Pearl PCA-14FC Bamboo Cata w/Holder

This cata sounds quite good. It's warm, low pitched and it sounds very authentic.
It's a great alternative to jam blocks or wood blocks which can be very loud for the job if you are no playing in a salsa band. Patterns can be played with drumstick or mallets imitating drum shells or wooden rims and it sounds pretty convincing. The holder seems a bit to big but very well designed.
What I found not so good was the quality, I had two already and they both split and the lacquer felt in pieces very quickly. I don't think the sound was badly affected but still Pearl should do something about that.
First Pearl Cata I got was replaced by Thomann very quickly and totally free of charge when I complained about the split. Great customer service. Thanks.

I was really crazy about adding the Bamboo Cata sound to my percussion setup. It has an interesting sound that cuts through a thick ensemble sound, yet is quite non-abvasive unlike a Jam Block.

It took a really long time before my order arrived. Once it arrived, I was what I expected and it sat so wonderfully in the special holder. You could hear it so clearly yet subtle in a live concert band with percussion ensemble.

Unfortunately, after a few months (and maybe the winter), it started to crack. It doesn't resonate the way it used to, so I'm not as thrilled to take it out anymore.

I don't know if it's just my luck, but it was expensive enough that I would not buy it again. There are just too many cool sounds out there for your buck

Nice metal holder but unfortunately when it arrived the Bamboo of the Cata had one severe crack along 3/4 of its length and several shorter cracks which gave it a very poor sound quality.
Rather than going through the hassle of sending it back I decided to repair it using PVA wood glue and rubber strapping to clamp it back together. Its sound is now much improved and the danger of it completely breaking up while being played has been avoided.
I have to admit to being a little disappointed that Thomann dispatched to me an instrument in such poor condition but have put it down to the nature of Bamboo rather than wilful neglect of Thomann staff.
Carriage costs, Communications, and general pricing still make Thomann an attractive company to deal with.