Skip to content

People will pay extra for musical instruments under the tree. The hit of Christmas will be the cajon

You don’t need a perfect ear for music to play it. We’re talking about the Cajon, a percussion instrument that also functions as a design accessory for the home. According to statistics from musical instrument retailers, more than 7,000 units of the instrument were sold in the country this year, up 24 percent from the previous year. And that’s probably why many more Czechs will unwrap it this Christmas than in previous years.

The cheapest cajons can be bought for just a few hundred, but this year the price will also reflect the expected increase in the price of musical instruments by between five and fifteen percent.      

“That’s right, the musical instruments segment is experiencing its fifth wave of price hikes this year. Similar to other sectors, the price hike is due to higher energy and transport prices, as well as higher customer demand. Established manufacturers are unable to increase their production, and prices are rising not only in the Czech Republic but also worldwide,” says the marketing director of Kytary.cz, the largest Czech retailer of musical instruments.  

According to him, this year’s price growth is between 5 and 15% across segments, but it looks set to continue in the first quarter of next year. Gradual price increases are being reported by both large manufacturers of acoustic and electric guitars, as well as producers of digital instruments, which include keyboards, equipment for DJs, as well as equipment for home recording or podcast production. “Many manufacturers are using the same chips that are supplied to the automotive industry and here the input costs have been rising by tens of percent for several years in a row. According to Comagate surveys, roughly 60% of dealers in the country have seen prices rise in the last six months.” Jiří Würtherle, CEO of AUDIO PARTNER.  

Apart from classical guitars and pianos, which sell reliably every year before Christmas, this year’s statistics suggest that the aforementioned cajon is experiencing a revival. “Cajon means box in Spanish and indeed looks like a block of wood, which can have a variety of finishes, often using wood with interesting grain, but colourful decors and distinctive modern designs are no exception. You can sit on it comfortably and start drumming,” says Onur Maras, sales manager at Sela Percussions, a musical instrument company, adding that the instrument is equipped with special sounding surfaces and the front is often fitted with a stringer. This is why the instrument is referred to as a small drum set. “It can almost perfectly replace it, but it’s much more space-efficient, doesn’t make as much noise and costs a fraction of the price,” he concludes.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)