Features:

  • PERFECT FOR CREATING DRUMSET GROOVES: Support any style of music in a live or studio setting with bass and snare drum sounds from the Meinl Headliner Series Hardwood String Cajon (measures 11 3/4" wide x 12" deep x 18" tall). The playing surface has two different zones for bass and snare sounds. Playing towards the center of the cajon creates deep bass; striking the top corners gives you a crisp slap tone like a snare drum.
  • HARDWOOD BODY AND PLAYING SURFACE: The solid hardwood body with thick rubber feet has excellent tonal qualities that broaden your bass notes and focus your rolls and corner hits to take your beats to the next level. The deep and punchy frontplate provides the basis for rich sound development. This durable playing surface delivers a full bass spectrum, cutting snare slaps, and responds to soft finger rolls.
  • ADJUSTABLE TOP CORNERS AND INTERNAL STRINGS: Adjustable metal strings span against the inside of the playing surface to add a snare sound and are tuned from the bottom of the cajon (hex key included inside). To alter the amount of "slap" sound from corner hits, the screws located closest to the top corners may be loosed or tightened to vary the amount of gap between the playing surface and cajon body.
  • REAR PORT IDEAL FOR MIC PLACEMENT: A rear sound port is cut into the back of the resonating body to allow air to escape from the cajon as you play it. This results in enhanced tonal qualities and overall feel. This is an ideal spot to place a microphone when amplification is needed.
  • OFFICIAL TWO YEAR MEINL WARRANTY: All Meinl cajons carry a two year manufacturer’s warranty when purchased from authorized retailers.Anti-slipping sitting surface
  • FROM THE MANUFACTURER: Customers may notice a link below for a newer version/model of this item offered by Pyle. This is false. Meinl Percussion is in no way associated with Pyle. As Amazon shoppers may already be aware, high quality products from trusted industry-leading brands often encounter hastily made imitations.
Thinking about buying a second one!

Saw someone playing one of these and had to have one. We have this in our living room and everybody asks what it is. We turn on some music and my husband starts drumming away and people love it! We also like the fact that it has a non-skid surface, which comes in handy when it doubles as an end table. Lots of fun, and we found plenty of cajon lessons on YouTube. Definitely recommend and thinking about ordering a second one.

Nice light jingle for beginners or advanced players.

Perfect for adding a light jingle to any percussion or other instrument. The elastic strap that holds the item to your finger is tight but not uncomfortable. I find that I can wear it on any finger from my thumb to pinky, and it will stay on fine even with vigorous hand movements. The jingle sound is not too loud or intrusive as a full tambourine. I play it with both percussive and tonal instruments to add some dimension to the sound. The quality, in typical Meinl fashion, is top notch. This item also would be great for someone who like to tap their hands to the beat, but are intimidated by a full instrument. In a group setting, this would be the thing to give to the wall-flower to get them involved in the music. Easy as pie to play with a light pleasant sound. A worthy addition to any percussion style.

Well made, nice balance between snare and bass.

Very nice for acoustic sounds. How I learned of this is important. My family and I were visiting a church and the hymn singing was beautiful, and we loved the cello solo, for example, and heard a nice percussion that was non-intrusive. I have never seen a cajon before, and at first, I could not tell where the sound was coming from until I realized that the percussionist was sitting on his instrument! The church used a single mic near it, and he kept a steady, even bass while adding the "trebles" or "snare" sound, gently and appropriately. It was beautiful sounding so...our musical family read the Amazon reviews (our norm!) and settled upon this. It is well made, has the nice bass sound I was looking for, and we purchased the brush drum sticks recommended for it and the results, thus far, have been really nice for our home recording (Tascam DP-008EX). Great for acoustic groups, church groups, or home music, the Meinl Percussion HCAJ1NT is perfect for home multi track recording and sounds wonderful behind the guitar, acoustic bass, ukulele, and so on. We have much to learn on it, and you tube is replete with many free lessons, but with the specially constructed "brush" drum sticks, it is a great home instrument for percussion.

Yes, it's a box, but...!

I'm extremely happy with my Meinl Percussion cajon! I've been a percussionist and a multi-instrumentalist composer/arranger for close to 40 years. Recently, through becoming acquainted with the work of vocalist Susana Baca, I also learned that the cajon is fundamental to Afro-Peruvian music. The cajon is, in fact, a wooden box with a sound-hole opening. I think that most percussionists have had a time when we ran into a cardboard box that offered an interesting variety of percussive tones to explore and we then spent some amount of time exploring those tones and constructing rhythms from them. Basically, we made improvised music on a cardboard box. Well, I'm going to tell you that playing the cajon is very similar to playing that cardboard box, only it's made to be a durable enough instrument so that it can be sat upon as its normal playing position. I will not suggest to you that the cajon is an "easy" instrument to play. Just sitting on this thing, slapping it, is going to be annoying to most people who hear it, because some of the tones are quite loud and rumbling if they're not moderated in a musical manner and application. For a reasonably musically astute,committed explorer of rhythms, I believe that this cajon offers an interesting and diverse range of tones and textures. I've already gained audience appreciation on my very first day of owning my cajon and I look forward to developing my facility on this instrument for the rest of my days. I have not played other cajons, so I'm not able to compare this one to any other. Also, I am not experience, as yet, on the cajon in particular. I'm a guy who beats on things to extract sounds and create rhythmic patterns with those sounds. My Meinl Percussion cajon seems to me to be thoughtfully well-built and I have fun exploring its many tones. I'm well-satisfied with my investment and look forward to continued growth.

Solid craftsmanship, adjustable snare, so fun!!

This Cajon is awesome! I tried to build my own, but doesn’t come close to this. It has an adjustable snare function, and they include an Allen wrench (and place to store it as well). The wood is smooth and clean and there are no weak or loose seams that make you think this thing is cobbled together. Yes..I spent more than some of the basic cajons...but there’s a reason you go “Meinl..why have I heard of them?” Because they are quality. So happy with my purchase...came so fast. Whether you are in a drum circle, on stage, or just playing with friends...this is a solid addition to whatever the ensemble.

Beautiful Sound, easy to play

This drum has such a beautiful ethereal sound. I was seaching for an affordable moon tuned instrument that anyone could play. This is perfect! My children age 6 and 2 love it and it is so calming. I purchased this for use in sound healing and i could not be more pleased. There are a lot of gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing drums that can be bought cheaper, but it was important ti me for it to be tuned planetarilly and to the moon specifically. I can overlook the visual beauty for the amazing sounds it produces.

Great price, good quality

5 stars for quality and price. I purchased this for my 18 year old son who's very much into music. He's been asking for one of these for almost 2 years so as a graduation gift I decided to purchase one for him. Seemed with the reviews on this one it was the best for the price, I'll be darned if they weren't right. My son is 5'8" and weighs about 220 pounds and this thing holds him with no issues. He just bangs away with his hand music on this. He enjoys it very much and he's had it over a month now. I am satisfied with my purchase and he's happy as well.

First cajon, and I couldn't be more pleased.

This is my first cajon, and I couldn't be more pleased. Perfect size and weight for lugging around to gigs, and I love that it is adjustable. An allen wrench is included, and stores in a little slot accessible through the hole in the back, and it's easy to adjust the wires from the screws in the bottom. Nice "bass" sound and crisp "snare" sound. And the price is hard to beat (pun intended).

I've been very happy with it so far

I have been a drummer for thirty years, but never much of a percussionist. The band I currently play with gets a lot of gigs at small places where a kit either can't fit, or the management simply doesn't want one. So my band-mates suggested I try getting a cajon. I was skeptical about it at first, and my budget for such things isn't very large. So I started doing some research and came across this Meinl HCAJ1NT Headliner. The price seemed reasonable, and the reviews were solid, so I purchased it in September of 2015. I've been very happy with it so far. Bear in mind, I'm far from a percussion expert. This is my first time playing a cajon. It sounds great to me. Used it in my first gig last night, and everyone said it sounded great. I tend to rock back a bit on the box, but the feet kept a firm grip; no sliding at all. Again, I've only been using for a little over a month, but so far I am very pleased.

Full Reviews