Make a cajon drum with adjustable snare
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- How to make a cajon drum with an adjustable snare.
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Hi everybody! I play cajón myself and I really liked this video and Steve's work in general. However, I would recommend some things to improve this project. Try to place the back hole in the middle or a little higher than that, because you will be playing on the top side of the cajón and it gets a cleaner resonance that way.
Use only flat screws because you can hurt your hands with rounded-head screws.
Finally, use glue on the tapa but leave it unglued on the top panel and on approximately the top four inches of the side panels. This is a common technique in Peruvian cajones and it really makes a big difference in sound. When left unglued, the tapa may produce like a rattle sound that affects specially the cleanness of the "bass drum" sound. Use the screws to "tune" your cajón -to make the top high pitch sound looser or tighter. Good luck!
Exelent ..my first memory of the sound of the cajon was back in the late sixtees in family reunions in Peru waching the finals for the soccer world cup mexico 70.and your comments are right on.the use of the sneer is a new thing .the original cajon player never use it.because they relay on how they play the cajon to create a new and different sound..my cajon is made of peruvian mohagany is 1/2 inch finger joint all four size and 1/4 inch front and back. And is hard to your hands ..Peru's birth place of the cajon. .enjoyed. .
A tip: you can watch series on Kaldrostream. Been using them for watching a lot of movies during the lockdown.
@Kylen Riley Definitely, been using KaldroStream for years myself =)
@Kylen Riley definitely, I've been using Kaldrostream for since december myself =)
Your clear explanations (without ever sounding patronizing or condescending), great editing (enough to understand what you're doing, without needing to see every minute of cutting, staining, drilling, etc.) and and easy-going style is very engaging and makes me actually believe that even someone with my very limited power tool and woodworking skills could do this. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Ive been watching your videos for a few months now. Tonight at church we were talking about needing one of these and as soon as I got home I typed it in and your video was the first one. I will be starting mine tomorrow.
Hi Steve, Just wanted to tell you that, after watching numerous other cajon build videos, I watched your how-to video and I've now built five cajons according to your method with the on/off snare feature. Your method of building the adjustable snare is the most simple and effective way of doing this. All my newly built cajons sound great.
Using these directions, my dad and I built 4 of these-since we had to buy a full sheet of plywood anyway, we made as many as we could. We had to adjust the measurements for the back panel (a bit narrower) and the front panel (a bit larger) to make everything fit together flush. We also added extra bracing on the inside for all corners using glue and screws. I'm sure it could withstand a 350lb cajon player! They were fun to build and they sound great too!
Hey Steve! I originally was just searching the web for how to make a cajon, but after finding your channel, I’ve started falling down this rabbit hole into woodworking and I’m loving it!! I’m so fascinated by it and I really hope to get into it soon. Watching your channel has been a lot of fun, especially watching your current series during the quarantine. Thanks for all you do! I’m about to working on my own cajon soon!!
I love the finsih Steve. Finishing a project has always been the bane of my woodworking. Now I am into turning segmented vessels and projects on a lathe and have come across a friction finish and now I enjoying finishing. You have an entire arsonal of musical instruments now...Lets see...a rain stick...a thumb piano.. a slotted box drum and now a cajon....I think you ought to try a banjo next...but that is only my opinion.
Steve, thanks for making this video and project! I'm building one for my son for Christmas and it's almost finished. Your instruction is fantastic and I appreciate you taking time to teach us via videos and humor! Keep up the great work!!
I just heard one of these played this past Wednesday. It was amazing to hear it played. I would love to make one for my daughters to play but I don't have a router. You did a fantastic job. Thanks so much for the lesson of what it is as well.
Lanafalana You can use a table saw for the rabbets.
I have made one of these and I put a tambourine inside and I get so many comments and compliments about the sounds it can make. Nice video, If you can they sound even better with half inch sides because you can get additional depth of tone. I love the sounds these make, every percussionist should have one.
The best video of all time on how to make one and how it works.!!!!
Hey Steve, you obviously done your research about a Cajon or Cajons. I wish I had your skills to make one. Nice job. Salutations from California.
Hi I am beginging to sound like a hyper critical nerd ,but {theres always a but] an old boat builder once told me " he likes to see slotted screws with the slots going with the grain" ,
but hey dam another project for me to make dam your hypnotic,
keep up the wood work ,
Graeme.
Soooo cool. I've seen others try to make cajones with moderate success. I'm actually a drummer/percussionist and an aspiring woodworker. This vid is right up alley. Thanks for sharing!!!
@BryanMorganMusic I made mine with the tools I have, but the nice thing about cajones is that you can make them with very limited tools. A hand saw, glue and a screwdriver is really all you need. It doesn't have to look beautiful to sound great.
Great project, Steve, love the finish.
My favourite part of this video was: ``I painted my knob black``
wow , feel like i've stepped back in time a fair way , never seen Steve this way , glad things have improved on the channel ! (since this video) Have you ever considered revisiting some of these older projects and re doing them in a more modern way with some of the newer techniques that you have learnt over the years ? I have just stumbled across this video after researching building my own Cajon , but have been watching Steve for years and like most of his work . I like the adjustable snare design on this build ,but not keen on some other aspects . i'm not much of a you tube guy but like my wood working and have never made or played a cajon but think it would be interesting to have a cajon build contest for newbs , points for design , sound, finish, techniques used etc...... . I know that the chances of Steve seeing this post after 10 years is very slim , but lets make this happen !
duuuude! thank you! im dying to have a cajon, but since they are sooo much money, i gotta build one. yours looks and sounds great!
As a cajon player I find this video very inspirational! Bravo!
That sudden realization that i have every tool needed for this project and all but the front plate wood. I know what im doing next weekend.
Best vid on youtube,thank you so very much,the adjustable snare is a great idea,I cant wait to get to the timber yard,Your the man.....
Just to explain the origins of the word "Tapa" as the appetizer, they're called tapas because of many years ago at the local bars to keep the flyes from getting inside glasses and cups they put bread slices on top of them to avoid that from happening. So they take their name from they're origin purpose and nowadays they've become fairly complex meals themselves. The tapas as the appetizer has the same name as the thing to cover something because they meant to serve the same purpose, sorry for my english, hope i made myself clear. Great work you're are doing mr ramsey, i've been watching your videos for 2 weeks now and only a couple of dozens left for me to watch
Thank you for the break down! Good info :)
Thank you.. My friend is a musician that also owns a furniture restoration and cabinet shop.. Were gonna try and make a custom cajon for the sake of having some unique percussion in our band.
This is an absolutely great project! There are several ways you veered away from the typical Cajon and I think they are mostly excellent choices. 1- Most cajons are built on a rectangular base, not a square one, but your sounds very resonant because of the deeper depth. 2- No one makes an adjustable snare cajon that I know of and it's an absolute breakthrough! (You should seriously show this design to Meinl or Latin Percussion) 3- and this is the one I think could be a flaw, most cajons have the screw on the front flush to the tapas. Probably not a huge issue, but some heavy handed players might not like the brass screw heads under their fingertips when they play. At any rate, thanks for posting this fantastic design and walk-through!
Yes, it just presses against the tapa. The knob allows you to adjust how tightly it presses against it or rotates to turn it off.
Thank you Steve, I am inspired and will have a go at making One soon. Thanks for your generosity in putting this up. Allan
Thanks for the video...I made one by refering all these videos...its really good...now learning to play :) will post one soon
Hi Steve, thanks a lot for transferring creative consciousness by teaching and injecting enthusiasm. This project is musically beautiful and I'll try to do it as soon as I have a little bit more time. In the meantime... could you take the challenge of showing how to make a native american flute?
Carlos (from Uruguay)
A great video. As soon as we got our first Cajon, we wanted to make our own! Thanks for the run through!
Absolutely. I've made a couple with 1/2 inch ply.
Excellent. Now I have the courage to make my own
Muy buen proyecto y aportación cultural. Felicitaciones por tu español.
Great!!! Now I start to make my own Cajon!!! Thanks for the video
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to do this video!
I’ve started making cajon drums around a month ago and there is s very important thing you must do for quality. Always use good tools. I highly recommend a table saw to get straight cuts. It’s a must to have perfectly cut wood.
Very informative!! Thank you! I purchased a cajon last night and am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I am a guitarist (or at least I think I am) so this is a new instrument for me. Should have fun learning on it. Going to watch your stain/finish video now!
I love the snare adjustment design!
Good job! Thanks for sharing, this is the best video so far I have ever seen.
Yes, you can add a frame inside. Especially if you are using thinner ply. With 3/4", I didn't think it was necessary. I don't think I routed the edges. Maybe...I can't recall. I might have just sanded them over smooth.
Yes, but glue will be stronger. If you don;t have any clamps, I would recommend gluing and nailing. The nails would act as clamps.
Great job! I would recommend flat screws that won't hurt your hands. The angle where the screws are located is where you hit the "snare" using the middle of your hand in the most common technique
Just watched your video with my 6 year old who insisted we left a message to say how cool it was.
great job, that snare mechanism is very nice
@ about 6:00 you glued some cleats into the corners for stability. A helpful old cabinetmaker's trick is to apply the glue to the cleat, then "rub" the glued side of the cleat back and forth against the side and bottom until you feel some resistance. This makes the joint quite a bit stronger.
You're a good teacher!
Nice job nice snare mechanism idea and nice video
Thanks
Let me give you one musician tip please
We play it with our hands very intensively so its very important that the gold screws you used on the tapa / the front side have to be flat head and hide in the wood in a way that you dont hit it when you play
Enjoy you cajon
Lovely video I highly appreciate the way U taught. Thanks again.
GREAT VIDEO MAN!! I was going to buy one but now I think I'll try to build my own ! Thanks for posting.
Increible, realmente maravilloso proyecto, otro gran éxito, gracias Steve por compartir tu talento.
That's a very visually striking box you made there.
The past 3 videos wera all awesome! Really good stuff!
Why don't you make a (simple )router table project? that would be amazing!
...really good mate - superb video and the end result looks great !!
I wish I knew about this video while I was in shop class in high school.
@mprimecoleman I just checked out your stave snare. Wow...that is gorgeous! The padauk is just striking. As for the cabasa, I was thinking about using lamp pull chain. It looks about right. The part I haven'e figured out is the ridged metal part it rubs against. I'll have to prowl around and see what I find.
You should try adding a piezo pickup so you could hook it up to an amp, just a thought, awesome video!
How do you look older than you do today.👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 you rock🤪
Hi Steve another cool project. Did you notice at the part where you were showing the glue-up a squirrell ran into your shop. Great video!!
Skip
Great production. It answered most of my questions.
Excellent video, Steve. I enjoyed it very much. The recommendation to make a cigar box harp is a good one. They even sell kits- but I'm sure you could come up with your own variation. I have made 2 harps so far, with 26 strings each. That is a bit too much for a short video. I did some blogs for them if you want to see how they were made. They are on Blogger, under Donna Menke.
Thanks for your video. Helped a lot making mine.
Hey man its pretty good job,congrats really.
Great video. I just made one of these for buddy a couple months ago and I wish I had seen this first it would have help slot especially with the snare mechanism.
cool.was thinking of doing the same thing,have u done that yet,im interested in how u did it and whether it was worth the trouble.
Excellent video. Thank you. Would have appreciated some more time on the snare construction/operation. Does it just touch the tapas board and then rotate away from it. It that all it takes? Maybe it is simpler than I am thinking about.
Excellent video.
I really wish I had all the woodworking hardware to make one of these; I could really use it. Favorited.
Thank you! Awsome vid thanks for taking the time to put it on here. I need to find someone with a router table.
Great job there! I build my own speaker cabinets and these are also really fun to make. Also check-out the "rumba box" which is a similar instrument that comes from Jamaica.
eRealist has a great idea there; if you were to build a kind of gasket around the tapa you'd probably get better resonance from it. Even some very cheap single-sided foam tape will probably enhance tone quite a bit. Anways, thanks for sharing your video!
Great project Steve! and just in time too. I have been looking into building one. I have already built a "tongue drum" an Appalachian Dulcimer and a thumb piano (I used an old wooden bowl from the thrift store for the sound box) So this is my next project. Thanks.
And BTW, once again you have almost twice as many views as TWW in half the time. jus sayin'.
I'll be checking out your finishing video too.
@larfsen I just looked at a bunch of different ones (there's a link on my web site for a good site to give you some ideas.) My biggest concern really, was ensuring the box was sturdy and wouldn't collapse when sitting on it.
For the snare mechanism, I just spent about an hour at the hardware store playing around with different ideas until I hit upon the 2 knob idea when I saw that little connector thing. (I can't remember what it's called!)
Awesome work bro, thank you for inspiring to make a cajon
el cajon se ve muy bien, the "cajon" looks really great
Brilliant!! Thank you!!
Thank you very much Steve, we are just having new musical acitivity / project for people within our workplace and we will probably use your great guide primarly to make our cajon(s) here, good work and i wish you keep going to share your workshops. I am wondering about if we will create something of similar quality :-D Have a nice day :-)
Really nice :D
I have to make my very own Cajon!
that's good man, Great video.
Nice job. My suggestions are these, The screws which stick out will hurt your hands, as well as the sharp corners which need to be rounded. Where'd you get the idea for your snare mechanism?
hey bro i had the same problem. if you route the side panels half the size of the 3/4 plywood then your back panel width will actually be 3/4 skinnier than the other pieces.
i.e. sides and 12" wide, back should be 11 1/4".
make sure you route exactly half of the sheet. i also used 3/8" birch plywood i had laying around, its super legit.
Another awesome project Steve, thanks for sharing!
Thank you so much for posting this. I used this as my guide (mostly) to build my very own Cajon w/adjustable snares. It sounds pretty decent, though I think any bad sound is due to lack of skill at this point, so we'll see. But anyway....THANKS!!
I'm thinking of making this for a project at school...do you think its okay if the whole thing is 1/2 inch plywood? I'm only allowed to use 1/2 inch plywood...
good one steve
Thats really cool dude i fancy making one of these .
Awesome video
aI like the sound you get out of that!
Actually tapa, the tasty snack, got it's name from being a "top". Inn keapers in old Spain used to give mugs of beer to stage coach drivers and to geusts passing through. They would put a big hunk of bread on top of the mug to keep out bugs and leaves. This was a top that could be eaten; eventually top (tapa) came to also mean snack (tapa). Start the Cliff Claven comments now!
Thank you, so much, for taking the time to put together this amazing and fun tutorial! Love it!!
Like the style, content and instrument which i may try and make. There were several steps where you raised a note of caution [dont attach the snares yet] where i would have screwed up..cheers!
Very nice build, wish I have one of that cajon😍
very well inform.. thank you for sharing...
@mprimecoleman Excellent! I am really fascinated by home made percussion instruments. I saw a cabasa at the music store the other day and now I want to make one of those, too.
Nice job! I actually own a cajón, and by experience I tell you the screws MUST be flat head. If you see any videos of people playing the cajón, you would realize what I'm saying... It requires a lot of violently fast hits with bare hands. Hope this helps in future percussion projects.
Awesome job, I'm going to attempt to make one.. Thanks
Hey Steve,
Nice vid, thanks for posting it! Plan on making one sometime soon.
Hi Steve, Great video as always.
I'm struggeling with stain finish. It never looks right. Always too light.
Can you tell which type of plywood and stain that you have used.
Would be great to have a video on stain finish showing the impact of the wood used. something like a "Wood staing demystified" video.
Thank you
beautiful work man!
Matthias Wandel just made one of these on his channel too! Your video was the next recommended video - like, for some reason, youtube things I want to see a bunch of different people build a cajon. :D
Nice Spanish class. I mean it.
Signed: a Spaniard myself :D
Awesome! Did you have any plans from which you were working or did you just study existing one and "play it by ear," if you'll pardon the pun? The finish is gorgeous! Perhaps not as shiny as your chess board, but better than anything I've managed nonetheless! Looking forward to the next video!
Well done. Thanks alot! Be happy!!!