Kopf Percussion

The longer this DeUno Cajon sat on the end of my bench, the more the materials kept pulling my attention back.

Mineral streaking. Figure. Small imperfections.

None of it really matches perfectly. But somehow it all works together.

I think most people picture one thing when they hear Cajon.

Many people think of a cajon as one thing.

This is something different. These are Cuban cajons.

Tumba and segundo, played together.

Different sizes. Different roles. Same idea.

Spalted maple.

This is what happens when fungus moves through the wood. It leaves behind lines and patterns you can’t replicate.

Naphtha wipe on spalted maple.

Shows the figure and contrast already in the wood.

Spalted maple just came into the shop.

This is what happens when fungus starts working through the wood. It leaves behind these lines and patterns you can’t replicate.

No two pieces ever come out the same.

Title: Looking Through the Port

Looking inside after the finish is laid in.

Interior sealed with shellac. Label set.

Sealing the inside of a handcrafted cajon with shellac.

Sealing the inside of a handcrafted cajon with shellac.

This is one of the quieter parts of the build. Just a brush, shellac, and the wood.

Before the drum is ever played, the inside gets sealed. It protects the wood and completes the structure from the inside out.

Applying Shellac Inside a Handcrafted Cajon

This is one of the quieter parts of the build.

Just a brush, shellac, and the wood.

Glue-up.

This is where everything comes together.

Same steps. Same order. Every time.

No shortcuts—just doing it correctly.

That’s the work where quality comes from.

Maple. Cherry. Walnut. Mahogany.

Four different woods. Four different sounds.

Nothing about the shape changes.

That’s what you’re hearing.

Mahogany. Walnut. Maple. Cherry. Same form. Four distinct voices.

First coat of sanding sealer—still wet.

No added color. Nothing artificial.

This is where the surface starts to hold what’s already there—figure, depth, movement.

A quick naphtha wipe brings out the figure, depth, and movement already in this redwood burl.

It’s a temporary enhancement—not a finish—but it shows what the wood is capable of before anything is applied.

In instrument building, the character is already in the material. The process just reveals it.

This piece is being prepared for a custom cajon faceplate.

Redwood burl in its raw state.

No finish, no enhancement. Just the material as it sits on the bench.

When it’s right, you don’t fight it—you just bring it together.

Each finger seats clean, everything lines up, and the joint holds without forcing it.

That kind of fit doesn’t happen by accident. It comes from consistent spacing, accurate cuts, and attention to the details all the way through.

Box joints don’t give you room to hide.