December 2014
Product Close-Up

De Gregorio Cajons and Ahead Armor Cajon Bags

Innovative, great-sounding instruments plus some of the finest protective cases on the market.

The Spanish cajon maker De Gregorio has been producing handcrafted instruments for the European and Japanese markets, and in the process has attracted artists such as Dave Weckl, Hamid Drake, Evelyn Glennie, and Sheila E. Founded in 2002 by percussionist Paolo DeGregorio, the company recently made an appearance on the U.S. scene through Big Bang Distribution, which sent over four distinctive models and an Ahead Armor padded bag for review.

All four De Gregorio cajons share some basic similarities, including dimensions of approximately 18.75″x11.625″x11.25″. They also feature four plastic feet on the bottom to protect the floor while increasing tone and projection. Handmade in Spain, these are flamenco-style cajons with guitar strings on the inside of the front plate acting as snares. The strings are adjustable, and overtone-control tape is included to alter snare response and tone. The company takes great pride in its environmentally conscious manufacturing and ethical labor practices, using only water-based lacquer finishes and Forest Stewardship Council–certified woods throughout its product line.

Here’s a video review of all four instruments.

http://youtu.be/dqd0Ab1FPbw

And pickup the December 2014 issue of Modern Drummer magazine featuring Gregg Bissonette in print: bit.ly/1FSBAxo
On iTunes: buff.ly/ZUVVkh
On GooglePlay: buff.ly/ZUVVkj
Or see what’s in the issue: wp.me/p1bQfj-9Eo Advertisement