Leiva Cajons

I am often asked,

"What's so special about Leiva cajons?"

My initial answer is,

"They're just good, reliable instruments, with a great sound, innovative & professional features that you don't find on other drums of this price."

J Leiva cajons (to give them their full title) are new to the UK market and are hand made in Cordoba, Andalusia, Spain; the heart of flamenco music, by a company passionate about their instruments. All cajons feature external snare tensioning mechanism(s); one, two or three knobs on the back which increase snare tension when turned clockwise (tighter snare sound) or decrease snare tension when turned anti-clockwise (more snare rattle). Some models feature additional reflex bass ports to deliver a punchier bass note. All have excellent separation between the high tones and bass tones without the myriad of mid-tones that contribute towards a more boxy sound typical of cheaper cajons by other brands. Even their cheapest cajon produces a sound that is rarely found on drums made by other manufacturers at twice the asking price. So for less than £100 you can have a drum that sounds like a typical £200 cajon.

Materials range from beech to birch to eco-woods (including pine). The theory tells me that non-birch drums should sound grossly inferior; the reality says that they do not. Of course there are subtle differences in tones and sound profiles, but somehow the sound quality remains excellent and professional across the whole range from budget to top-end professional/studio models.

Birch is still the material of choice for a tight, punchy sound with a wide dynamic range, but Leiva beech cajons (Mezquita & Mezquita Classe models) also achieve a great sound, as do all of their cajons made from the other woods.

Please don't think I'm sponsored by Leiva to write this; I most definitely am not. My basic philosophy has always been that I only recommend or sell instruments that I would be happy to play myself and indeed, the core of my service is that I personally choose every cajon I sell, not just select a box and ship it.  I don't keep drums in stock; instead I visit my supplier (the UK importer of Leiva cajons) and work my way through their stock until I find a drum that matches the needs/specification of my customer.

Why is this?

Firstly, EVERY cajon sounds different; 10 drums from the same manufacturer and same line will sound different. Why? I don't really know except that they're handmade instruments and presumably subtle differences like density of wood used, amount of glue and other 'inconsistencies' add to each drum's individuality.

Secondly, I believe that every customer deserves to receive the drum they want rather than just 'any old drum'.  This is much easier when one can go into a shop and try them out. But how many shops stock multiple examples of the same drum  and, without trying to be condescending, how many average drum shop assistants understands about cajons? They are a specialist instrument and from personal experience, the majority of assistants are drum kit players to whom the cajon is simply 'a box that sounds like a drum kit.'

Although I play a Leiva cajon, I have 5 others in my collection by other manufacturers that fulfil different musical needs and situations. I keep my advice impartial, so it is not unusual for me to recommend a 'non-Leiva' drum to an enquirer, especially if they are not UK-based and the shipping costs are prohibitive.

So, if you're going to choose a cajon, what would be my recommendations?

1. Whenever possible, listen to the drum you're buying. Try it out in a variety of positions within the shop as surroundings greatly influence the sound (and that in addition to the materials from which the cajon is manufactured).
2. Always get someone to play the cajon whilst you stand away from it (directly in front, to the sides and behind); they sound very different in each different position and by moving around you'll get a much better overall example of the drum you're trying and it will always sound very different compared with what you hear when you're sat on the drum
3. Go for the sound you want, NOT the name on the front. Many high profile manufacturers make inferior sounding drums; check them out. Conversely, smaller manufacturers may make excellent sounding drums that don't break the bank.
4. If you can't check the drums out yourself, find someone you trust, tell them what you want (e.g., type of music you play, sound profile, portability, price) and allow them to make the choice for you.

If you're interested in learning more about cajons, their history, manufacture, features and sounds, along with how to choose the best cajon for your needs why not have a look at my web page http://www.waywood.com/choosing_my_cajon.html; hopefully you'll be able to pick up lots of tips on choosing a cajon that will fit your needs.

If you want any personal advice, I'm always happy to answer your questions. Send an e-mail to stuart at waywood dot com or use any of the Contact Us  links at the foot of the web pages on the Waywood Music web site.

I hope this helps and am always happy to receive your feedback, publicly and privately.

Thanks for reading & take care.

Stuart

A Cajon For All Seasons

The recent explosion of the cajon onto the drumming & percussion scene has been phenomenal, perhaps equalling that of the djembe in the 80's & 90's.

Why is this?

• Perhaps because it is a portable drum kit that sets-up faster than a brass or woodwind player
• Perhaps because it is instantly accessible to people of all ages and abilities
• Perhaps because it is able to fit seemlessly into most musical styles
• Perhaps because it is 'just a box' that produces a huge range of tonal colours

Whatever the reason, the cajon is here to stay.

The cajon (cajón) originated in the tea plantations of Peru, probably in the 18th Century. It is likely that the original instruments originated form the tea chests/boxes used to pack the tea. These boxes were constructed using thin wood and therefore, would be prone to warping and splitting in the wide ranges of humidity and heat they experienced. It is this splitting which is likely to have produced the characteristic rattle or snare sound of the drum, imitated today through the use of snare wires.

Traditional Peruvian cajons still have no snare wires inside so are much closer to the original African box drums from which they probably originated, producing a much drier sound than those with snares. cajons are still used to accompany many of the traditional Peruvian dances.

The cajon emerged from relative obscurity in the 1970s, when the Flamenco guitar virtuoso, Paco de Lucia, was given a cajon as a present by Peruvian composer and cajon master, Caitro Soto. De Lucia liked the sound of the instrument so much that he introduced the cajon into his repertoire. The instrument grew in popularity and today it is the mainstay of many styles of Flamenco music, a genre of music producing some of today's cajon masters, such as de Paquito Gonzalez.

However, it is not restricted to one musical genre, having found its way onto many stages and recordings in the pop, rock, folk, indie, Latin & jazz scenes.

For me, the secret of its success is its accessibility to anyone, drummer, non-drummer or total newcomer. With practice and a bit of effort it is possible to coax a vast range of sounds from the drum using the front (tapa) face, or any of the other surfaces available for hitting.  Counterbeats with the fingers and heels turn a simple box into a rhythm extravaganza.

There's so much I could write here, but a lot is already written on my drumming and percussion web site, Waywood Music. You'll find historical facts and what i consider to be the most important information: how to choose the best cajon for your personal needs. You'll learn about construction, snares, tensioning, materials and importantly, how you can decide which particular brand or model of cajon is best for you.  The information is all free and impartial, so you'll read about different makes, styles and brands.

I personally love the cajons made by J. Leiva from Andalusia in Spain, which is why I play them and sell them.  I also love some of the models by other manufacturers like DeGregorio and Schlagwerk. I've played many different makes and models over the past 15-18 years so like to think I know a bit about what sounds 'good' and what doesn't.  Perhaps the most important piece of advice I can give is that every drum, even the same model made by the same manufacturer, sounds different. Therefore, the only way you can really choose a drum is to be physically in the room and listen to it and where possible, compare it to others.  Very few people seem to realise this and just click a 'Buy' button on a web site.  I like to talk to my customers, find out what they want (especially regarding sound characteristics), perhaps even help them choose the best model for their needs within their budget. I then visit my supplier and personally try out as many cajons as it takes to find the best one for my customer and I believe, very importantly, a cajon that I would be happy to play myself.

So, if you're looking for a cajon and looking for some help or advice, why not drop me an e-mail or call me and I'll help you as much as I can and what's more, I don't expect you to buy from me.  All advice comes with no strings attached.

Still interested?  Why not visit the How to Choose the Best Cajon for You page on my web site and take a look and then, of you're still interested, you'll find my contact details at the bottom of the web page.

And if you're interested in what I sell, take a quick look at the Cajon Sales page; as I am an individual, I keep my prices as low as possible so they're probably some of the cheapest in the UK (and you get a bespoke service by a percussionist who cares about his instruments, playing and customers).

Thanks for reading.

Until nest time ...