Latin Percussion Giovanni Compact Conga 11-11.75 Inches

Winner of a 2003 MiPA award, it's a uniquely designed, shallow, portable conga now available in 2 sizes. Constructed with a special aluminum alloy frame, it features a synthetic head for tuning stability and may be played onstage, in the studio, or anywhere quiet practice is necessary or a full-sized conga is impractical. Mountable on any standard snare stand, it can be used separately or incorporated into a full percussion setup where space is at a premium.

Latin Percussion Giovanni Compact Conga Features:

  • 11" or 11-3/4" conga
  • Special alloy aluminum frame
  • Synthetic head
  • Mounts on any snare stand (optional)
  • Ideal for full percussion setups

REVIEW 4cups

Latin Percussion Giovanni Compact Conga sits comfortably atop a standard snare drum stand. It will fit in small apartments, practice cubicles, or even the space between the hi-hat and the crash cymbal in a drumset. The sound is surprisingly full and delivers traditional slaps, muted sounds, and open tones. LP claims that the drum produces "bass" tones ... but this is simply not the case. You have to have a resonating chamber in order to play traditional bass tones ... and this drum doesn't have that. I personally tried playing bass tones, but it just sounded like a muffled stroke played in the center of the head. Unfortunately the video demo does not demonstrate this.

The Giovanni Compact Conga features a rugged aluminum alloy rim that is easy on the hands, and an 11 inch head. I agree with LP, it's the perfect solution to space and volume problems and can be muted for quiet practice. If a regular conga is too large or loud, this need is the perfect solution, giving the player an authentic conga sound and feel.

I can tell you that I plan to at least pick up one of these drums, if not a pair. They would be perfect for some of the gigs I play which require low volume playing. Think about being able to do fly-dates with these babies. Throw a couple of mics on there and you're ready to go!