First off- ain't nothing like the real thing....baby.

But for those of you who are not inclined to dry your own gourds and string your own chekere, this is not a bad instrument.

The instrument is fiberglass, as opposed to a real gourd, which creates some issues from the start. The fiberglass shell makes the instrument ring a little too long, and the sound is slightly superficial and bright. The sound hole on this instrument is a little too small in my opinion, giving a choked or constrained sound. The beaded pattern is very nice, but the sound of the beads against the shell are a little too bright and cutting to pass for an authentic instrument. I am however, used to playing authentically produced (by myself or a master artisan) chekeres which a fiberglass mass produced instrument will never be able to match.

Compared to other fiberglass chekeres on the market, this one is probably the best however. The other models I've played (Meinl and a few minor brands) actually tend to be either too heavy or too large to be shaken effectively (or both!). Any fiberglass instrument will have a different and longer tone and a brighter bead attack, and if I were to recommend a fiberglass instrument to someone I would recommend this one.

There are however, some smaller companies (if you can even call them companies!- most are just individuals with Internet stores!) who sell authentic chekeres for prices comparable to that of the mass produced LP chekere (sometimes even less!). These instruments produce a VASTLY superior sonority and a much more authentic look and feel.

So basically, go look for a real instrument on the Internet- you may be able to find a real instrument that will sound better and will be at least close to the same price (between 150 and 250, roughly). And if these all sound like they cost too much, get in contact with me and I'll explain how to make your own chekere- then you'll know why they cost so much!

These aren't bad drums at all- I played them extensively in college and have a lot of experience on other drums (in a variety of situations!) to compare them against.

First off you've got to realize what you give and what you get: These drums are made of fiberglass (not Siam oak, or ash like the other comparably priced LP drums) and because of this you really do end up sacrificing a good bit of warmth and bottom end to the tone of these drums. What you get: drums that are a WHOLE lot louder (and more durable as well).

If you've ever played behind a latin big band or loud R&B band you know what its like- you're never miced like you should be and you have to really kill yourself to get your sound out to the audience. These drums will really save you some skin (literally!) in projecting over louder groups. I've played a couple of big band gigs where I wouldn't have been heard AT ALL if it wasn't for the superior projection of these drums.

They're also more durable than their woody competitors. If you live in a moist and highly variable climate like the south east United Sates (like I do!) then you know that wood drums can crack under the wrong circumstances. Thankfully they haven't invented a climate yet that could crack fiberglass!

Of course you unfortunately give up a lot of the warmth and authenticity of the tone of the drum to get this however. These drums are definitely not optimum for studio situations, nor softer situations that require a greater degree of delicacy. In these situations the drum sound is brighter and longer than I think is appropriate.

All in all I think these drums are great for the money and essential to cutting through many realistic live playing situations.

These are not bad drums, but they're not the top of the line for sure. The first conga I owned was a Matador conga, and it did its job and sounded fine and basically fit what I needed it to do perfectly. This line of drums (in the LP catalog) are really the top end of the student instruments and the beginning of the professional ones.

The Matador congas don't have as rich a sound as the Classic or Salsa model drums from LP, but its not too far behind.

The biggest differences between the Matadors and the Classics/Salsa model drums is the heads that come on the drums and the hardware. The heads that come on the Matador drums are the basic white LP cow hide heads (don't really know if they have a name) and the heads on the Classics/Salsas are the 'hand picked' (tan) heads which really do sound superior for whatever reason (thicker, warmer sound).

The 'soft strike' rims that come on the Matadors aren't bad, but I personally prefer the 'comfort curve II' rims that come on the higher end lines of drums. They're just more comfortable to play on to me.

Both of these things are relatively easy fixes if you want to do so. The general sound of the shell on the Classic and Salsa model drums is definitely superior to that of the Matador drums, but if you change these two things you'll get very close, and save some dough. If you don't have the cash now to drop on a set of Classics or Salsas, just get some Matador drums and then invest in the rims and heads at a later time and WHAM- you'll be getting a really good sound and will have saved some change that you can put towards some nice bongos!

The LP compact conga is an amazing invention (I've been practicing with one for about 3 years now). This instrument is suitable and pretty much perfect for practicing as it is easily transportable- all you need is this drum and a snare stand! This is a big difference from the days when guys like me had to lug their drums to and from the practice rooms every time we wanted to play.

This drums is also great for a beginner who wants a descent instrument but doesn't have the money to spend on an entire drum.

One thing I don't understand is why guys play these things on gigs- they really sound terrible! Don't get me wrong- the head sound obviously sounds great but there is no resonating body to get that great, warm conga sound! There's really no sound to the heel toe on this drum- its basically like playing a regular conga thats flat on the floor. The heel toe is really the glue that sticks together the tumbao, so not having any real sound for the heel toe is a really big deal in my eyes- especially for a live situation. If you ask me, guys that take these things on gigs are just plain lazy.

My only true gripe about this drum is that you cant seem to change the head. I personally hate those synthetic white Evans conga heads (yes, even though they don't go out of tune as easily)- I just don't think they give a very good, authentic conga-y sound. They also don't feel right under my hands while I'm playing- I really prefer the natural cowhide heads and feel like they just give a VASTLY superior sound, tone and warmth. Also- what are you supposed to do when the head that comes mounted on the drum wears out? Sounds like an industry ploy to make you have to buy another drum to me.

I've owned these drums for about 7 years and I have mixed feelings about them. These are not the top of the line bongos from LP- most notably above it are the 'Generation II,' 'Galaxy,' and 'Giovanni Hidalgo' lines of drums. At the same time these drums aren't at the bottom of the barrel either- ranking highly (in my opinion) above the 'Aspire' and 'CP' lines of drums.

Compared to the lines above it, the Matador drums pale in comparison to the Giovanni series drums. The Giovanni's are made of ash and really do give a much more authentic (the LP website says 'superior' !) sound for Cuban music. The Matador drums can't be tuned as high as any of the lines above it either- which can make getting an authentic sound difficult as well.

The most traditional sound of a bongo is high and tight, and these bongos tend to be a little ringy for my ears (ringing longer than the lines above it). The general sound on the Generation II and Galaxy model drums is a darker warmer sound as well.

By contrast however, the Matador bongos are vastly superior to the lines of drums below them- the 'Aspire' and 'CP' model drums. Neither the Aspire, nor the CP model drums have the ability to be tuned in an appropriate range (to my ears) where as the Matadors can get there. The CP drums by comparison are basically just a toy- the Aspire drums sound awful and there is a big jump in quality from Aspire to Matador.


The Matador drum line in general are kind of the perfect middle of the road line of drums- they're basically the top of your student and bottom of your professional heaps, so to speak. I wouldn't ever take these drums on a studio gig, but wouldn't hesitate taking them on any form of gig.

These drums are perfect for the professional on a budget or the advanced student, and for the price, give the biggest cost to sound ratio (in my opinion) of any of the LP bongo lines.

The Snarling Dog's Black Dog is an overdrive pedal. Its built like a homemade pedal and not not mass produced ones, with a 2 piece sheet metal angled box, generic push button, and classic chicken beak knobs for volume and gain. It also has a switch for "attack control" that lets you choose "snarl" or "bite". Fun, fun. But the coolest thing about this pedal is the dog's face staring back at you whose eyes light up red when you switch on the unit.

Its pretty simple to operate; no eq, just a volume and gain knob, and attack switch.

I like this pedal, it has a very classic sound to me. Its got more bark to it than my TS9 tube screamer, though not as much sustain. I find it perfect for nailing that AC/DC sound.
I eventually get a bit bored and it feels kind of like a one-trick-pony since I can't get creamy sustain for soling like I do from the TS9, and its not quite as warm.
But, since it has true bypass, where you can turn it off and its like its not even there (why can't more pedal makers spend the time to do that>!) then I like to keep it right there in my signal chain for that classic british bark once in a while.

The DOD Grunge pedal is a bit misnamed, it can maybe create a "grunge" sound for you if you play with it, but it is mostly a pedal for metal lovers.
Its a fairly typical distortion box, 1/4" input and output, red led, ac adapter input, in a sturdy metal casing with a cheap plastic stomp button and battery cover like all DOD boxes, when will they ever learn not to use plastic? It has 4 knobs; "loud", "low", "high", and "grunge" (which means 'gain' in DOD-land for this pedal anyway). Its pretty simple to use.

I was a bit suprised at how much control the "low" and "high" knobs give you. You can't just max this thing out and rock out like some guitarists are tempted to do, but you will equally lose out by just leaving the EQ at 12 o'clock. You can add a ton of thick low end to your palm muting riffing with the "low" knob without it getting muddy as quickly as I would expect, and the 2 eq knobs seem a bit interactive. It adds a lot of versatility to this pedal.

This pedal will probably elicit a 'love it or hate it' reaction from most guitarists. I do like the meaty crunch of it and the amount of gain possible, but it does start to sound a bit "synthetic" to my ears and never really sounds "warm". Its a very raw, grating distortion. It might be cool to play Pantera riffs, and detune to play newer metal, but..... I would never play prettier music like indie rock or even screamo with it. Its just to nasally and over the top. I go to this pedal when I want super aggressive distortion for metal type playing. I have the sense to reach for my Tube Screamer when I want creamy overdrive/distortion for lead/soling, and my Snarling Dogs Black Dog when I want a more classic sound.

I hate the sound of it with the gain turned down, its not very versatile in that regard either.

The TS9 Tube Screamer is an analog distortion/overdrive unit. Mine was made in Japan, and it has the characteristic green paint, 1/4" input and output jacks, red led light, and ac adaptor input, all in a rugged metal case good for stompin' on.

Its a super simple pedal to operate, just 3 knobs; "drive", "tone", and "level" so its pretty self explanatory. Having a single tone knob rather than seperate "high" and "low" makes it easier to achieve a more "transparent" sound from the TS9 since you can just park it right at 12 o'clock.

In itself, the TS9 only makes one sound, but is good at it. Its not a super hi gain distortion, but will give you a stinging lead tone for soloing and plenty of balanced, sweet sustain depending on what guitar you are using. I play most an Ibanez Ghostrider which is built like a Les Paul with mahogany body / maple top and set neck.
Its not a thick, beefy overdrive, but its not thin or buzzy. Its sort of a sweet, middle of the road, mild distorion, or even just a gentle overdrive if you dial it in low. Its fairly versatile in its range, but its character remains the same through its spectrum from mild overdrive from medium to hi gain distortion.
One thing I like to do with my TS9 is use it as a boost to push a tube amp like my small Epiphone Valve Special into greater breakup.
I also get really cool results by purposely dialing in distorted sounds from the TS9 and then backing off the volume on my guitar to clean it up, like going from the solos in "Black Magic Woman" to the verses which are obviously cleaner, or just to get a clean sound with more sustain than usual.