Meinl Cajon Box Drum, Full Size with Internal Metal Strings for Adjustable Snare Effect, Birch Wood, HCAJ1NT

The media could not be loaded. I bought this Cajon because it was inexpensive and I wanted an instrument but did not need a professional $500 cajon. I am not a percussionist but I am a musician. I have played Guitar, harmonica, conga, recorder, trumpet and various other instruments as a music minister at my local church since 1980. The instrument is not flashy or decorative but it works as described. The volume is good and has several tones from the front panel and several other tones achieved from the the sides. The top seating surface is coated with a gritted non-slip sealer that adds just the right amount of non-slip without being so rough that it would damage clothing. The guitar strings that provide the snare effect are shipped loose and will need to be adjusted to each users liking. As the description of the item states the allen wrench is located inside the instrument for storage. There seems to be confusion that to adjust the snares you will have to remove the allen wrench form the inside so you can tighten or loosen the two allen screws on the bottom of the cajon. This was very easy with plenty of room to adjust the sound to your liking. I have heard better snare sounds on more expensive instruments but for an entry level instrument it is just fine. The materials are as pictured, clean and undecorated. Others have noted that the cajon is small and it is on the smaller side but the it is the size described. I am 5’ 10” 200 lb man, and when I sit on the instrument I feel a bit low but it’s not uncomfortable to sit on and play. For the price you can’t beat this cajon but you can get some great beats out of it.

Arrived perfectly! Nice sound! I love it! I hope it lasts a long time!

This cajon has provided me with lots of fun for about four years now. I have been playing off and on during that time. It gets a lot of attention, and even though the instrument is more popular than it was 4 years ago, it still gets a lot of attention and raises a lot of questions.In general, the cajon is great for smaller gigs where a full drumset would be too overpowering. I have played this in three different churches and have gotten great feedback. If you are a gigging drummer or playing at different venues, this is exponentially easier to travel with than a drumset (and sturdier too). The cajon is also a good instrument for acoustic sets and praise bands/church bands.It has taken this particular cajon some time to truly work into its tone, but much like an acoustic guitar, the more I play it, the better it sounds. The wood just becomes more and more resonant. For $100, you can't beat it, well, I guess you do beat it since it's a drum (sorry for the bad pun).The design of a cajon is naturally sturdy, and this holds up very well. I have not been gentle with this instrument over the four years that I have had it and it shows almost no wear and tear at all. It has been dropped from about shoulder height with no damage at all. I let my kids and the kids at church play it and they are not gentle. And there's another story that's just too horrifying to tell (which includes my truck), but through it all, this little beast has been super sturdy. It still shows almost no wear and tear at all. It may not have the top quality cajon sound, but let's be real...it's $100! I have not found myself needing better sound.

The media could not be loaded. Personally, I am not impressed on its output sound. But, still a good cajon to start with if you are just a beginner like me.It’s hard to tune the cajon, you need to do it again and again for you to get the right snare or crisp sound.Overall, this product is good! 🙌

This is a great drum for the price. Not only does it look great, the wood grain and finish is beautiful, it sounds great as well. This is actually the second one we have purchased because the first one accidentally got left on at a gig and much to our disappointment, when we returned to pick it up it was long gone. We liked the first one so much we just had to buy another one. This cajon produces a nice rich bass sound and it's tunable so you can get a good snare sound and different slaps from it as well. Ruggedly constructed to take on the road. We bought the gig bag too (MSTCJB). You'll like the purchase. Its a great value.

This is my first cajon, and I was really excited when it came. I really like this instrument, because it doesn't have a lot of tone like the djembe, and it has different sounds depending on where you play it. This is a great instrument for me, because I naturally like tapping and drumming on things.I was a little disappointed when I first got this, because it had a bad rattling/ringing sound when I played it. I sat there tightening the strings turn by turn, bit by bit, and this sound still wouldn't go away. On Heidi Joubert's website, she had several recommendations, including taping the strings and putting towels inside the cajon. The tape didn't help that much, but I left it on in several places and put a towel in there.I ended up stuffing three towels in the cajon, and now it sounds great! I think the towels help mute the strings, but allow them to vibrate enough for what is needed. I also loosened the screws on the top corners to get more of a slap sound when played in that area.I like to play the bass right in the middle using my wrist instead of my palm/fingers. It has a better sound that way. The best snare sound that I can achieve on mine is 2-4 inches down from the top. I usually play both the bass and snare with my right hand, and keep my left hand at the top for finger rolls with my index and middle fingers.To conclude, this cajon may need some tweaking and adjusting, but once you mess with it enough, it will sound great! I definitely recommend this to anyone getting a cajon for the first time. It was the cheapest "good" cajon I could find, and I am satisfied with what I got!