they should do :wink: ;) Plus they look beautiful. :D
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Juaort » Fri Feb 28, 2020 2:06 am

You’re a lucky Man!
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Siete Leguas » Mon Jun 29, 2020 3:47 pm

Mike, those drums look fantastic! I hope you're still rocking them as they should.

I just happened to get a very good deal for an old 26 cm (10,25") Reiche quinto, second hand. I think it is the model prior to yours: 76 cm high, 5 lugs, very nice 3 mm thick cow skin, elegant and robust hardware, relatively light. Excellent drum!

The previous owner couldn't tell me much about it, so I'm trying to figure out some details (age, wood type, etc.). Do you know what year Reiche started making the new model? My girlfriend says it must be some tropical hardwood, because it doesn't show any "seasonal rings" on the cross-section. I know very little about wood, but I read somewhere that Reiche works/used to work with mahogany. Could it be that, or some other wood instead?

Mike wrote: They come already equipped with the best cow skins you can get in Germany, so there is no need for new skins.
Those rawhides Jost Reiche has picked match my idea of a perfectly sounding conga skin anyway.


Are yours the "standard" ones that Reiche mounts on his congas? Fritz Würth's maybe?

My plan was to use the drum as a (re)quinto for rumba purposes (I just got my fresh copy of the book "Rumba Quinto" by D. Penalosa too). I haven't cranked it up yet, but it sounds amazing at a middle pitch. So much so, that I am considering using it as the main drum in a set of 2 or 3 congas (alongside my other two drums, two PJ Session Line conga + tumba). It feels comfortable even though I have relatively big hands. I guess it will work well in both frequency ranges, but does somebody see a problem in tuning it often up and down (from rumba quinto tone to, let's say, tres dos'?

Best wishes!
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Re: Back in the game - with new Congas!

Postby Mike » Mon Jun 29, 2020 3:57 pm

Yes, African mahogany is the wood Jost Reiche has always been using for the shells of his congas (mine are too, only painted), and there is only one type of skin he employs, cow skin from the south of Germany, hence you could call that the standard :) I do not know if they are from Fritz Würth, but I do know that it does not get much better skinwise. ;)
And due to the sturdy construction, you can crank up that tub pretty high 8)
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