by Thomas Altmann » Sun Jul 30, 2006 3:19 pm
Thank you Ricky and Guarachon!
It's really amazing how my measurements correspond to those of others, like the Clave y Guaguancó, or the FatCongas-models. The occasional differences do not exceed 2 inches.
1/2 inch for the walls of the caja, sounds like heavy schlepping. In fact I am contemplating whether to use thick panels like these, or rather take the 1/4 inch panels that I had bought already and work with reinforcement staves underneath. Thin wood clearly vibrates more. On the other hand, these staves inhibit bass resonance; that's at least the concept they use on the ceilings of recording studios.
Also I thought about using 1/4 inch plywood for the batter head of the caja tumbadora and putting a thin 1/8 three-ply resonance head on the back, with a sound hole. I'm afraid that a thin batter with a surface as big as 60 cm (ca 24") x 47 cm (ca 19") will produce a slap attack when struck.
I still have to contemplate on all this. Just trying would mean a lot of wood, because I am using a glue that is guaranteed more durable than the wood itself; so, once glued in place, it's impossible to separate the pieces again. I have to decide before what to do, using my intuition.
I made the quinto cajon. I think it sounds great. I used 5-ply birch 1/4" for the walls and 3-ply birch 1/8" for the batter surface. I used triangular-profile reinforcement staves in all four corners (not under the head). I used only glue, no nails, no screws. I still have to rounden the edges and to laquer it. I need to find something natural for the laquer, because I don't want to know I'm constantly rubbing off poisonous stuff with every stroke. When it's finished, I'll give you photos.
Looking at the drawing in Fernando Ortiz's book, the player strikes the wall, too. I did that, and there I have a sharp slap sound. It's almost like with a bata, a relatively clear separation of the hands for getting distinct sounds.
It is somehow dizzying me how a surrogate instrument that the poor people used to pick up, because they could not afford real drums, should cost 400 bucks. The material I bought for two of these was never more than 40!
For the same reason I'm not going for tropical hardwood and the like. The model for these cajones were fish and cigar crates, originally. In Cuba today they are using plywood, cheap. I don't think they sound as resonant as the boxes that I am building, without Bubinga and Jacaranda, but they sure sound funky. (Otherwise you take conga drums.)
Greetings,
Thomas
Edited By Thomas Altmann on 1154273073