All congas may look similar but they are not created equal! Although most congas are manufactured in Bangkok, Latin Percussion congas (including the brands LP, LP Matador & LP Aspire & CP) are quite unique. Every detail of the design and construction of Latin Percussion congas is the result of collaboration with the world's greatest designers, musicians and craftsmen. With 40 years of experience, LP has learned to pay attention to even the smallest detail. You might wonder what makes an LP brand conga superior. Hopefully, the following information will answer the big question: Why buy Latin Percussion?
In this first part we'll take a look at the type of wood used and creation of the conga. Part two will go into detail regarding the LP finish and the type of hardware. Lastly, we'll follow up with a brief summary. So lets start from the beginning and go through the production process.

The Beginning...The Wood

Several types of wood are used in making the different models of wood congas. Whatever type of wood that is used, the most important characteristics are sound quality, strength and durability.

Latin Percussion congas are made from plantation grown wood. By using renewable resources LP protects the world's forests. This helps insure adequate wood supply to produce congas for generations to come. The wood is sorted and graded; only top quality wood is used. LP brand congas must not only look good but also stand up to diverse climates and vigorous playing conditions.

The wood used in LP brand congas is kiln (oven) dried. Why is that important? Using kiln-dried wood allows LP to control the wood's moisture content level during the manufacturing process. Wood, even after it is harvested, expands and contracts. The wood used to manufacture all fine wood instruments, including congas, must have just the right moisture content level to help prevent the instrument from cracking and breaking. LP congas are played by the world's most demanding players in all seasons and climates, in every region of the world, using kiln dried wood helps the conga stand up to many different environmental and playing conditions.

The Creation...Conga In The Raw


The width of the stave is important. Latin Percussion congas use more staves compared to other manufacturers. Using more staves does add cost to the process but the benefits are great; because the stress on each stave is reduced, creating a stronger and durable drum. The staves are glued together using several layers of thin wood, called plies. (LP and LP Matador brand congas use three ply and LP Aspire brand use two-ply). The reason for this is it reduces the stress on each piece of wood making the drum stronger and more durable. If one was to use one thick piece of wood, and bend it to shape, it would likely break or crack. Congas are curved by design, so the wood must have the ability to be shaped without breaking or cracking.

By using plies and layering them with specially formulated glue, LP Music Group creates a strong and durable foundation. After years of research, LP has developed special glue for each type of wood. The glue is applied to the plies in a sandwich manner. It is then placed on a form in the shape of a conga, and a specially designed press applies tons of pressure, bending the staves. An ultrasonic tool is also used to help cure the glue.


Each stave is then finished with a precision compound miter edge. This guarantees that the staves will nest together snugly during the construction process. Holes are then punched on each side of the staves and steel pins are in-serted into the holes. Steels pins do two things: (1) they make the assembly of the drum easier, and (2) they add strength to the conga, eliminating the need for exterior bands and ensuring durability of the shell.

Other manufacturers use exterior metal bands rather than steel pins to strengthen their congas. A wood conga is constantly expanding and contracting, and when the wood expands it puts pressure on the metal band, and enlarges it. When the wood later contracts, the metal band becomes loose. Keep in mind you won't see a loose band, but you certainly will hear it rattle when the drum is played!

Once the staves have been cut, a skilled craftsman sorts them, carefully matching the curve of the drum. The staves are then numbered and positioned for production. Glue is applied to the sides of the staves, and the conga is assembled by hand, stave by stave.

With the glue moist, and the staves nested together, the drum is ready for another custom press. This press applies temporary gluing rings in three different positions on the conga. The rings secure the staves in place until the glue is cured.

Once the gluing rings are removed, the drum is placed on a custom lathe (a machine that holds and spins the drum). While the drum is spinning, an automatic tracing tool re-fines the shape, cutting off the excess glue and wood edges, preparing the conga for the finishing processes.


Up Next: Part II (The LP Finish & Hardware)

Labels: conga.drums, conga.staves, congas, CP, latin.percussion, latin.percussion.brands, latin.percussion.congas, LP, LP.Aspire, lp.congas, LP.Matador, wood.congas

So, you're in the market for a new set of congas, bongos, or some other world-percussion drum but not sure if you should go with fiberglass or wood. Well, you've stumbled onto the right site. Shopping for world percussion instruments can be bit overwhelming. There are such a wide variety of choices and features that sometimes you lose sight of what you want. Hopefully after reading this blog you'll have a better understanding of the distinct differences between fiberglass and wood congas so you can make a more informed decision.

One of the biggest differences between wood and fiberglass drums is that fiberglass tends to have a louder and crisper sound. Basically it's a bit more resonant; whereas the wood is warmer and more natural sounding. The louder and crisper sound can be good for cutting through the mix of an amplified band, however might not produce that warmth needed in a studio recording environment. Since the fiberglass is a little more resonant it's slightly easier to produce the tones, which can be a positive for those just starting out because of ease of play. I would argue to say that most professional players choose wood due to its warm and natural sounding tone. Plus wood congas are much more authentic and traditional. Fiberglass congas will be less affected by changes of weather and temperature although they tend to be heavier than wood drums. The wood responds more to atmospheric changes, but since they are tunable that may not matter too much.

If you're planning on gigging out a bunch and transporting your drums around town, keep in mind that wood tends to show scratches more easily, though both are very durable. A drum usually gets most of its scratches when traveling, so if it's mostly kept inside then you reduce the chance of damage.

Fiberglass Congas	Wood Congas
Fiberglass Bongos	Wood Bongos

Labels: conga, conga.drums, congas, fiberglass.congas, fiberglass.drums. wood.drums., wood.congas

Congas, being percussive instruments, do not have to be tuned to any particular note in purely percussive settings. They are tunable to different notes. However, when playing with harmonic instruments, they may be tuned to specific notes. Generally congas are tuned using the open tone. The original drums were tuned by adjusting knots and tension ropes on the drumhead, or, where the drumheads were tacked or nailed to the top of the shell, by careful heating of the head. Modern congas use a screw-and-lug, tension head system that makes them easier to tune (or detune).

Terminology for the drums varies. The naming system used typically follows those currently in use by major conga manufacturers. The drums are discussed in order from largest to smallest; the sizes of the drumheads slightly vary by manufacturer, model, and style:

The supertumba can be as large as 14 inches across (35.5 cm).
The tumba is typically 12 to 12.5 inches across (30.5 to 31.8 cm).
The conga is typically 11.5 to 12 inches across (29.2 to 30.5 cm).
The quinto is typically around 11 inches across (about 28 cm).
The requinto can be smaller than 10 inches across (24.8 cm).
The ricardo can be as small as 9 inches across (22.9 cm). Since this drum is typically played while hanging from a shoulder strap, it is considerably shorter and narrower than a traditional conga.

In general, the particular note will depend on the make, model, and size of the conga drum. The drum should be tuned so that the bass tone resonates; the open tone rings, and the slaps pierce through the musical mix. If the tuning is too loose, the bass and slap tones will sound "flabby"; too tight, and the drums will sound unnatural and "pinched." With a single drum, it is difficult to go wrong with tightening the drum until it makes a pleasing sound. When two or more drums are used, however, there is much variation on which two notes are chosen. With two drums, it is not unusual to find them tuned a perfect fourth apart.

Labels: conga, conga.drums, congas, percussion.instrument, quinto, requinto, ricardo, supertumba, tumbadora, tuning.congas

The exact history of the conga drum seems to be a bit misunderstood. I've read various articles that seem to point to either an African or Cuban descent. However one thing is sure: that the name 'Conga' is actually used incorrectly in the U.S. In Cuba, where these drums were developed, the word conga is usually only applied to a drum and rhythm played during Carnaval (or Mardi Gras in the U.S). A more accurate term, used in a traditional sense and by most Spanish-speakers, is tumbadora. This term is not traditionally applied to the drums played in Carnaval, but for those played in most traditional and commercial Cuban music.

According to Nolan Warden's brief history on the Conga drum, Cuban rhythms were picked up and popularized by the U.S. media in the early to mid-1900's when people were freely traveling to and from Cuba. This led to many U.S. pop-culture explosions of "Latin" styles, one of which was la conga. Even today, a watered-down version of the la conga rhythm isn't hard to find at public gatherings throughout the U.S. This and other pop-culture use mistakenly led to the word conga being used to refer to all Cuban drums of similar construction.

The word tumbadora, which is considered more accurate among Cubans and aficionados, comes from the folkloric style called rumba (not ballroom rhumba). Since rumba is considered to be responsible for the musical development of these drums, the word tumbadora is used out of respect for that setting as opposed to conga, which is a more commercial term. Today, it's not really necessary for English-speaking percussionists to call these drums tumbadoras. Congas or Conga Drums works just fine!

Labels: conga, conga.drums, congas, cuban.rhythms, history.of.the.conga.drum, tumbadora