The Adjustable-Snare
Bass Cajon
The silver knob slides
in and out to activate or muffle the snare
belt inside
It may look like
a funky speaker cabinet, and have a name that
is similar to a Spanish word for a part of
the male anatomy ;-) but a cajon (Spanish for crate)
is actually an instrument.
Far from its apparent origins as a makeshift break-time
instrument among dock workers at South American ports
(hence the crate), contemporary models
have become more refined and can frequently
be seen in small ensembles–especially
flamenco.
Typically the
backside of the closed wooden box has a resonating
hole like a guitar, while the front side is
made of a very thin plywood which acts as the drum
head. The drummer plays it as he sits on it.
Max makes his
cajones a bit bigger than most in order to achieve
a deeper bass sound.
The model with the silver knob features a sliding
carriage (pictured below) which allows the him
to quickly convert the bass cajon into a "snare
cajon". By depressing the knob the
interior snare ribbon comes away from the damper
and snugs up to the head, making it sound like a snare
drum. With a quick pull it retracts, returning the
cajon to a pure bass sound.
The silver knob allows the carriage to slide in or out, activating
or muffling the interior snare ribbon.
