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Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 5:20 pm
by windhorse
KidCuba wrote:Thank you for filming that clip, very helpful and puts everything into perspective for me.

Just to be clear, on your bass cajon, is striking (thinner) surface the one your hitting with the left hand?

Also seeing there are so many ways to play kata in guaguanco, do you recommend any one particular pattern, when adapting it to the cajon?

Thanks again!


Yes, but each cajon has a "playing" surface. Sometimes, like in this case, the playing surface isn't the thinnest surface. The thinnest here is called the resonating head. It's on the back side away from the camera. The sides are thicker and more structural. The spoon is playing against that thick black colored side.

For the guaguanco, what I meant was the kata pattern which has the clave in right hand, and the hocket notes in the left. That second hit with your right hand is the bombo,, that's your big note on the box.

Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 6:35 pm
by KidCuba
Thanks for all the information.

Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 2:30 am
by guarachon63
Here's a great set of videos that clearly illustrate how to play segundo cajón, by none other than "Chori" (Jacinto Scull), a true master of the technique, and how to incorporate a tumbadora with it. With Yoruba Andabo in 1992.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL230E70DF49DD6698

And this is a great demostration of Pancho Quinto's caja/batá technique:

http://youtu.be/l8uRR7uF85c

saludos
Barry

Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 1:28 pm
by windhorse
guarachon63 wrote:Here's a great set of videos that clearly illustrate how to play segundo cajón, by none other than "Chori" (Jacinto Scull), a true master of the technique, and how to incorporate a tumbadora with it. With Yoruba Andabo in 1992.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL230E70DF49DD6698

And this is a great demostration of Pancho Quinto's caja/batá technique:

http://youtu.be/l8uRR7uF85c

saludos
Barry


Nice, on that second one, you can see clearly he's playing the tresillo hocket with the spoon. I really like what that adds to a rumba! Truly beautiful when there are many players together,, but a really tricky devil if there's only a few. The other thing to notice in these vids is how the masters play nice and softly. It's a firm flat hand, but they aren't "hitting" the drum head. They aren't bouncing.
Barry, comes through yet again! :wink:

Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2012 11:39 pm
by guarachon63
windhorse wrote:
The other thing to notice in these vids is how the masters play nice and softly. It's a firm flat hand, but they aren't "hitting" the drum head. They aren't bouncing.


You know, I was going to mention that, but I didn't want to sound pedantic! So thank YOU!

Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 2:25 pm
by nicopatin
Hi,
The Rodriguez family in Peru makes an amazing (afro-peruvian) cajon. They've recently branded it as Percusion Real (PR) with a way-too-similar-to-LP logo. A friend of mine brought one back of their Mahogany series. Really good sound. Not to be confused with Cuban cajon though. (btw, anyone knows of any relation between the two?)

www.percusionreal.com

Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 2:57 pm
by FLdrummer
Hello everyone,

Just wanted to add my two cents. In my opinion, the answer to the original question can certainly differ from one person or musician to another. It will be quite similar to ask who makes the best car? My answer is, it depends. What is the use (or music type) you want the cajon for? Perhaps, you would not use a Ferrari for off-road, so that does not makes the Ferrari the best car for what you want to use it. The same goes with the cajon. In my case, I own a hybrid cajon, made by Atempo percusion. This hybrid cajon can be played on both sides. One side is the original peruvian cajon, with no strings (snare), and the other side does have the strings (snare).

As far as sound, the hybrid cajon is not my first choice, as I personally like a more deep sound, but it provides me with the versatility I need/want, and I can get quite close to the sound I like with the help of the sound engineer when performing live.

Hope this helps!

Keep up the rythm, and the good music.

Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Fri Apr 28, 2017 10:49 pm
by Seneferu
I like to weigh in on this. The best cajones I have ever played were built by Fat Congas.

Re: Who makes the best cajon?

PostPosted: Wed May 03, 2017 11:20 pm
by Seneferu
I have three Fat Congas cajones: a segundo, a tumba, and a slap quinto. I also have a quinto conga cajon. I play them majority of the time. I actually prefer them over playing djembe. I love Fat Congas.