Paul Elliott about his Congas

“I’ve played percussion since I was a kid and when I'm playing live these days, 90% of the time I'm playing percussion and in particular Congas. They are a big part of my setup and sound and have an important place in my studio. Over the years I have owned some beautiful drums - Multiple sets of LP and Meinl congas, Percussion Plus (which were super cheap but sounded great), Toca, some unbranded old school ones too, but I currently have some 70s Natal fibreglass congas in red and a pair of odd vintage wood Sonor drums - one brown, one stripy. The Natals are my go to, they have great projection and feel great to play. I worked on a record a few years back at Konk studios, where I borrowed my friend Shawn Lee’s black Natals (he was on drums, me on perc). I really enjoyed recording with his congas, so I decided to find some for myself. At the time I had really expensive LP drums and the Natals, without question, beat them for sound and style hands down.

The Natals look amazing and sound great! The Sonor’s are a completely different beast. These are super dead sounding and have a quality to them that remind me of some of my favorite 70s soul records. They have the ability to fit right into the mix, the sound is there, but they aren't fighting for a spot in the mix. These were another bargain, they were kept in a cupboard of a college for years unused, so I picked up the quinto and conga for £25!!! Years ago, when they were used, one of the college kids scratched the word ‘Dick’ on the side of the quinto ha! I haven't tried to hide it or get rid of it... it’s now part of the instrument's long history!”

- Paul Elliott