hand drums

[Bill Machuga]

are there any hand drum builders here?
I have been building stave built djembes and ashikos--anybody else? what are you building?

[Mark Swanson]

Welcome to the MIMForum, Bill. I am building a cajon right now, and have built a tongue drum also.

[Bill Machuga]

Thanks for the welcome Mark, any pics?

[Mark Swanson]

Not yet anyway...the tongue drum was a long time back and there may be pics in the archive but I'm not sure. I'll be assembling the cajon in the next couple of weeks and I'll take some pics of that.
The biggest question I have about that right now is how to attach the snares inside.

[Bill Machuga]

Hey Mark, don't know if this will help but Lee Valley Tools last newsletter had a cajon build in it. Here is a link to that
http://www.leevalley.com/en/newsletters ... ticle2.htm

[Mark Swanson]

Thanks, that's a good article!

[Darrel Friesen]

Mark, I also have some pictures of how I attached the snares on one I built a few years ago. I based it on ones I looked at down at the local music store. I'll dig them up tonight and post. The Lee Valley article is definitely different from any I've seen. Any I've seen use guitar strings for the snare and not actual drum snare wires. Totally different configuration. Interesting.

[Mark Swanson]

Yes, I agree it is different from other articles I have looked at on the web. It seems like everyone has a different way to build these things. This article talks about a "clap" sound created at one side of the tapa and I haven't seen that before so this cajon will make three sounds, very nice feature.
I'd like to see how you did it Darrel. This article shows the way that is closest to the way I've seen it done in the store-made ones around here.

[Darrel Friesen]

Here's a few pictures.

[Bill Machuga]

Mark, I don't know if you are considering this when planning on installing the snares, but do you want different zones in the cajon or not? Some designs have the entire cajon live with snares while others have distinct snare zones. My wife has the Peruvian made Gon Bop Alex Acuna model and the snares are on a diagonal pattern on the top two corners--thus only the top two corners on the tapa will buzz.
So there is no need for a throw off because you can control the buzz by where you play.

[Bill Machuga]

Mark, on a different note, you mentioned you built a tongue drum. Did you pitch it? Is there some formula for determining pitch?

[Darrel Friesen]

I play the top of the face on this one for almost no snare effect. The closer to center, the more bass and snare. I've seen a lot of players use this type. They play the 1/2" plywood sides as well as the front. Wish I could play like some of the guys I've seen.

[Mark Swanson]

My drum is all done now...like a dummy I forgot to take a few photos before I closed it up, and I brought it to our bands' drummer to use now!
I built it just like the plan in the link that was posted here. The snares are loud, and even though they touch the tapa near the bottom they still ring out when you hit it in the center or the bottom. the top two corners provide the slap sound, which is loud and clear too. I like it!
I didn't try to tune the tongue drum. I did shave some off the tines underneath, but I just did that to help them ring out a bit better. The smallest tine didn't ring as well as the others, but it's fun to bang on. I have never used it in a song or recording because it is quite musical, and doesn't sound "in tune" to me...it sounds more like a musical instrument being played wrong than a drum keeping a beat.