POPercussion offers 3 distinct cajon models – each one with its own very specific sound. Please read below for general information, and click on the pictures for individual model descriptions, sound samples, and prices:

Al models are available in Natural, White and Charcoal.     Roll over thumbnails for colors and click for details.

We build our POPercussion cajons from a high-grade combination of Poplar plywood with an Ash veneer. Two excellent sound-woods that have long been popular in guitar making. The union of the soft but tough Poplar with the hard Ash creates an especially balanced and “sweet” tone. The soundboards are from highest quality birch and without veneer for optimal response. All models are available in a natural wood finish as well as in a white or charcoal stain.

All POPercussion cajons are double-sided and essentially two instruments in one box. Our unique design provides for playing surfaces on the front and back of each drum, with two completely different palettes of sounds.

The two soundboards are parallel, they resonate together and give our drums their lively bass tone with its characteristic sustain. For this effect we put the soundhole in the side of the shell, and not in the back like in traditional cajons

POPercussion stringed cajons have a very precise and almost drumset-like sound, with a clean separation of the bass and snare sounds, easy attack, and immensely high dynamics.

The crisp and lively snare effect in the stringed models is produced by four internal strings that vibrate against the back of the front soundboard. The strings are custom made to our specifications, they are mounted separately on mandolin tuners and can be adjusted individually with a quick reach of the hand without any tools. Our unique construction guarantees the optimal contact of strings to soundboard, which makes the sound of our cajons especially clean.

POPercussion cajons generally have more bass sustain than traditional cajons. The bass has a slightly tonal quality to it that carries far. The specific bass sound varies between the individual models: BigBass Box has the longest sustain (as well as the lowest bass note), Yayo Box has the shortest, with Flamenco Box and Basic Box in the middle.

In addition to the snare sound, Flamenco Box and Yayo Box feature a further high-end sound on the front side: a wood-on-wood clacking that is produced by slightly open upper corners (also called “clap-corners”) of the stringed soundboard. This is independent of the rattle of the (non-string) Peruvian soundboard, as used in the Basic Box and the back of the Yayo Box (see below).

Basic Box has a non-string Peruvian-style soundboard that is partially loose and rattles to produce the high-end sound typical to this musical tradition. This same kind of soundboard is also on the back of the Yayo Box.

Apart from the obvious way of playing with hands, POPercussion cajons can also be played with brushes or mallets, with “striking” results.