Go on, folks.
Go to Youtube, RE SHOW ME YOUR HOMEMADE INSTRUMENTS.
In fact, why don't you all show us your homemade instruments, and I'll show you my woodworking scars ( sitting at the computer feeling very sore, having tried to saw off his left thumb, but God Bless the NHS ).
Hope you're ok, Pete. Be careful! Though I guess if you're to lose a finger, as a zouk or guitar player, your left thumb and right pinky are the most expendable.
Well, you asked for it. Not Irish trad, but I made this guitar along the lines of a cigar-box guitar, except I used the cardboard box from a fast food restaurant and a $2 piezo doorbell pickup from Radio Shack.
"your left thumb and right pinky are the most expendable" -- erm, unless you're a southpaw. Didn't mean to make light of your injury, Guernsey. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
PETE!~~ UGH!!!! Don't know how bad it was, but for the general run of the mill cuts, even ones that may leave a scar... PUT THE BAND AID ON FIRST! Before you work. Do I do that....generally not, when I teach jewelry students though, I make them put a bandaid on their index finger before they saw metal.
As for homemade instruments... well, just started guitar #5...on a roll here, it will be a little 00 size, Indian rosewood, trying to configure the bracing so to make it loud for the tiny size. Hopefully will fit in overhead if I ever get over fear of flying, LOL!
Have an invite from a harp builder to go build with him, and also teach him how to etch custom metal plaques for his harps, but it means about 4-5 three day weekends about four hours from home, and just don't have the time at the moment. Someday though!
FidKid... that is way cool!! I know a woman who makes cigar box ukes. And very nice guitars too!
Pete...is one of the youtubes yours? did you get an instrument out of it? I think you once said you built a few things?
No, nothing of mine is on Youtube yet. There are some nice things on there, people who are making all sorts of stuff. Electrics even.I've got some bits hanging around that were for a young lady who wanted to beef up her Squier Strat ( they're now made in China, can you believe ) and then couldn't come to a decision, so I'll put it all together on a solid body, maybe mahogany. Even found Guy Clark talking about his guitars, didn't know till now he made any.
Twas my own fault, the injury, was being SOOOOO careful with the wood, forgot about my fingers, caught the top of the left thumb, will have to wait till Tuesday for the Plastic Surgery clinic, as I've incised, but not severed, the top tendon, the one that lets you do a "hitchhiker" gesture. I can still grasp, actually played a little 'zouk this afternoon. I do heal quickly.
And couldn't get ANY wood shop to saw off the back of the wedges of the Engelmann spruce soundboard, so I was doing it myself in the back garden. Now I've got to saw down the other wedge - might have enough left to make a mandolin top, or a uke. The wood survived the accident unharmed.
Last major woodwork injury was '72, chiselling out the underside of a dulcimer fingerboard, so I've not done too bad.
Oh, you definitely need your left thumb to play 'zouk, guitar, etc. I did work out once I could manage to still play most other stuff if I lost my right pinky ( we'd call it the little finger over here ), but not the english concertina, so I do need everything working.
Django was different, although he does illustrate my theory that how hard it is to play an instrument colours what you get out of it. Something on the lines of suffering to sing the blues. Or, as Dave Bromberg once said, "Enduring the traumatic incident to vocalise the melancholy ballad".
Show me your homemade instruments
Show me your homemade instruments
Go on, folks.
Go to Youtube, RE SHOW ME YOUR HOMEMADE INSTRUMENTS.
In fact, why don't you all show us your homemade instruments, and I'll show you my woodworking scars ( sitting at the computer feeling very sore, having tried to saw off his left thumb, but God Bless the NHS ).
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Show me your homemade instruments
Hope you're ok, Pete. Be careful! Though I guess if you're to lose a finger, as a zouk or guitar player, your left thumb and right pinky are the most expendable.
Well, you asked for it. Not Irish trad, but I made this guitar along the lines of a cigar-box guitar, except I used the cardboard box from a fast food restaurant and a $2 piezo doorbell pickup from Radio Shack.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR-UsB-7M38
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by fidkid
Re: Show me your homemade instruments
"your left thumb and right pinky are the most expendable" -- erm, unless you're a southpaw. Didn't mean to make light of your injury, Guernsey. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery.
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by fidkid
Re: Show me your homemade instruments
Sorry to hear about the digit Pete - but what's with the Django Reinhardt impersonation?
Maybe try playing chess instead - it's safer.
S
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by Welshman
Re: Show me your homemade instruments
PETE!~~ UGH!!!! Don't know how bad it was, but for the general run of the mill cuts, even ones that may leave a scar... PUT THE BAND AID ON FIRST! Before you work. Do I do that....generally not, when I teach jewelry students though, I make them put a bandaid on their index finger before they saw metal.
As for homemade instruments... well, just started guitar #5...on a roll here, it will be a little 00 size, Indian rosewood, trying to configure the bracing so to make it loud for the tiny size. Hopefully will fit in overhead if I ever get over fear of flying, LOL!
Have an invite from a harp builder to go build with him, and also teach him how to etch custom metal plaques for his harps, but it means about 4-5 three day weekends about four hours from home, and just don't have the time at the moment. Someday though!
FidKid... that is way cool!! I know a woman who makes cigar box ukes. And very nice guitars too!
Pete...is one of the youtubes yours? did you get an instrument out of it? I think you once said you built a few things?
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by irisnevins
Re: Show me your homemade instruments
I'm workshop inept, so I'm quite impressed at all of you! Nice work fidkid, and YIKES Pete! Be careful 'bro!
# Posted on May 11th 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Show me your homemade instruments, your huddled bodhrans yearning to breathe free..
.....? Well, something like that, anyway.
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by nicholas
Re: Show me your homemade instruments
No, nothing of mine is on Youtube yet. There are some nice things on there, people who are making all sorts of stuff. Electrics even.I've got some bits hanging around that were for a young lady who wanted to beef up her Squier Strat ( they're now made in China, can you believe ) and then couldn't come to a decision, so I'll put it all together on a solid body, maybe mahogany. Even found Guy Clark talking about his guitars, didn't know till now he made any.
Twas my own fault, the injury, was being SOOOOO careful with the wood, forgot about my fingers, caught the top of the left thumb, will have to wait till Tuesday for the Plastic Surgery clinic, as I've incised, but not severed, the top tendon, the one that lets you do a "hitchhiker" gesture. I can still grasp, actually played a little 'zouk this afternoon. I do heal quickly.
And couldn't get ANY wood shop to saw off the back of the wedges of the Engelmann spruce soundboard, so I was doing it myself in the back garden. Now I've got to saw down the other wedge - might have enough left to make a mandolin top, or a uke. The wood survived the accident unharmed.
Last major woodwork injury was '72, chiselling out the underside of a dulcimer fingerboard, so I've not done too bad.
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Show me your homemade instruments
Oh, you definitely need your left thumb to play 'zouk, guitar, etc. I did work out once I could manage to still play most other stuff if I lost my right pinky ( we'd call it the little finger over here ), but not the english concertina, so I do need everything working.
Django was different, although he does illustrate my theory that how hard it is to play an instrument colours what you get out of it. Something on the lines of suffering to sing the blues. Or, as Dave Bromberg once said, "Enduring the traumatic incident to vocalise the melancholy ballad".
# Posted on May 12th 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Show me your homemade instruments
A friend just forwarded this link to me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5aUz9cDaCY
# Posted on May 13th 2008 by browndog