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I'm a casual (basement band, i.e., not gigging) drummer and I've been thinking of replacing the kick pedal on the bass drum of my (typical 5-piece) drum set with a cajon pedal so I can work the kick with my heel rather than the ball of my foot (by rotating the cajon pedal 180 degrees).

I'm wondering if a cajon pedal's cable mechanism can withstand being used this way.

Has anyone tried this? Or is there a better way to work a kick pedal with my heel?

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    I can't answer your question but interestingly I saw a band last week playing out live and the drummer replaced the kick drum in his kit with a cajon. He said it took up much less space on a small stage and he liked the flat surface on top so he could set his drink or phone on it when not playing. It sounded fine in the mix.
    – Rockin Cowboy
    Commented Feb 10, 2015 at 6:30

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Just following up here. I bought a cajon pedal from my local drum shop for $160 with their promise that I could return it within two weeks if it didn't work out.

Well, it didn't work out. There were two issues: first, the height at the heel was uncomfortably high, and it was a lot of work from a sitting position (it might work from a standing position); and second, the angle of the pedal tended to push my foot forward so it was a struggle to maintain my heel's position.

It's possible some fine-tuning of the pedal mechanics and a bit of practice would have made this workable. But my sense of it was, there's a reason kick pedals are oriented the way they are, and I should get used to it.

Besides, I can get a pretty decent pedal for less than the cajon pedal cost.

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    Absolutely agree, the cajon mechanism might accommodate the most basic of beat keeping responsibilities. For the most part, however, you will want to utilize a regular kick pedal and modify your playing style to accommodate both your musical needs and your comfort level.
    – user20242
    Commented May 4, 2015 at 16:57

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