Instrument Archive
Instrument 1.
Strung with bottom five nylon guitar strings tuned through the octaves DADAD. Fretted with the A and D major chord only. A limited but mistake free instrument, which is fun to play and most suitable for finger picking. Only delicate strumming prevents the loosened bottom string flapping.
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Instrument 2
Four string frettless and only small marks for note positions about the neck. Presently tuned DGdg. Good for strumming picking and sliding after a few when nothing accurate feels good.
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Instrument 3
Four light metal strings with a finger board made from a genuine 1950's pink laminex kitchen table top. Intended to be light with twang and good for string bending.
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Instrument 4
This is one of the first dozen instruments I made and it was very exciting at the time. It is still exciting because the instrument is proof of durability. It has four light metal strings at low tension tuned BEbe. If restrung and retuned, it can serve as a tenor guitar or bass ukulele.
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Instrument 5
The back of this instrument is made from the seed pod of the Queen Palm and the top is made from Bangalow Palm. It is set up as a dulcimer with the top and bottom strings reversed so as to be played guitar style. The tuning is DAdd. This is a very sturdy instument with a light sound and good volume for a dulcimer.
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Instrument 6
This instrument is an upright bass for a small person. The back is Queen Palm frond and the front is Queen Palm seed pod. The strings are the plastic cord used in grass slashers tuned to EADG.
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Instrument 7
The design of this instrument is based on the hollow log. It is fully open at the bottom. It has a warm sound and has long sustain on notes.
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Instrument 8
This instrument started out to be a viola but I could not get the action right. Now it is an oversized ukulele and the germ of an idea to build a bowed uke.
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Instrument 9
This instrument looked like a balalaika when I made it so that is what it has became, though other strings and tunings sound well as well.