Monday 25 November 2013


The rise and rise of the cajon.
 
The cajon (pronounced ca-hon) has seen a huge increase in popularity in the last few years. Its compact, portable and can be played by beginners and advanced players alike. As you'd expect there is plenty of tuition available on YouTube these days but as a newcomer to the instrument myself I've been able to play a few basic grooves with relative ease. Although it helps if you have some experience of drum-kit playing or hand-drumming, even a non-percussionist should find this an easy to pick-up instrument for providing an back-beat to any musical set-up.

Here at Cookes we carry a range of cajons from the new STAGG junior cajon through to the popular PEARL Fibreglass "Boom-Box" cajon with its fibreglass body and unusual sound-port that gives a bottom-end "thump" like no other I've heard. Some use guitar-strings internally and some use snare wires. Snare wires tend to be a little more sensitive or "hissy" whereas the guitar-strings provide a tighter "snap", however both are usually adjustable.

Because of the rise in popularity of this instrument a number of manufacturers have introduced cajon "add-ons" to the market. The PEARL jingle-cup (adds a jingle sound to your cajon), the Rhythm-Ring (a shaker-style ring that hisses as you play your cajon), the MEINL foot tambourine (attaches to your shoe to create a jingle sound when you move your foot) and perhaps the most innovative, the GIBRALTAR Cajon Pedal (turns your cajon into a bass drum to form the foundation of a street/busking drumkit).

With the refurbishment of our drum deparment, we now have a section with all of our cajons out and ready to play. Hear the difference between the various drums and make an informed decision about which one is best for you.

So if you find yourself tapping away on things and are interested in getting into percussion but don't have the space for a full drumset OR you are an existing drumkit player but are looking for a portable, compact instrument to play drumset grooves either busking, jamming or at smaller venues, then the mighty cajon might just be the instrument for you.

Simon.

Wednesday 20 November 2013

Never been a better time to buy from the high street.

In my 27 years in MI Retail & Distribution I know now is the best time to make your purchase from a good old fashioned high street retailer.

Why do I say this?

The internet has basically done the deal for you! It’s discounted the price, given you enough information to help you make your choice & given you a virtual show room to walk around.

When it comes to your purchases we at Cookes Match the online deal, we can then offer our advice & experience expanding your ideas to make sure you get the correct item and we have several real showrooms for you to walk around.

The other massive benefits of visiting a high street retailer are you don’t have to wait around for a delivery driver who doesn’t turn up, you have a local warranty on your purchase with people you know and can trust & we at Cookes will even lend you a product (If needed) as long as your purchase fails within it's warranty period.

So you see this is why It is now a great time to buy from a SHOP...

Mark Hedge (a man who never buys on line)

Wednesday 6 November 2013

'Tis the season to get a wriggle on down to Cookes!

"Still, soon be Christmas!"  beams Mark every morning and every evening during the drive to and from the shop.
"Urgh," I retort in my usual Ebenezer Scrooge style, "I'll do my Christmas shopping at the petrol station on Christmas Eve like last year.  Everyone gets wiper blades and a Magic Tree - the gift that keeps on giving!"

But it seems Christmas is closer than we had all guessed.  Sure, it's exactly seven weeks away yet. That's ages. 49 days... 1,176 hours… erm...
Oh dear, really not much time to do that Christmas shopping, then!

So now is the perfect time to come into the store to lay claim to that guitar you were going to buy for your daughter, the drum kit you promised little Timmy and the DJ controller that Gran has been banging on about for the last six months.

"Pah," you say, "I'll do it nearer the time."  Be very careful.  I called a large guitar company to order a five string bass a couple of weeks ago and was told "Sorry, no five strings across ANY of the ranges because we're sold out for Christmas.  Next delivery will be in February."  Another really big company told us a very similar story about the availability of some of its most popular digital drumkits.

So, now really is the time to DO SOMETHING about actually sorting out that musical instrument gift you were planning.  Of course, we will always give you the best advice we can about your chosen instrument and help you to make an informed choice from the wide range of music gear we have in stock. If, however, you are after something a little different or much more specific to give as a gift, you absolutely must ask us to check availability NOW, so that we can secure it for you and have it ready for you to collect before the big day.

Otherwise, can you imagine Gran's poor, sad face as she opens another pair of sheepskin slippers instead of having it large on her Pioneer DDJ SX? No, me either…

Ben @ Cookes.