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Does stretching a conga head make it thinner?

Started by Colin Craven, August 22, 2011, 05:45 PM

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Colin Craven

I was in guitar center today and was playing an old toca quinto and it had the sound I want. The head was old becuase its metal hoop was low so the distance from the metal hoop to the quinto wood rim was pretty long. This means the head got stretched over time from tuning. But the Toca was really responsive and cut through better than my brand new LP Classic.
So I was wondering could I stretch my head with a certain tecnique and if so does it have this effect on the sound and how do I do it?

And bart you seem to be the only one that realy answers these forums. Do you know of another forum for percussionist that have a bigger poster base?

Colin Craven

Well mine are thick and it was alot easier to get a bright cutting slap out of the tocas which had the thinner heads. They also seem to have a flatter wood rim than my LPs.

Bart Elliott

Skin drumheads can stretch, just like our own skin, but since there are limitation as to how far they can stretch ... we're not talking Stretch Armstrong here ... your concern should be of no concern.

The stretching is thinning out the head a bit, but sometimes the additional slack, as you described, is from the skin slipping from around the flesh-hoop.

A skin drumhead being thin or thick has to do with the type of skin used, and it's own unique state.

Calfskin and buffalo skin are the two most widely used skins used for congas. The skin is thick, thicker than goatskin (for example), but even calf and buffalo skin have a wide range of thicknesses.

If you want a thinner head for your congas, go with calf or buffalo, but look for a head that is more translucent than opaque.

There is going to be some "breaking in" time and seating the drumhead in order to get the sound you want.

You can re-tuck your drumheads if you need to. You can also purchase new heads, while looking for the traits I mentioned, as well as looking for a head whose flesh-hoop is closer to the playing surface ... and tucked well.

Hope this helps ... and sorry I didn't see your post until now (busy man).


Colin Craven

Well If I try to put ANYTHING on my LP Classics besides the head made for it I have to re tuck them correct?

And if I want to try and stretch the one s I have do I have to soak them in water?

Bart Elliott

Re-tucking means that you take the skin off its flesh hoop, soak the skin, and reform the skin around the wire hoop (aka flesh hoop).

For LP Classics, unless your bearing edges are terrible, you shouldn't have to soak the skin or re-tuck the drumheads. If there's a problem, and the head is not seating properly, then you may need to soak the head, but you don't have to soak the ENTIRE drumhead to get the results you need.

If you purchase a drumhead from LP, designed for the size drum you have, you definitely shouldn't need to soak the heads ... unless there is a problem. The head is already tucked and formed to fit on that drum.

If you need to set a new curve, at the bearing edge, on the skin drumhead, then yes, you will need to soak the drumhead so that the skin where the bearing edge meets is soft enough to be reformed.

Michael Beechey

speaking of mods, has anyone found a new solution for cheap drums like the LP Aspires?...havent thought about working on the bearing edges....have thought about varnishing the inside of the shells...have tried remo nuskyn

Bart Elliott

Quote from: Michael Beechey on October 30, 2011, 04:03 PM
speaking of mods, has anyone found a new solution for cheap drums like the LP Aspires?

I think the solution here, unfortunately, is to start saving up for the drums with a higher quality workmanship. The LP Aspire drums are what they are, which isn't a bad thing, and it can be very difficult to try and make them otherwise, simply because it's not just one thing that needs to be done to achieve the complete make-over.

Michael Beechey

Quote from: Bart Elliott on October 30, 2011, 04:16 PM
I think the solution here, unfortunately, is to start saving up for the drums with a higher quality workmanship. The LP Aspire drums are what they are, which isn't a bad thing, and it can be very difficult to try and make them otherwise, simply because it's not just one thing that needs to be done to achieve the complete make-over.


you're right...someone had a Hidalgo set here from a clinic he did...special heads....4 or 5 drums for $1900..that seemed like a decent price ....or in other social currency terms.... (1 divorce)  - (1 house) + (1 lawyer)=0 drums (cars,life.etc)

Eric Pancer

Thinner congas heads usually means longer ring, which is what most congueros try and avoid (you don't want your tres dos ringing while switching to another drum), especially in rumba. The sound that you're looking for is achievable with thicker heads, but it just requires a good bit of practice.