Hand Crash Cymbals

(Edit: if the video does not appear above on your device, here is the link http://youtu.be/KhiLQT3UDAo)

Here's a hand-crash cymbal video by celebrity cajónista Heidi Joubert. It's pretty long, but pretty good. I agree with her completely that the Sabian AAX X-plosion 11" Splash is the best all-around cymbal to accompany a cajón. It's responsive yet not overpowering and it fits well 99% of the time I need a cymbal with my cajón. It also fits conveniently into my cajón case!

I've used a couple of other hand crash cymbals with the cajón. Here are my impressions:

The UFIP 16" Experience Hand Cymbal is fantastic, but can overwhelm in a purely acoustic setting. I own this one, but I rarely use it. I really believe UFIP's "rotocast" cymbals are the best (and so must other people because they are expensive). On the occasions when I do play this, I use a homemade cymbal sizzler, similar to what Ms. Joubert demonstrates in the video (she uses costume jewelry, I use ball-chain from the hardware store). UFIP makes this cymbal in 14", 16", 18" and 20".

The Sabian 16" AAX El Sabor Picante Cymbal is good, too. This is less expensive and easier to find than the UFIP, but more trashy sounding. Again, I find 16" to be too much sound for quieter acoustic music. I know, with better technique, I should be able to moderate the sound, but even Ms. Joubert who is much more skillful than I prefers smaller cymbals overall.

Here are some other hand cymbals I considered when I was shopping last year:

The Zildjian Azuka 15" Latin Multi-Crash is probably very good, but I couldn't find one.

The Paiste PST8 Cajón 16" Crash was new for 2012. Paiste was my favorite cymbal when I played real drums back in the dark ages. I like that the new PST8 is cajón-specific (it says cajón right on it!). I couldn't find one in the USA.

The Meinl Candela 14" Percussion Crash sounded like a cheap toy to me and was the least impressive of the few I demoed.

The Wuhan 14-16" Thin  Crashes really are CHEAP, and they don't respond very well to bare hands. Nevertheless, these can be a good value for econocajóneros because they don't sound much worse than the Meinl Candelae that cost five times as much!

Cajóns we love loved: Sela Sevilla

 

Sela is an Austrian percussion company that has been making excellent cajóns for over ten years. Prior to 2013, they did not have a US distributor. I'm disappointed to report that their product line has been completely overhauled. Gone are the beautiful, sonorous professional models with the unique floral shaped portholes; they have all been replaced by more generic build-them-yourself cajón kits. The new higher end CaSela model looks nice, but gone are the exquisite bi-wood tapas, snare throw-off switches, and the distinctive signature ports. The CaSela looks comparable to a Schlagwerk 2inOne with a different, but similarly intended, cram-it-in-the hole-or-yank-it-out-the-same-way snare strainer.

The Sevilla model was a beautiful cajón with top quality materials and construction, a great snare mechanism, a unique floral shaped porthole, and great sound. I always planned for this to be my next cajón, but I never got around to ordering one. I wrongly assumed this popular model would be produced for a few years to come and I dallied hoping a US distributor would pick up the line.

http://www.sela-cajon.com/

CaSela 2013

The bad news is the Sevilla is dead. The good news is cajón virtuoso Paul Jennings now sells the new models in the USA. They look easy to assemble and they ship for free in their flattened, two-dimensional state.

 
http://pauljenningsmusic.com/

This is kind of a test of the nonemergency blogcasting system. This is only kind of a test. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

Sorry for not keeping this blog going. Non-cajón life (and unmotivated laziness) prevented me from updating for the past 9 months but I'm back--at least for the moment.

After the hacking, cheating and doping scandals plagued first international Schlagwerk Golden Cajón award competition, I came in a clean and honorable 47th. Not good enough to win a trophy or a cajón, but at least I'm world ranked!

I hope to post soon about my recent experiences with hand crash/splash cymbals, cajón "thrones" and a new cajón.

To be continued...