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Posts: 283
Joined: Jul. 10 2007
From: Leigh, Lancashire, UK
I've built an inexpensive cajon
Building a guitar is a little beyond my woodworking skills so I thought I'd try something a more modest - a cajon.
As I have a woodburning stove there is always timber hanging around.
I used 21mm ply from an old desktop for the body, much too thick I know, and 3mm ply from the back of an old wardrobe.
The finish is courtesy of my wife's cutting board oil - no expense spared
Total cost: £1.75 - fancy screws for the soundboard are SO expensive. The top corners of the soundboard has been left unscrewed to give a "slappy" effect.
I thought you might like to see my array of "soundports". I didn't have a big enough holesaw.....
The result is a very heavy, loud and percussive cajon. Its cheap too!!
Does this mean I'm nearly a luthier?
Graham_B
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Posts: 283
Joined: Jul. 10 2007
From: Leigh, Lancashire, UK
RE: I've built an inexpensive cajon (in reply to at_leo_87)
The plan I used gave a soundhole diameter of 120mm. My array of holes has a similar area and does give a variety of tone depending on where you strike the soundboard.
I'm going to use some old guitar strings tensioned behind the soundboard to see if that gives a reasonable snare effect. If it doesn't work I'll buy some snare material
The unintended benefit of the smaller holes is that the plugs produced make excellent feet!!
Posts: 283
Joined: Jul. 10 2007
From: Leigh, Lancashire, UK
RE: I've built an inexpensive cajon (in reply to Graham_B)
I've replaced the bases on Louis_B's new guitar, I like the ease of re-stringing 12 hole bridges by the way, and tensioned them behind the soundboard on my cajon build from top to bottom with a couple of blocks of wood.
No cost snare effect courtesy of D'Addario!!
I'll add another set when I next re-string a guitar to increase the snare effect.
RE: I've built an inexpensive cajon (in reply to at_leo_87)
Old speaker cabinets are good. Almost all the work has been done already, and they are designed with acoustics in mind. The face and the 'give' in it are a matter of fine tuning. Hardwood or perspex can do the job. And the snare sound can be duplicated with some strategically inserted drawing pins or staples. A perspex front also creates the possibility of some fabulous lighting effects, with the help of a birdie focused through the back, projecting the hands of the player across the stage.
RE: I've built an inexpensive cajon (in reply to Graham_B)
Hi,
New to the board. This was the first post that I saw that grabbed my attention. I am also thinking about building a cajon but the thing that holds me back is the snare.
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