Cajon - Making Music

I have played guitar since I was a teenager but always alone.  Last year my cycling friend Keith, realising we both play, organised a little jam night.  It was a huge revelation and such a fun time for me to actually play with others.  We have since gotten together several times with a revolving group of players.

A few months back Keith and I attended a local open mike night (watching, not ready to play for a crowd yet) and a couple of the talented young women did a number of cover and original tunes and one of the instruments they used was a wooden box.  This was big enough to sit on and buy the sound it made had some sort of snare inside that would rattle when the front of the box was struck by the bare hand.  Sort of a poor man's drum kit.

That night I googled this and found out it is called a cajon and there are loads of DIY plans on the internet to built one.  Which I did.  In fact I made one for myself and one for my younger and musically inclined son Sam.

1/2 " birch plywood for all sides except the front which is 1/8"

1"x 1" spruce cleats glued and nailed

4" hole for the back

Basic box less the front

Snare made by cutting a snare drum snare in half

Snare installed to brush the inner surface of the front

Front installed with screw and no glue