build

So you want to know the secrets...

There are a few schools of thought on how cajons should be built. One school suggests you build a frame for structure, attaching thin sheets of plywood on all surfaces, and add snare wire behind the playing surface. The other school, of which I am a member, advocates that the sides themselves be the structure, with no snare wire behind the playing surface. The first school's drums have no tone, make an awful rattle, and lack any real bass. The second school's drums have a rich sound and are extremely sturdy.

Here you will find descriptions and pictures of each step I take in the drum-making process. I will not show one drum from start to finish, as there are many ways to make a drum. I will show different drum types, different construction techniques, etc. Feel free to copy me, or make suggestions.

One of the first steps to making a drum is obviously to decide which kind of drum you want to make, and what its dimensions will be. These dimensions will determine how much wood you need, what size to cut it, and what size hole you need for a given tone. Head on over to the calculate page to get started.

More to come... for now visit my Picasa gallery, Building Drums