Performance Percussion PP142 Cajon

This cajon is a fairly recent addition to the cajon range by Performance Percussion. It is aimed primarily at the budget end of the scale and is ideal for anyone interested in picking up the instrument for the first time, or curious about trying it out.

The PP142 is well presented, has a very smart stained finish, feels sturdy and is comfortable to sit on. It has a nice snappy sound to it when played courtesy of the four wire strands inside. Having only recently become acquainted with the world of cajons, I took this one out on a couple of gigs to test it out. Overall it faired well, cutting through the music even when not miked, and possessing a warm bass sound when played in the middle. This was obviously much more pronounced when miked up.

The bass and snare definitions are very distinct, and the whole instrument has a nice rounded timbre to it, so it’s well suited to a range of musical styles. To get the best out of it though, the PP142 would definitely benefit from being miked up in a gig situation so that the bass sounds can be properly picked up.

As stated earlier, this cajon is perfect for the drummer/percussionist who is new to the instrument and needs a basis to start from. At a very reasonable £69.99 rrp it’s extremely affordable and certainly stands out from some of the other budget cajons I’ve played.

As cajons vary a great deal in price and quality, the PP142 is not going to (and isn''t designed to) compete with the middle and top end market, but as a budget end cajon I would certainly recommend this for anyone wanting to try out the instrument for the first time.

Gideon Letch