I bought a Meinl HCAJ1NT at GC, about 3 yrs ago.  I had some rebate credit to soak up, and they soaked me for $150 for it.  I still feel that was a fair price, though they are now UNDER $100!  What a bargain, as these are very good Cajons.  If they are so good, why did it get only 3 stars?  Well, you have to consider it is a cheapie, and there is a reason.  Just today I received a Schlagwerk 562-ST Cajon that I purchased here on Amazon, and there ARE a full two stars of difference between them.  The Schlagwerk cost me $349, again, well worth the difference.

The Meinl is cheaply put together, it's NOT fragile, or crappy, but got nowhere near the attention to detail in it's assembly as the Schlag.  The face plate screws were thrown in willy nilly.  When it came time to loosen some of the top screws, for a snappier slap, I found that as the screws had gone in crooked, they were sticking out at an angle, and hurt my fingers.  I put them back in tight again, and it's fine, sounds good, but was better sounding with them loose.  There was little finishing and edge work involved either, up close, the drum looks as cheap as it is.

Still, the Meinl is a fine drum, I had it for a couple years before I ever started using it, and now, older and wiser, I enjoy it.  The sound is really good for live, as it's louder, noisier than the Schlagwerk, and has a bigger...looser, low end that many will love.  The Schlag is tight sounding, solid, studio quality, and it's finish, edge-work, and detail are beautiful & astounding.  It has a bit less low rumble, but when I played it today, I was knocked out at how clean it sounds, right-out-of-the-box.  I can't wait to get it mic'd up at a gig with some amplification.

The Meinl has worked out great for me, playing un-amplified, in a church based trio with acoustic guitars and vocal harmony.  I had been using Djembes, but was overpowering the vocals.  The other musicians did not really like the sound of the cajon as much as the djembes, but it offers a better (rock) feel, and quite lowered volume, so we tend to use the cajon more now.

Summary; great first cajon, especially for live work.  Big, open sound.  For a tighter sound buy something more upscale.
I bought a Meinl HCAJ1NT at GC, about 3 yrs ago. I had some rebate credit to soak up, and they soaked me for $150 for it. I still feel that was a fair price, though they are now UNDER $100! What a bargain, as these are very good Cajons. If they are so good, why did it get only 3 stars? Well, you have to consider it is a cheapie, and there is a reason. Just today I received a Schlagwerk 562-ST Cajon that I purchased here on Amazon, and there ARE a full two stars of difference between them. The Schlagwerk cost me $349, again, well worth the difference. The Meinl is cheaply put together, it's NOT fragile, or crappy, but got nowhere near the attention to detail in it's assembly as the Schlag. The face plate screws were thrown in willy nilly. When it came time to loosen some of the top screws, for a snappier slap, I found that as the screws had gone in crooked, they were sticking out at an angle, and hurt my fingers. I put them back in tight again, and it's fine, sounds good, but was better sounding with them loose. There was little finishing and edge work involved either, up close, the drum looks as cheap as it is. Still, the Meinl is a fine drum, I had it for a couple years before I ever started using it, and now, older and wiser, I enjoy it. The sound is really good for live, as it's louder, noisier than the Schlagwerk, and has a bigger... looser, low end that many will love. The Schlag is tight sounding, solid, studio quality, and it's finish, edge-work, and detail are beautiful & astounding. It has a bit less low rumble, but when I played it today, I was knocked out at how clean it sounds, right-out-of-the-box. I can't wait to get it mic'd up at a gig with some amplification. The Meinl has worked out great for me, playing un-amplified, in a church based trio with acoustic guitars and vocal harmony. I had been using Djembes, but was overpowering the vocals. The other musicians did not really like the sound of the cajon as much as the djembes, but it offers a better (rock) feel, and quite lowered volume, so we tend to use the cajon more now. Summary; great first cajon, especially for live work. Big, open sound. For a tighter sound buy something more upscale.