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Thread: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

  1. #1

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    Default I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    I found a sweet vintage gon bops conga posted for sale online. I'm working on sweet talking the guy into shipping it down to me. From what I can tell in the picture it looks to be a 70s deluxe model oak drum with traditional style crown, reinforced side plates, and 3 metal bands, top of the line drum form the era. The guy doesn't know much about it, but says there are no cracks or splits and other than a busted head it is in pretty good shape. He is getting me a shipping quote on Monday, so I'm crossing my fingers until then.

    Unfortunately I don't think its the size that I've been searching for, but its a deal that I don't want to pass on. I'm probably going to put a mule skin on it and crank it up real high and try to pass it as a quinto, it should work fine.

  2. #2

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    Cool Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    GO FOR IT! If you can crank any old conga that high, bro', seems to me a vintage Gon Bops is the one to crank!
    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

  3. #3

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Quote Originally Posted by bongobro View Post
    GO FOR IT! If you can crank any old conga that high, bro', seems to me a vintage Gon Bops is the one to crank!
    You got that right Bongobro! Gretschhead, I can't wait to see pics, is it an 11 1/2"?
    L4C

  4. #4

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    I'm not sure of the size, the guy really didn't know what he was talking about and even though I asked him he never told me the diameter. He said it wasn't a quinto or a tumba, which would lead me to believe its a conga... duh. Hard to tell with GBs though, they had some weird sizes, I believe there were "congas" in 3 different sizes. The conga I have is a 10 1/4 which most would call a quinto, I can tune it either way though and I think it will work out no matter what the size is.

  5. #5

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    Either way it's a Gon Bops so it will sound good no matter what! My Bro has the 9 3/4 requinto, that thing is sounds wicked when your soloing but its kinda hard to play something like Tumbao because the surface is so small. I bet a 10 1/2 GB would be sweet!
    L4C

  6. #6

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    I used to have a 9 3/4 in mahogany, I had the same impression of it, great soloing drum, but too high for the Tumbaos.

  7. #7

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    Cool Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Sounds to me (pun intended) as though the 9 3/4 could be a requinto; that would allow for the three other standard sizes and a supertumba at the other end of the line. A requinto would be more for solos and slaps than a basic tumbao, but now you've got me searchin' for Gon Bops!
    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

  8. #8

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Quote Originally Posted by bongobro View Post
    but now you've got me searchin' for Gon Bops!
    Do it Brother! The sound is unlike any other! Very warm with amazing tone and great bottom end. The mahogany models seem a little brighter and livelier in my opinion while the oak are more mellow and dry. Kinda depends on your style, I prefer the sound of the oak, but I want a set of mahogany also. If I can find something at the time I may blow my tax return on a set. They are tough to find though, believe me. They are actually relatively cheap usually, typically $250-$350 per drum, a super tumba may go for $500. Compared to the price of hand made boutique congas like Volcano, Timba, Isla, Skin on Skin, Ritmo, etc. which usually go for $1000+ per drum, they are a steal, and I'll put my finely aged GBs up against any one of them.

  9. #9

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    You got that right Gretschhead, What ever skin, the process to cure the skin, what ever wood that Gon bops used, what ever they did to make their drum is like magic! When I play my bros old GB's I have stop, look at it and wonder....why does these drums sound so good! When people pay $1000 or more for a drum they probably hope they sound like Gon Bops!
    L4C

  10. #10

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Check out this great 1973 Gon Bops catalog at vintagedrums.com...

    http://www.vintagedrumguide.com/my_c...gon_bops2.html

  11. #11

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    That is Awesome! Wow, it tells you everything about the different rims, so cool!
    L4C

  12. #12

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    ^^^ This is probably the most helpful piece of literature I've found. Its tough to find credible information about Gon Bops. They had a ton of different options! Man would I love to get my hands on a set of those batas too!

  13. #13

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Can someone clue me in on the GonBops alure? I have seen the name over the years, but didn't look into it. Is it just good sound from older instruments or something else?

  14. #14

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    Cool Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    GonBops was the first tunable brand of congas and bongos sold in the United States, and was considered the Cadillac of hand drumming from the late 1940s through the early 1960s and the rise of Martin Cohen and LP.

    GonBops were built in California and soon scored a huge reputation across the country; they looked killer and sounded killer, too. If you saw and/or heard dudes playin' bongos and congas on radio, TV or in the movies before 1970 or so, chances are good they were playin' GonBops. They were relatively expensive, but they were built with quality materials that lasted well through the years. A vintage GonBops conga to a hand drummer is kinda like a pre-CBS Fender Strat to a guitar man...

    The company went into a decline after LP became popular in the late 1960s, but new owners purchased the company in the 1980s and have rebuilt them into a top-of-the-line manufacturer...google GonBops on the 'Net and you'll find their website...

    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

  15. #15

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Well, the guy finally shipped the conga to me, I got it today! Man oh man this drum is going to sound sweet when I put the new skin on it. The finish isn't much to look at and the chrome is flaked off in a lot of places, but there are no cracks or splits anywhere, and no sign of any repairs and it is perfectly in round!

    It's a 10 3/4" red oak International model probably from the 70s, has the traditional style crown, reinforced side plates, and the 3 metal bands. Get this, I paid $60 total to have this drum shipped to me! I paid $60 for a top quality cow skin from Tony Stern, so total $120 for this bad boy! I'll post some pics when I get the new skin on it.

  16. #16

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Sound sweet (no pun intended).
    Last edited by Tru_Power22; 01-30-2009 at 09:03 PM.
    Quote Originally Posted by drummer View Post
    I like to stick a drumstick up my nose while playing 64ths on double bass at 208.
    Epic Win.

  17. #17

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Quote Originally Posted by Gretschhead View Post
    Well, the guy finally shipped the conga to me, I got it today! Man oh man this drum is going to sound sweet when I put the new skin on it. The finish isn't much to look at and the chrome is flaked off in a lot of places, but there are no cracks or splits anywhere, and no sign of any repairs and it is perfectly in round!

    It's a 10 3/4" red oak International model probably from the 70s, has the traditional style crown, reinforced side plates, and the 3 metal bands. Get this, I paid $60 total to have this drum shipped to me! I paid $60 for a top quality cow skin from Tony Stern, so total $120 for this bad boy! I'll post some pics when I get the new skin on it.
    Wow, Nice Gretschead! I guess prices are dropping! Are you gonna refinish it or just play and enjoy it? I seen work in progress on another guys Gon bops 10 3/4. He sanded it down, I can't remember but it was ether mink oil or danish oil, it was some kind of oil but it looked really nice. Congrats on your new Gon Bops drum. Hope to see pics! L4C

  18. #18

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    I'm really considering a refinish, I might even try to tackle it this weekend. It will probably be a week or so before I get the new skin anyways. I can't decide if I want to leave it the natural color or go with a darker redish/brown color.

  19. #19

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    Cool Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Quote Originally Posted by Gretschhead View Post
    Well, the guy finally shipped the conga to me, I got it today! Man oh man this drum is going to sound sweet when I put the new skin on it. The finish isn't much to look at and the chrome is flaked off in a lot of places, but there are no cracks or splits anywhere, and no sign of any repairs and it is perfectly in round!

    It's a 10 3/4" red oak International model probably from the 70s, has the traditional style crown, reinforced side plates, and the 3 metal bands. Get this, I paid $60 total to have this drum shipped to me! I paid $60 for a top quality cow skin from Tony Stern, so total $120 for this bad boy! I'll post some pics when I get the new skin on it.
    Congrats, bro'! I'd keep everything as close to the original as possible (minus the flaking chrome and nasty finish of course!) If the wood is in good shape--and your description makes me think it does--it may just need only a re-do of the original finish unless you want to match this one to your other GonBops....

    Can't wait to see the pics, man...guess the b-bro may have to post a "gon huntin'" sign as he starts lookin' for some Gon Bops of his own!
    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

  20. #20

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    So I got a new head on the gon bop and, although it sounded great, I just couldn't get the two 10 3/4" drums tuned far enough apart to my liking. So I dedcided to sell it and continue looking for a super tumba. I posted it on ebay yesterday and someone hit the buy it now within 20 minutes! I ended up making a $130 profit off the drum, so it all worked out in the end.

  21. #21

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    Quote Originally Posted by Gretschhead View Post
    So I got a new head on the gon bop and, although it sounded great, I just couldn't get the two 10 3/4" drums tuned far enough apart to my liking. So I dedcided to sell it and continue looking for a super tumba. I posted it on ebay yesterday and someone hit the buy it now within 20 minutes! I ended up making a $130 profit off the drum, so it all worked out in the end.
    The only super tumba I have ever seen on Ebay, you may have seen it, it was the big red or "mahogany" Gon Bops super tumba and the guy wants close to a grand for it. Not to say there's none around but I have yet to see any other color old school Gon Bops super tumba on Ebay or my local C.L. But keep looking Gretschhead you never know. If I come across one I will let you know.
    L4C

  22. #22

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    The only super tumba I have ever seen on Ebay, you may have seen it, it was the big red or "mahogany" Gon Bops super tumba and the guy wants close to a grand for it. Not to say there's none around but I have yet to see any other color old school Gon Bops super tumba on Ebay or my local C.L. But keep looking Gretschhead you never know. If I come across one I will let you know.
    L4C
    Yep, I saw that one, nice but that guy is insane if he thinks he can get a grand for that drum. I would much rather go to Jay Berek or Matthew Smith at that price. I found a guy in Seattle with a super tumba in the same model as my others, but I cant get him to ship it to me. I emailed him like 10 times and now he just ignores me, I even offered to have a buddy of mine in Seattle pick it up and give the guy cash, but still no response. Oh well, I'm doing fine with 2 drums at the moment.

  23. #23

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    I just sold my 1985 Lp Original Classics last night which I have been playing for the last three months. Pulled my Giovannis out, started slapping em and realized how ringy they are compared to the congas that are now GONE Even with the minor dings and dents the guy sat down, played a small riff, stood up and handed me $400 cash even though there's alot of newer shiny congas out there with all the bells and whistles. Hey but you gotta do what you gotta do
    Attached Images Attached Images

  24. #24

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    Cool Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    L4C, you'll score again...might have to tune the Gios to get rid of the ring, but it should be fun tunin' them and slappin' them out!

    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

  25. #25

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    Default Re: I think I scored another vintage Gon Bops!

    23 posts before we get a picture?

    We gotta fix this place up!

    That is beautiful. Got any sisters?
    Signature here

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