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Thread: Mule or Cow?

  1. #1

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    Default Mule or Cow?

    I know this is a very debatable subject- mule or cow for my congas.


    I am interested in playing cuban rumba-type percussion: Guaguanco, columbia, etc. as well as the typical salsa, merengue, etc.

    I have a source for the skins and now the flesh hoops. The current skins are water buffalo stock LP on my Salsa Congas and soon to be Rhythm Traders Super Quinto.

    Any thoughts? Mule vs Cow? And why...

    Any participation is greatly appreciated!

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Mule or Cow?

    Hi
    There are a lot of good comments about Mule skin for congas although I have not tried them myself - some swear by them.

    I would prefer cowhide over Mule only because the person who built my drums preferred to use cowhide. That was master drum builder Tom Flores who built Valje Drum at his shop on Sunset Boulevard, L.A. Califlornia.



    Quote Originally Posted by sean valdepenas View Post
    I know this is a very debatable subject- mule or cow for my congas.


    I am interested in playing cuban rumba-type percussion: Guaguanco, columbia, etc. as well as the typical salsa, merengue, etc.

    I have a source for the skins and now the flesh hoops. The current skins are water buffalo stock LP on my Salsa Congas and soon to be Rhythm Traders Super Quinto.

    Any thoughts? Mule vs Cow? And why...

    Any participation is greatly appreciated!
    Last edited by kona; 08-26-2010 at 03:08 PM.
    Gary

  3. #3

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    Default Re: Mule or Cow?

    thanks for your reply kona! I'm going with mule. Will try it out and let you know.

  4. #4

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    Default Re: Mule or Cow?

    Mule is great stuff, I find it especially appealing on LP congas. The upgrade from the stock water buffalo will be night and day, you will be really happy with it! Beautiful round open tones and super crisp slaps, plus mule has a great feel to it on the hands and a unique appearance.

  5. #5

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    Default Re: Mule or Cow?

    Quote Originally Posted by Gretschhead View Post
    Mule is great stuff, I find it especially appealing on LP congas. The upgrade from the stock water buffalo will be night and day, you will be really happy with it! Beautiful round open tones and super crisp slaps, plus mule has a great feel to it on the hands and a unique appearance.
    Music to my ears!

    Yes I am excited. It will be a little while before they are shipped and I receive them. Then I will need to research how to mount them on the hoops. I am saving the current hoops and heads in case I mess up or the kids want to play with them!

  6. #6

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    Default Re: Mule or Cow?

    Quote Originally Posted by sean valdepenas View Post
    I know this is a very debatable subject- mule or cow for my congas.


    I am interested in playing cuban rumba-type percussion: Guaguanco, columbia, etc. as well as the typical salsa, merengue, etc.

    I have a source for the skins and now the flesh hoops. The current skins are water buffalo stock LP on my Salsa Congas and soon to be Rhythm Traders Super Quinto.

    Any thoughts? Mule vs Cow? And why...

    Any participation is greatly appreciated!
    Mules were once posible and available when Mules were still used as beast of burden...but those days are over except in the distant lesser developed countries. The hides were a bit thicker and had more oil content in the hides which gave them a warmer wetter tone. Steer hides are a good equivilant to Mule. The thickness of the hide & the uniformity of the mounting / stretching is the key factor to a GREAT Rumba sound. For Salsa & amplified music situations, the same drums would not cut through as much. The Brighter tones of the thinner Asian Buffalo skins on Asian made drums...tend to ring and produce higher over tones that may cut through but sound less full toned and some times a good bass tone becomes imposible w/ Asian heads...on Asian drums. ( both are reasonable facimilies of Latin Congas in appearance but very little progress has been made in the past 40 years aside from cosmetic features. ) COWHIDE of proper head weight & proper evely stretched / mounted heads on a well made & well out fitted shell will sound full ranged & cut through ! U can sample 20 drums from the same company....same model...same tunings and only find one that sings ! 80% of that drums sound is due to the head, 10% is due to the drum shell & hardware, and 10% to environmental issues ( room, flooring / carpet, on floor or on a stand ) Asian sizes may allow the use of Remo or Evans Plastic Heads as well. Several type and models now are available but...I'd steer away from laminated heads since the layers peel off & if they are the type that is glued into an channel on the skin wire....they can pull out. Even Remo's NuSkinz which are mounted like hides on a skin wire...can dismount. They shoulkd have been mounted on a squar stock wire rolled into a circle frame which locks the plastic or hides onto the wire...not allowing it to slip off the curved adges of round profile skin wires.
    Lastly * the crowns must be rigid enough to NOT warp out of shape. Cheaper models are putting crowns on drums that NEVER should have been on hand drums of this type. People are simply being Riped Off by entry level BS hard wares. Spend time to compare, spend $$ to upgrade away from entry level, be careful with mid level models. Dont care what name made the drum since all Asian made drums share same materials and are simular quality. Play the drum, sound check it, put it through its paces ! Test Drive !!!

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