Hi everyone,

I am just starting out on the cajon and don't want to go wrong with my first one. I'm going to be playing along with 2 others on acoustic guitars and singing, the style of music is covers of popular mainstream music. I am looking to spend around £100 but don't know what brand/model to buy, can anyone advise me?

hi, i am the same just bought my first cojon, a stagg one, just the job what i need it for

Depends on what you aim is really. Has to be said the Stagg onbes are kind of inferior in my opinion , but if you're going for price they are not bad. However for about the same money you can buy one that was custom built from say like Lion if you in Europe or similar in the US im sure. However, there are a lot of inferior ones out there so it's really best to play one and decide other than buying online. Do you want a "snare" ? I personally like the traditional Peruvian ones without a snare for some gigs but sometimes i prefer to replicate a drum kit sound or Flamenco which i use a snared one. . I think for the money Meinl makes a good range. But my faveorite on the market these days would have to be the Alex Acuna Signature series. Best one i ever heard in my opinion, ...and it beautifiul.

I heard Gon Bops is presently having QC problems with their made in Peru Cajon products (was told that by a vendor who said he couldn't get me the GB Cajon Congas for that reason, said Gon Bops is not shipping those products at the moment). I did not contact GB to verify this, and do see them offered by numerous other sellers on the internet.

I too have just purchased my first Cajon. I picked up a Tycoon STK-29 Supremo. Why? Because it was the only one the local music store had in stock, and it was priced right ($125 CDN...about the same in USD). Here's my logic, and two cents worth... Since I am just starting out, (never drummed before, and definitely NOT a musician) I'm not sure how well I'll do on the Cajon, I didn't want to spend a lot of money. I figure, once I am good at it, and better educated on the ins and outs of this instrument, I will probably be buying additional (and perhaps different sounding) Cajones. So why not start out simple, and build as I become more proficient.

I have a lot of friends who play guitar, and they all started out with a single (inexpensive) acoustic, and now, after a few years, have a number of different styles of guitars. In fact, I have yet to attend a concert and see a guitarist with only one guitar in his repetoir.

I decided to buy a Cajon, because of the size, and ease of transport. I will be playing with a few friends who play guitar, but needed a drummer just to keep the beat. So, my choice of Cajon is simply based on the size, the low cost (relative to a drum set, or e-Drums) and the FUN of playing...and YES, I am having a blast learning the basics, and experimenting with different beats.

Again, this is just my two cents worth. Have FUN!!