Latin Percussion

I recently got to check out the Latin Percussion Generation II Professional Bongos on a recording session and they're probably the best wood bongos of this size that I've used before. Usually you'll find bongos like this to be on the cheap, but as the name obviously states, these are professional. They do come in a few different variations, but the traditional version is the one that I've got experience with. I wasn't the player on the session but was recording it, so while I only got a chance to mess with playing them for a minute, I got an up close listen to them with a trained percussionist playing them. I was using a Josephson E22S microphone to record the bongos and was really happy with the end results. Even just when played in the room they sound fantastic as they are super crisp sounding and quite vibrant. A lot of bongos like this will sound pretty dead, but these are full of life and cut through quite nicely. They're also built extremely well and of the finest materials possible I believe for a set of bongos like this. Of course all this comes with the trade off of these being quite expensive for bongos. Unless you're indeed a professional who is after a very high quality set of bongos, I'd think most would be able to get away with using a pair not quite as expensive as this one. If you can afford them, all the power to you, but unless you're a percussionist who is working with these all the time, it's probably not necessary considering the price. For those who it is, the Latin Percussion Generation II Professional Bongos are some of the best available, and for those who it isn't LP definitely has some other nice models that aren't quite as expensive.

Bought from Wembley Drum Centre, London UK in 2002. Paid £149 for 6"+ 8" model Great sounds, easy to tune and adds some serious colour to your run-of-the-mill drum kit voices. These mini timbales project better than you might imagine- I've used them unmiked in smallish venues and they cut through clearly. Their size also means it's easy to find a good place for them in your existing drum set up (or percussion rig, I guess) The supplied attachment clamp - see below. Nothing else really - it's hard to fault. I've not replaced heads yet, but they may be hard to find.... High quality construction, mirror finish chromed steel, good LP heads; easy to tune, with supplied tool. I tried out Tama's mini timbales at the same time and they looked shoddy in comparison. Mounting them is easy as they come with the arm necessary to attach the unit to a cymbal stand. However, the clamp is a vicious little shite, and will happily screw up your favourite chrome-finish DW boom stand. Use some gaffer tape to insulate. A great add on for some latin expression. Well made, quality sound, good brand name. A touch expensive, but LP seem to be the best at what they do... This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I have certainly played better congas than the Latin Percussion Matador Congas, at least briefly. However, I can't afford to pay half of what they cost. These congas certainly feel a lot more expensive than they are, and as such, are a great deal. They are made out of a nice oak, have great rawhide heads that feel really nice. The rims are specially made Soft Strike rims that absorb most of the impact and do far less damage to your hands. The studio that I worked at used these congas, and their client list featured a lot of local Latin American Jazz acts and percussion ensembles. Many if not all of the clients were pretty impressed with them as far as I could tell. Having tried them, I must say I enjoyed them more then most, mainly because of the sound and comfort. I am not the greatest conga player or percussionist in general, but I can do enough with them to tell that they are great, even with my limited skills. I felt as though I could get a solid sound out of them, ranging from short and punchy to longer, more spacey tones. The rawhide skins are pretty dynamically sensitive as well. These big congas reverberate to sound pretty enormous when really slapped hard, which makes recording them a real treat. I was really sold when I actually worked on a session with one of the groups and recorded them with less-than-stellar mics. Regardless, it definitely sounded pretty fantastic. I would highly recommend these congas for studio owners as well as for live performers, as they are affordable and pretty excellent. They are also sturdy and can withstand a decent amount of wear and tear.

This is another great cowbell from LP. Almost all LP products are solid, and it just comes down to personal preference. I really feel like this one is a standout. It is very similar to the ridge rider rock cowbell, because of its size and deep sound. However, this is definitely the most versatile of the two because it doesn't have the plastic attachment. The sound is a bit less conistant when it is struck, but overall the dynamic range has much more potential. The top can be played in different places to get different sounds, and this is more important outside of rock. This cowbell works well with genres such as funk, salsa, or mambo. If I had to choose any cowbell to use over all others, this would be the one. The only drawback that this cowbell presents when compared to the ridge rider is that it may be less durable. Because of the plastic on the ridge rider, it encourages hard playing and remains stable. This cowbell may get a little banged up in rock music if played hard all the time. We had a few of these for drum line and they always were cracking. A lot of this probably had to do with the marching sticks we were hitting them with, but still. It is something to be aware of. Other than slight durability issues, these cowbells are the most versatile, rich sounding cowbells available. I would suggest this cowbell to someone looking for a more or less all purpose cowbell. The ridge rider may be better for harder rock, but I prefer this mambo 22cm for everything else. Buy this and you will not regret it, it is an excellent addition to any setup.

This is a very good cowbell for rock and some other applications. I have used this for almost 8 years, and it has earned a permanent spot in my home setup. It produces a very classic sound because it reminds me of most of the cowbells I have heard in rock songs. I find that when I go to play cowbells at a store or something most of them are geared only towards latin music, and have a much more high pitched clave like sound than what I am looking for. This cowbell has a solid, deep clock to it and is very consistant. Like all LP products, this is very durable and solid. The mount feels sturdy and it never moves, regardless of how hard the cowbell is struck. It isn't that complicated of a piece to mount, but I have played other cowbells that were not as sturdy as this one. The yellow plastic attachment on the end is a very good point to strike because it resonates throughout the whole piece smoothly. Unfortunately, the plastic piece also inhibits the range of sounds you can get. I always try playing on the sides or the top, but because the plastic is attached it sounds dead. When the plastic removes, the whole cowbell does not sound great because of the marks and holes that mounted the plastic in place. Of course, if you are looking for solid rock strikes, just leave the plastic on and have a good time. This cowbell is a bit expensive as far as cowbells go, but you really pay for quality. I would definitely reccomend this to a rock drummer looking for a decent rock cowbell. The name really says it all.