Meinl Luis Conte Artist Series

GEARREVIEWS
Meinl
Luis Conte Artist Series
NOVEMBER 2005 RHYTHM 093
ESSENTIALS
PRICES
11" quinto £212
11
3
/4" conga £ 226
12
1
/2" tumba £ 245
CONTACT
Active Music Dist.
7 Goose Green
Trading Estate
47 East Dulwich Road
London
SE22 9BN
Telephone
020 8693 5678
Website
www.meinl
percussion.com
From £212 | Meinl collaborates with Grammy-winning percussionist Luis
Conte to create an signature range that leaves Charlie Price impressed.
A
t any given moment, Luis Conte
could announce his intention
to endorse pretty much any
products and instantly have every
company falling over their rivals in the
struggle to sign him up. Endorsing a
particular brand doesn’t mean that
players will stay loyal to them forever,
but with a signature set of stunning
brass timbales and now his Artist Series
congas, it looks like Luis Conte has
decided to develop a rather successful
working relationship with Meinl.
Heads up
This set of three drums has a strong
traditional sound and between them,
they cover an impressive tuning
range, from the 11" quinto tuned way
up, through lovely mid-ranges of the
11
3
/4" conga to the thunderous 12
1
/2"
tumba. When unpacking these
instruments, you will notice their
substantial weight and, when played
sitting down, they feel really solid
and certainly up to the challenge of
withstanding a punishing playing style.
These drums feature a wide topped
(vase-like) shape that is said to combine
the charm and sound of old Cuban
drums with modern innovations.
All three produce extremely
responsive, rich tones and generate
quite a bit more volume due to their
increased internal size. The open tones
are satisfying and seem to have just the
right amount of sustain which, I would
imagine, has quite a lot to do with their
handmade True Skin natural buffalo
skin heads that Meinl claim provide an
authentic and natural feel. In contrast,
slap sounds are easy to achieve and cut
well, especially on the conga and
the quinto. There’s no fear of these
instruments getting lost in the mix –
they would sound superb in the studio
with their warm, vibrant sound. Luis
himself says they make his hands feel
good and, after playing these for an
extended period, I can only agree.
The shells on all the drums are made
from two-ply rubberwood and are
fi nished in a beautifully silky smooth,
natural wood fi nish. There’s not a hint
of the overly lacquered fi nishes that
abound on so many mass produced
sets. This natural matt fi nish contrasts
well with the black powder coating on
all the hardware, which looks striking
but retains a somewhat traditional
aesthetic. These congas are topped off
with Meinl’s 4mm TTR-rims (traditional
tuning rims), which have an minimal
Chunky rubber
bases protect
the beautiful
silky woodwork.
RHY117.tt_meinl 093RHY117.tt_meinl 093 9/9/05 3:02:40 pm9/9/05 3:02:40 pm