Re: Conga shell question
Originally Posted by
pcs90
Yeah, I'd sand them. I've never seen one that was intentionally made rough. The CP drums, at least the current ones, sound awful to me but most of this is from the heads, so I imagine upgrading these is going to make a huge difference. The CP heads are the hand drum version of super cheap stock drum kit heads.
Originally Posted by
8beat
I'm guessing that hundreds of years ago drummers stretched skins over barrels to make drums. So the bearing edge may have been rough and uneven. But the sound may have changed since then.
I'm answering the questions in reverse order because one leads to the other.
8beat--you're right that (actually thousands of) years ago, the first bongo brothers stretched skins over barrels--and even logs--to create the first drums. The bearing edges were rough, and tuning was by guess, by golly and by fire!
Joe--you don't say how old your CPs are, but the marque was "presented by LP" circa 1985, when Martin Cohen still had his hands on the drums, figuratively and literally. I have two pair of CP's -- a fiberglass quinto and conga from 1987 and a wood quinto and conga from 1992, and both still sound good even now. I have heard the quality has gone downhill since Kaman Music took over, and quite frankly, sounds like the dude from whom you got them was more a styler than a true conguero.
Bongobill gave some excellent advice, man, and puttin' some top-quality skins on your CPs will be well worth your investment.
Good luck, bro'!
keep the beat goin' ... Don't keep it to yourself!
Charlie
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." --Henry David Thoreau, "Walden," 1854
"There's a lot to be said for Time Honored tradition and value." --In memory of Frank "fiacovaz" Iacovazzi
"Maybe your drums can be beat, but you can't."--Jack Keck
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