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Thread: Brief TIMBALE history ( not impressed w/ Modern designs )

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    Default Brief TIMBALE history ( not impressed w/ Modern designs )

    As a percussionist refurbishing, repair & instrument designer since 1972, I have played & fixed all types & makes of Timbales, Tarolas ( wood shell ) and Timbalitos as well as bongos, congas & batas, cajones etc. Modern designs like Pearl have boasted a hyped up Top Tunned version and Lp also made a version to play keep up w/ Pearl. Most companies & custom makers all copied Lp's design which is in fact...a crude design copied from the timblaes made for Ulbaldo Nieto...Timbalero of Machito & his Afro Cubans in the 50's. This original type was made by a guy called " El Indio " in Manhattan NY. It was a 5 lug top tuned set w/ calf heads and the same style rims ,tunning bolts and L shaped lugs....which is not up to par with the tunning system of the American invented drum set tunning system. We can thank " George Way " who designed & refined the drum set tunning system & the cast metal art deco style self aligning lug for Leedy drum company. All other American & European drum sets and concert drums share this design to this day. Asian companies also copy this basic design....and is still a remanant from the days of calf skin heads. Plastic heads require more torque and stronger tunning systems but, the LP / Pearl / Toca / Gon Bops / and Tycoon companies copy depite it being flawed cumbersome over built design. In the 1950's an drum store repair guy...worked with Leedy drum company & the first original American drum set Timbales standardised the classic Timbales w/ American drum key top tunned system. Later...becomming the Humberto Morales Model of the mid 50's & later HM model was on Rogers Timbales in the mid 60's. All other Timbales were upside down tunning w/ clumsy heavy nuts & bolts and horrible L shaped lugs that by design...bend into the shell & warping Brass shells especialy. in the 1960s Slingerland inherited the Leedy Timbales, changed to a shallower & lighter brass shell...same as thier reknowned snare drum shells, Ludwig created a steel shell version, but Rogers drum company made Timbales based on thier excellent Dynasonic snare drum shell...and used a 5 lug tunning w/ cold rolled rims that were designed to fit modern plastic heads more perfectly for tone , attack & sensitive dynamic controll of the drums. The sizes were standardized at 13 & 14 inch shells....until Lp made the Tito Puente model in 14 & 15 inch shells. These lager shells are often tunned to the same range as 13/14 shells...but that only chokes the heads. ( Tito had nothing to do w/ it ) Tito once also had a Slingerland model in his name...again...had nothing to do w/ design. Gon Bops created a classic brass shell in various sizes including timbalitos & wood shell tarolas which used top tunned Bongo hooks ( shorter hooks ) which hooked to cast aluminium lugs and had eagle claws over the rims...like vintage Timbales by Leedy,Slingerland, Ludwig, Rogers and Gretsch as well. These are my favorite Timbales since they were BRASS and had the balance of tones, controlable dynamics and excellent cascara ( shell ) sound that was perfect to mate w/ the sounds of Guiro & maracas & clave...as well as bongos & congas. Modern Timbales...are rudely over powered and have very bright volume but little warmth and a ringy cascara tone that sound like a pot from the kitchen or junk from a scrap yard ! They seem made to copy a look...but not for musical considerations and practical percussionist considerations. The hard wares are heavy, the drums are large , the stands are large & heavy and not as portable as timbales were intended to be. Hype over substance is what modern Timbales are ! Even custom Timbale makers seem un aware of these other considerations. A nostalgic look rather than improved design does not impress me. Basicly Top tunned metal drums are a crude drum ! But.... if designed...like I have designed....all considerations are taken into account, strength to weight ratios, tone of heads, shells and perc rack add ons, the portablity and function factors, the tunning system etc...are all refined...and break away from the design flaws which all others only copy into new products. I am calling out modern Timbale makers....that your products resemble garbage pails w/ crude sewer pipe hardwares and lame mountings that would never be used in refinned Drum Set industry. All the artist endorsements can not improve a mediocre conception of drum design. The Congas & Bongos...like wise carry over & copy flawed designs. If my designs get protected & prototypes get built...in preparation for market....then you lame brains will have to completely re think & re tool your designs....just to appear to be up to par. I feel sorry for those who purchase these over priced,under designed replicas of 1950's designs that are not even as good as vintage American made Latin Drums. By the way....can u at least put standardized quality heads on timbales instead of that cheap plastic film that most cheap import drums come with....and all retail stores change out for Remo , Evans or Aquarian drum heads so they sound like DRUMS and not toys !? Thanks for reading....I hope it offers some insights that help you select better options to what they are pushing out into the market. ....from..... " Ernesto Pediangco " / Face book re: Vintage Latin Drum reference gallery * PS.....COW bells are like wise garbage compared to the basic Latin Bells as made by JCR....who every one copies & no one admits it ! Cow bells are crucial to the mix...dont use a non musical sounding bell !?
    Last edited by Ernesto Pediangco; 09-02-2010 at 02:33 PM.

  2. #2

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    Default Re: Brief TIMBALE history ( not impressed w/ Modern designs )

    Thanks for the great history Ernesto! As a vintage drum lover/collector/restorer I share your same views on the new products. I've owned only a handful of Timbales over the years, but none compared to the Slingerland era brass Leedys that I once had. I kick myself for selling them.

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