Lp matador

[timbalero23]

hi everybody im a first timer....


i just bought my self some new bongos from Lp the matadors and i would like to kno from any bongo players if these set of bongos are werth it i just put some remo nuskyn skins on them and they sound realy great but i would like to know if i spend my money on a good set of bongos...

[pastor_bob]

Welcome to Drum Chat timbalero! I am not an expert on hand drums by any means, because I am more of a set player that is also applying what I learn to hand drums, but I do know that Matadors are a good line. I'll leave it at that, and let real hand drummers talk to you about this.

Again, welcome!

[bongobro]

Hey, timbalero! BTW, welcome aboard, bro'...

I used to consider myself one of the hand drum experts in DrumChat, but compared to leedy2, I'm still a noobie even though I've played for over 20 years! (No self-bashing intended, 'cause leedy2 is a veteran tumbadero and he's got the chops to prove it.)

By "new," are these bongos new to you or brand-new altogether? The original Matador line was introduced in the mid 1980s as the lowest-priced congas and bongos in the Latin Percussion line, but by the early 1990s they became the middle-priced line when LP introduced the CP (Cosmic Percussion) series. Then came the Aspire line, which essentially replaced the Matador range, in the late '90s.

I have played Aspires, CPs, Matadors and LPs through those 20-some-odd years in lessons and in performances, and they are all good drums. If I could compare them to cars, CPs would be Chevies, Matadors would be Buicks, and LPs would be Cadillacs. That is, the quality of the materials and workmanship would be higher in the Matadors than the CPs, and higher in the CPs than the Matadors. So, of course, are the prices.

I have to assume these are used bongos since you've replaced the heads, but I'll cover that in a moment. If they weren't abused or damaged, the shells and hardware should be in good shape. Properly tuned, and assuming you're a good drummer, only the most discriminating ear would find any difference among the three brands. I would play any of these older drums with confidence. (Since Fender has just bought Kaman, who owns LP, the jury is out on any of the newer stuff, IMHO).

I've played NuSkyns on Remo bongos and I have a FiberSkyn II on my Remo tumba, and I like the way they feel and sound. I can get killer finger "pops" on the bongos and a good deep sound on my tumba. There were some early problems with delamination, but I have never had any problems with them. In fact, the tumba was used when I bought it, and there was a scuff on the head that looks like the percussive equivalent of a skinned knee, but it has NEVER given me any trouble in over four years of use!

Keep us posted on your experiences, man!

[timbalero23]

hey bongobro thanks for the info, my bongos sounds great and no they aren't used. just bought them i changed the skins on them cuz i didnt realy like the sound and the heads that came wit my bongos i wasnt to confortable with them i was used to remo heads. bongos are not my main instrument also. its realy timbales but bongos are my seconed thanks alot again

[timbalero23]

hey bango bro thanks alot for the info i appreciated it

[bongobro]

Originally Posted by timbalero23

hey bongobro thanks for the info, my bongos sounds great and no they aren't used. just bought them i changed the skins on them cuz i didnt realy like the sound and the heads that came wit my bongos i wasnt to confortable with them i was used to remo heads. bongos are not my main instrument also. its realy timbales but bongos are my seconed thanks alot again

Glad I could help, timbalero--maybe you can share some tips on playin' timbales...it's just the reverse here, bro', since congas and bongos are my main instruments but I haven't been comfortable playin' timbales!

[timbalero23]

no problem bongobro lol

[timbalero23]

cool thanks leddy wasnt to sure

[Caballoballo]

Timbalero, Matador Bongos are great for start. Just get some nice skins mounted and you are ready to go. As Leedy would say, install a nice natural skin on the hembra with the thickness of 20 sheets of paper, for the macho not thicker or thiner than 1 cent is good as I would say. It is better to learn IMHO with natural skins instead of sinthetic plastic heads, that way you get the feeling and true sound projecting from your Bongó. s.Welcome to the Drum Chat.

[timbalero23]

thanks for info Caballo

[Ernesto Pediangco]

Originally Posted by timbalero23

hi everybody im a first timer....


i just bought my self some new bongos from Lp the matadors and i would like to kno from any bongo players if these set of bongos are werth it i just put some remo nuskyn skins on them and they sound realy great but i would like to know if i spend my money on a good set of bongos...

LP Matadors are a great choice ! They are actualy designed after LP's original Bongos from the early 60's & the 70 "s before Generation 2's ( which are more tappered ) The woods are the same as most Asian import Bongos & Congas ( Asian /Siam Oak ) which are actualy soft woods for all sorts of consumer goods. The sound edges are curved / rounded in a way tha is both more comfortable to the players hands & allows easier travel of the head accros the bearing edge. This is helpful to not pre stress natural skins prematurly. The Matador bongo sizes are standard LP sizes and even Meinl heads can fit and bongo skin wires are more easily available new & used so head replacement is more easy to find heads or custom tuck a variety of skins. Matadoe crowns now have the original version of " Confort Curves " which is stronger than the new ones ! They are a little more high profile ( height above the mounting skin wire ) than new comfor curve II's design. But are preferable to old style traditional crowns since the do not warp at all & chrome does not peel off the crown from warping. The big advantage to traditional crowns / rims is that its easier to tuck skins to the bongos. My friend recently sold his Top of line LP gen. II bongos...and replaced them w/ used Matadors for $90.00, and he's happier w/ Matadors ! The new Gen II bongos have a ridiculous bearring edge inspired by snare drums. Thet are sharp & narrow & feels like your playing the edge of a Iron pot ! These edges also mould the skins to a sharp edge & choke up the tunning, create stresses that prematurly tear natural heads and even NuSkins can pull off the skin wires. ( I super glue plastic heads to the skinwire for a little help to avoid that ) Matadors also come in Fiber glass shells which are fine too ! Most the sound of a Bongo is in the head. The shells add little & you can barely tell the difference ( unless ypou have dog hearing ) so its neglegible. I prefer natural skins...but not the Asian heads which are grainy and stretch out or tear too easily. Domestic young cow hides are my choice & I tuck my own heads with several of each size available for sound & as a back up spare always available. Plastic heads are great in climate considerations / moist air or out door rain etc. Plastic heads began from Bongoseros using heavy X ray celluloid film as a skin alternative ~ decades before Remo came out with mylar heads for bongos/congas. ( Imagine...an X ray of your hands used as a Bongo Head !? ) Matadors are great...if u change the lower quality heads ! Period ! Ernesto P.

[Caballoballo]

Quote " The new Gen II bongos have a ridiculous bearring edge inspired by snare drums. They are sharp & narrow & feels like your playing the edge of a Iron pot .

Yes and it is the same on the Giovanny Model, Once I was call to the stage by a friend Bongocero to play. I asked myself, how can he play on this bearing edge ? It is very uncomfortable for the hand specially while playing martillo. The new Lp Dandy has a flat bearing edge not as bad as the giovanny.

[cat]

I have one new Matador, and one Gen ll 93 model bongo. I am pretty new on bongos, so the info on the bearing edges was very useful. I checked both, and found that the edges on the Matador are not quite as sharp as on the Gen ll. Then I put on the heads, and and played them, and my fingers did not notice any difference. I use index and middle fingers on the right hand when I play the martillo, and am very careful with my technique, but I think it would be easier on my hands with flatter bearing edges.
That brings us to another question. I suppose when you have the bongomania, you will never have the definitive and perfect bongo, but I have decided that I want something better than what I have. The Dandy Rodriguez model seems to be a good alternative. Very good quality for a very reasonable price. Anybody have experience with this drum?
cat

[Caballoballo]

Cat, I own a set of Dandys, It is well built and do have a beautiful finish. The only problem I found was the hembra skin which was mounted way too high and by been at least an 1/8" thick was kind of hard to get it down to a comfortable level. My was may be of the first production run of the factory.

Out of that small problem the Dandy is a good sounding Bongó, not too heavy, not too light. If you get one with the skin as described above just take the skin off set it on the floor up side down ( do not take it off the crown ) filled with water to the top edge, let it sit until soft, mount again and tune it so the skin go down to a level of about 3/8" from the bearing and let it dry.

[cat]

Thanks for good info, Caballo. I bought the bongo yesterday, but it will take some time before it arrives. It should be the new model with the lowered crowns, so hopefully no problem.
Dandy has a video on Youtube, where he uses the LP skins on the bongo, and that is definitely the best sounding bongos on Youtube.Only what you would expect from Dandy.
Now this is a Matador thread, and since Dandy is now using fiberskyns on his bongos, I am planning to put fiberskyns on my Matadors. There seems to be agreement that the Matador is a good bongo when you get the right skins on it.
cat

[Ernesto Pediangco]

Originally Posted by timbalero23

hi everybody im a first timer....


i just bought my self some new bongos from Lp the matadors and i would like to kno from any bongo players if these set of bongos are werth it i just put some remo nuskyn skins on them and they sound realy great but i would like to know if i spend my money on a good set of bongos...

Matador wood & fiberglass bongos are great ! they use standard Lp & Remo heads so that has great options, The hardwares are strong & u are better off w/o chrome on the bottom aluminium bases ( like the Gen II lp model ) The sound edges are actualy better than top of line LP's that were changed to be sharp edges like snare drums use. But these are HAND & FINGER drums ! Why use a sharp edge ? Sharp edges also stretch out & even tears your heads prematurly ( making u buy more heads etc ~ Lp is so slick ! ) Matadors...only need better heads ! the plastic heads w/ traditional rims was a good choice. U did GOOD little Grasshopper !

[Ernesto Pediangco]

Originally Posted by Caballoballo

Timbalero, Matador Bongos are great for start. Just get some nice skins mounted and you are ready to go. As Leedy would say, install a nice natural skin on the hembra with the thickness of 20 sheets of paper, for the macho not thicker or thiner than 1 cent is good as I would say. It is better to learn IMHO with natural skins instead of sinthetic plastic heads, that way you get the feeling and true sound projecting from your Bongó. Contact msb501clave he is a member of this forum, he should be able to supply you with top of the line skins.Welcome to the Drum Chat.

Cab....what is " IMHO " yo no se ?

[pastor_bob]

Ernesto, "IMHO" is short for "in my humble opinion."