Cajongas and cabongos, the news in our line of percussion

In the factory of Manuel Rodríguez we try to be as sustainable as possible. Proof of this are the installation of solar panels for renewable energy consumption or the launch of our line Nature where we use less varnish. We went a step further by bringing it to the making of the instruments, and we created the Ebony C3 guitar, in which the floor and sides are made from a wood chips pressing obtained from other guitars, and imitating the Ebony.

With the cajongas and the cabongos has developed a similar idea, as it is a way to reuse pieces of wood that can not be used for other guitars but are in perfect condition. “For the body we use the same Spruce as for the cajones flamencos, which gives a very sweet sound to the percussion”, explains Manolo Díaz, luthier in Manuel Rodríguez for 16 years and precursor of the percussion line. “For the tops right now we are using Walnut or Indian Rosewood, although it depends on the woods that we are using at the moment to manufacture guitars,” says Manolo.

The MR cajonga is an instrument that tries to act as a ‘pocket’ cajón flamenco. This prism is designed to become the inseparable companion of percussion lovers. There is no one way to sound an MR cajonga. However, the most natural way is, when seated, to place it between the knees and position the top towards the front (perpendicular to the floor, as in the cajón flamenco).

The cabongo is a curious instrument resulting from the union of the cajón flamenco with the exoticism of the bongó. The MR cabongos are constructed with two solid Birch buckets connected with a wedge of the same material. Its straight lines and top are reminiscent of traditional cajones. On the other hand, and also moving away from the classic African-Cuban bongó, the top is not made of leather, but of solid Indian Rosewood or Walnut. As a curiosity, in addition to the double percussion box, as in the bongó, MR cabongos are hollow in their lower part.