X8 Drums Cajon Shootout, Part 1: Sela Cajon

You asked and we answered. We had our first drum shootout here at X8 Drums and are stoked to share it with you guys! First up? A cajon shootout. Here’s how it works… We asked professional percussionist, Noah Mosgofian, to demo five randomly chosen professional-level cajons. In the videos, he’ll talk about the unique characteristics and personality of each so that you can make an informed decision when choosing your next (or first) cajon. Up first is the Sela Cajon:

Made in Germany, the Sela Cajon features high quality workmanship, including unique corner pieces made from solid maple wood, clean lines, a beautiful hardwood veneer front, and counter sunk screws in the head that your fingers won’t run into while playing. It’s those solid maple corners that really set this drum apart from other cajons. Not only do they add visual interest, but the head isn’t screwed or glued down at the corners, creating a nice slap effect when playing at the front corners. You’ll hear the distinction when you play in the front center, then move out to the front corners.

The Sela also features a removable snare with a foam piece that allows you to attenuate the amount of snare that you want against the ahead. Pull the foam piece out so that the snares are super loose against the head or push it all the way in to shove the snares up against the head for a dry snare sound. Remove the snare to create an organic, woody tone while maintaining that slap sound at the edge or slide the snare inside for a crisp snare sound. You can order the Sela Cajon fully assembled, but if you order it unassembled, you’ll save a bit of money and get to know your cajon better by putting it together yourself.

Stay tuned for the Schlagwerk Cajon shootout in the X8 Drums Cajon Shootout, Part 2. Have a particular cajon you’d like us to shootout? Let us know in the comments section below!

The drum featured in this video is the CaSela Tineo Finish Cajon.