Have you ever dreamed of having your own soundproof studio? Are you willing to invest a little time and effort to make it happen? Here’s how.
This excellent article from our friends at Instructables lays out the details. Included are recommendations, explanations, and even some diagrams to clearly convey what the author means to say. With any project like this, it’s important to have enough details to do it right, without so many you get lost in the preparation. Two thumbs up on this one.
I’ll admit I’m intrigued and sorely tempted. We have a small outbuilding that I’ve long considered converting, in whole or part, to a practice room. I’m bookmarking this article so I can come back to it when time and weather permit starting a new project. Maybe, just maybe…
Have you done this? If so, what are your thoughts? Any “gotchas” are good to know before they surface, so post a comment or drop us a line!
Yesterday’s article was very positively received, and for good reason: it demonstrated that it’s possible to have fun building a fine stringed instrument…even if the resultant instrument doesn’t look all that fine.
This article – actually a wonderfully extensive series of articles – was briefly mentioned in the introduction to yesterday’s linked posting, and I wanted to share it as well. For those of you who have been bitten HARD by the lutherie bug and have moved far beyond the tinkerer stage into serious instrument building, this is for you. Even if you have no intentions of building your own exquisite cello, it makes for fascinating reading.
If you were to assign a dollar value to the hours it takes to build a nice instrument, you’d quickly decide that finished versions are relatively inexpensive to buy. This is due to many factors, such as well-trained (and superbly-skilled) craftsmen, dedicated workshops, and exchange rates (in some cases), among other things. But for some exceedingly creative musicians, the thrill of playing an instrument that they themselves made is so far beyond playing a purchased instrument that words just can’t capture the feeling. You know who you are.
Here at PTM, we’ve discussed homebuilt instruments ranging from gas can banjos to hand-made marimbas, and it’s all good. For those cellists among us who want to create their next instrument with their own loving hands…this one’s for you. Enjoy!
When we’ve featured hand-made instruments before, I’ll admit I was surprised by the response. I had no idea how many folks enjoy not only playing their instruments, but also making them.
In hindsight, I suppose I should have expected it. I’ve done some basic lutherie, and I have enjoyed the challenges that accompanied each task. Looking at it from the opposite perspective, you’d be surprised at the extent of contraptions from which you can coax pleasant sounds.
This All Things Strings article details the author’s intriguing efforts to build a crude cello from scrap found in his basement. Nothing fancy, nothing pretty. Pure function, pure fun.
If you’re a real instrument geek – and I say that with great admiration – you’ll likely take away some ideas from your first read. You’ll also likely bookmark it. And why not? Antonio Stradivari had to start somewhere, and don’t kid yourself: if he’d had the internet, he would have bookmarked it, too.
Glenn Donnellan, professional violinist with the National Symphony Orchestra, recently made his own electric violin…from a baseball bat. Yes, you read that correctly! Here is the video of Glenn playing the Star-Spangled Banner on his batolin:
This is one of those cases where the interests of Full-Time Musicians (FTMs) and Part-Time Musicians (PTMs) overlap. Many PTMs enjoy tinkering with their instruments nearly as much as they do playing them. It’s another creative outlet, one that some find stressful and others find relaxing. Go figure.
While I do enjoy tinkering a bit myself, for major tasks and/or adjustments, we take our instruments to the professionals at our local instrument shop. Or the sporting goods store, depending upon who is working that day.
For the percussionist who is handy and has a lot of time on their hands, this is one of the neatest ways I’ve seen to save a few grand. You get an instrument out of the deal, too. Of course, it could definitely cut into your practice time.
Our friends at Instructables show how to build your own marimba. Not for the faint of heart, but definitely up there on the interesting scale!
Gear, General | Mark January 25, 2010 | 
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