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Thread: 70's Gon Bops

  1. #1

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    Default 70's Gon Bops

    I was turned on to bongos and now congas so am shopping for one and since am a beginner I need your input please. I came across these and I have attached a picture of them. Here is what the seller says:

    "Up for sale is a set of Gon Bops congas. Were purchased new in the 70's by a friend of the family.
    Not sure of the exact year and have been hard to look up by serial #. Excellent condition for their age.
    A few small scratches or scuffs but overall they look and sound great. Includes hard cases and heavy duty
    LP stand".
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  2. #2

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    Default Re: 70's Gon Bops

    I remember when I got my first used set of congas not long ago and they had some serious cracks. They came from Florida (humid) and were shipped here to Eastern Washington State (dry as a bone climate). I think they started cracking on the way here as the climate changed. They looked good on the pictures and I hope the seller was honest when I asked him ablut the cracks (never know of course....) I think a lot has to do with the region the drums originate from and what climate they would be re-located too? I may be wrong but that was not a good experience.
    LP Matador Quinto and Conga w/stands and matching Matador Bongos.

    "Middle age is when you still believe you'll feel better in the morning."

  3. #3

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    Default Re: 70's Gon Bops

    Quote Originally Posted by leedy2 View Post
    Hi giadan0914
    Thing's to look for in a Gon bops drum they are good drum's but there problem and specially drum from that era is that they crack ,seams open up.. So if you are ready to do some repairs ok but all gon bops open up specially when they hit eastern hemespher,west coust they are ok. weather afects these drum so depending were you live drums are ok .Look for any crack's,if they have been repaired if so stay away they will crack again in a few year's again not ere they were glued but next to it.Best congas made in west coast are valje, timba the do not crack under weather and very well made all others crack
    You are on the east coast.....how do you prevent the cracking with the collection youve aquired ?
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  4. #4

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    Default Re: 70's Gon Bops

    Thank you gentleman. In general how do these stack up in rating? Can anyone post pictures of the same if any? Or is there a website that I can go into? Attached is another set that look alike as the ones for sale.........are they the same?
    tkx
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  5. #5

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    Default Re: 70's Gon Bops

    Quote Originally Posted by giadan0914 View Post
    I was turned on to bongos and now congas so am shopping for one and since am a beginner I need your input please. I came across these and I have attached a picture of them. Here is what the seller says:

    "Up for sale is a set of Gon Bops congas. Were purchased new in the 70's by a friend of the family.
    Not sure of the exact year and have been hard to look up by serial #. Excellent condition for their age.
    A few small scratches or scuffs but overall they look and sound great. Includes hard cases and heavy duty
    LP stand".
    Giadan, those look like nice drums, International model oak drums. The international hardware was their best, reinforced sideplates and heavy duty traditional rim, very strong. The oak drums are very warm on the dryer side. You won't get any ringy overtones from vintage gon bops.

    Like Leedy suggested, make sure there are no cracks. The glue that gon bops used was not the best, and a good majority of these old drums have splits. They can sometimes be easily repaired, but not always. The oak drums seem to be less likely to crack, but when they do they can be tough to fix. Be sure to get detailed pictures, this one picture is not good enough. Also make sure the heads are in round.

    Otherwise, if the condition is good, I would definitely go for it. You will love the sound, and nothing you can find at places like guitar center will sound nearly as good. That set in good condition would be around 600 bucks.

  6. #6

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    Cool Re: 70's Gon Bops

    Hey, giadan, welcome to DrumChat and welcome to the Society of Skin-Slappers!

    leedy brought up an excellent point about the differences between wood that's been soaked before shaping and wood that's cut and dried (quite literally)...

    In fact, that was the very problem that faced Martin Cohen when he made his first-ever pair of bongos. He cut the wood into shape, let it dry overnight--and when he tried assembling them a few days later, he discovered the pieces wouldn't go together! (He's obviously learned a lot since then!)...

    It's a tough call, but I agree with Gretschhead...one shot (from a not-so-great angle) doesn't tell you what to need to know. Make sure the seller has other pictures that show the congas in greater detail. If at all possible, man, try to see them in person. If you can't, you might need to look closer to home...

    Good luck...
    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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