Has anyone ever tried making any instruments? If so, what instrument/s did you make? How did you go about it? Were the materials easy to find or did you have to search long and hard before you found what you needed? Were you satisfied with your results?
BTW -- When I say "making" an instrument, I don't mean assembling a ready-made kit, I mean buying the parts yourself and putting them together.
Max, you can, as you probably know, buy kits for building fiddle, guitars, mandolins, lutes etc, with all the bits and pieces already cut to shape and size, and then you've got to do is little more than to assemble and glue things together and finally to apply the varnish.
But if you don't want to go along that road then you'll have to learn the hard way, acquiring fairly advanced carpentry skills and learning about the detailed construction and history of the instruments. You'll be thinking in terms of years rather than weeks or months. I knew a guy who did just this as a hobby. He started off by buying beat-up old fiddles very cheaply in second-hand shops or auctions, disassembling them and learning how to repair them, with the assistance of the best books he could lay his hands on. It was two or three years later before he felt he was ready to start making a fiddle from the basic blocks of timber. A few years after that he was making instruments good enough to be bought by professionals. So it can be done, although he didn't mention the mistakes that must have occured!
That was the hard way, as I said. The better way, for anyone who's really serious about it, is to sign on at one of the specialist instrument-making colleges for a 3 or 4-year full-time course, at the end of which they'll be fully accredited fiddle makers with all the necessary skills.
When it comes to instruments such as the whistle and Irish flute then you're on much firmer ground. So I'll point you in the direction of Domhniaill Mac Aoidh ("Danny") for advice in this area.
Trevor
I didn't know that there are instrument-making colleges. I would love to learn how to make instruments. I thought of getting a kit to start out with, but I was told that making a whistle was not that hard, so I though that might be fun too. I have seen kits for mandolins, bouzoukis, guitars and banjos but not for fiddles. Do you know of any? Eventually, and I know this will take years, I would like to be able to make fiddles. You also mentioned books in your post. Do you know of any in particular? Thanks!
Max,
I make bamboo flutes,and I've made a few whistles too.It's been more or less trial and error,but I've pretty much gotten the hang of it.I order my bamboo from somewhere out there in California.The stuff that grows locally has too short a space between the joints.
I just tried to make a low B whistle(BIG!).I have no exact formula for hole spacing,so I just try to judge it by eye.I didn't want the holes to be too far apart,so I placed them farther up the body.They came out a little too small,so the volume,tone, and octave tuning are not what they could be.However,I can reach the holes.Next time I try the low B,I can compare,and move the holes down a bit.
I've made a few really good instruments,a few total failures,and a lot of in betweens.
Anyway,that's all I can tell you,I guess.
-Kelly
Max, also go to http://www.olwm.com/prierviolins/ for info on the Peter Prier violin making school in Salt Lake City. I've known several graduates, and they all made fine violins after their apprenticeship. There's also a good school in Chicago, so you'd be able to session with the best at night while you were making fiddles during the day....
I've made some CPVC, PVC and bamboo flutes and fifes. None have been really good, but except for those that I trashed along the way - they're been playable and in tune.
Kelly - have you tried the flutomat for hole placement:
The summer after I graduated from High School (3 years ago) I apprenticed with a violin maker in Longmont, Colorado (his instruments sell for around $20,000 each). I purchased all three of my fiddles from him and was constantly taking them in for him to make minor adjustments, bow re-hairing, or actually fixing cracks of loose fingerboards. Jokingly he would tell me that I had to learn so that I would stop 'pestering him'--actually he was quite serious about me learning purely for the knowledge and experience. I took up up on it and re-built (from the ground up) two violins and significantly improved their appearance, sound production, and monetary value He sold one and I kept the other for my mom to play. I did all the work but he gave me careful instructions and observed everything I did. Under his guidance it took me one week of working from 10 AM to 8-10 PM to complete one fiddle. It was a fantastic experience because I learned how the instrument actually works, and gained a greater appreciation for the instrument and the makers. If your interested I would highly recommend doing an apprenticship with a maker near you. The schools also sound like a neat possibility.
Go ahead and become a registered member (free) to have access to their archives.
You can see one of my instruments (to be delivered to its new owner next week) after approximately 12 noon Chicago time at http://www.GoldbugProducts.com/guitar.htm
Zina,
The maker is Dave Reeve of Reeve Violins. He's quite an 'old grump' on the surface (though don't tell him I said so), but is a fantastic instrument maker/repairman, has great instruments in stock, and is really quite a gentleman when you get past the hard shell.
Thanks for the invitation to the tune learning session. I'll see what I can to do stop in when I am down that way.
BTW, Erin, every now and again, we have a session up in Ft. Collins with John Carr -- don't know what end of WY you're on or what level you play at, but if you like I'll try to e-mail you next time we have a night with him if you're interested!
My favourite bodhran is one I made myself. I acquired a second hand plastic basin and cut a piece from a broom handle as a beater or "thumper" as it's known in real ITM circles. I've played it at many sessions though for some unknown reason, those sessions have all disappeared over the years.
Try making one yourselves. Any fool can learn to play one.
YahooGroups has quite a few instrument-making email lists, and most are excellent resources. I am a member of the Flutemakers and Amateur Bagpipe Makers lists and am constantly amazed at the topics covered and the experience of the members. Additionally, the lists usually have a parent site which allows you to search the archives and allows space for posting photos, plans, links, etc.
Eric,
thanks for the link.That's more technical then I like to get, but I'm sure I'll be able to use it for something.I have no problems with D flutes and whistles,but for other keys it might help.
Building Instruments
Building Instruments
I just found this link to a page with ideas for building your own instruments. http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/ I also found a page that describes in detail the process of making a bodhran. http://www.ceolas.org/instruments/bodhran/santin/Contents.htm
Has anyone ever tried making any instruments? If so, what instrument/s did you make? How did you go about it? Were the materials easy to find or did you have to search long and hard before you found what you needed? Were you satisfied with your results?
BTW -- When I say "making" an instrument, I don't mean assembling a ready-made kit, I mean buying the parts yourself and putting them together.
Thanks!
-Max
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Building Instruments
Max, you can, as you probably know, buy kits for building fiddle, guitars, mandolins, lutes etc, with all the bits and pieces already cut to shape and size, and then you've got to do is little more than to assemble and glue things together and finally to apply the varnish.
But if you don't want to go along that road then you'll have to learn the hard way, acquiring fairly advanced carpentry skills and learning about the detailed construction and history of the instruments. You'll be thinking in terms of years rather than weeks or months. I knew a guy who did just this as a hobby. He started off by buying beat-up old fiddles very cheaply in second-hand shops or auctions, disassembling them and learning how to repair them, with the assistance of the best books he could lay his hands on. It was two or three years later before he felt he was ready to start making a fiddle from the basic blocks of timber. A few years after that he was making instruments good enough to be bought by professionals. So it can be done, although he didn't mention the mistakes that must have occured!
That was the hard way, as I said. The better way, for anyone who's really serious about it, is to sign on at one of the specialist instrument-making colleges for a 3 or 4-year full-time course, at the end of which they'll be fully accredited fiddle makers with all the necessary skills.
When it comes to instruments such as the whistle and Irish flute then you're on much firmer ground. So I'll point you in the direction of Domhniaill Mac Aoidh ("Danny") for advice in this area.
Trevor
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Building Instruments
I didn't know that there are instrument-making colleges. I would love to learn how to make instruments. I thought of getting a kit to start out with, but I was told that making a whistle was not that hard, so I though that might be fun too. I have seen kits for mandolins, bouzoukis, guitars and banjos but not for fiddles. Do you know of any? Eventually, and I know this will take years, I would like to be able to make fiddles. You also mentioned books in your post. Do you know of any in particular? Thanks!
-Max
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Building Instruments
Max,
I make bamboo flutes,and I've made a few whistles too.It's been more or less trial and error,but I've pretty much gotten the hang of it.I order my bamboo from somewhere out there in California.The stuff that grows locally has too short a space between the joints.
I just tried to make a low B whistle(BIG!).I have no exact formula for hole spacing,so I just try to judge it by eye.I didn't want the holes to be too far apart,so I placed them farther up the body.They came out a little too small,so the volume,tone, and octave tuning are not what they could be.However,I can reach the holes.Next time I try the low B,I can compare,and move the holes down a bit.
I've made a few really good instruments,a few total failures,and a lot of in betweens.
Anyway,that's all I can tell you,I guess.
-Kelly
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by seisflutes
Re: Building Instruments
Max, also go to http://www.olwm.com/prierviolins/ for info on the Peter Prier violin making school in Salt Lake City. I've known several graduates, and they all made fine violins after their apprenticeship. There's also a good school in Chicago, so you'd be able to session with the best at night while you were making fiddles during the day....
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by Will Harmon
Re: Building Instruments
I've made some CPVC, PVC and bamboo flutes and fifes. None have been really good, but except for those that I trashed along the way - they're been playable and in tune.
Kelly - have you tried the flutomat for hole placement:
http://www.cwo.com/~ph_kosel/flutomat.html
Since bamboo is slightly conical in nature, just average the internal bore diameter of the top and bottom of the piece to use in the formula.
Eric
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by Jayhawk
Re: Building Instruments
Thanks for the link, Will. I would love to attend a school like that some day.
-Max
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Building Instruments
The summer after I graduated from High School (3 years ago) I apprenticed with a violin maker in Longmont, Colorado (his instruments sell for around $20,000 each). I purchased all three of my fiddles from him and was constantly taking them in for him to make minor adjustments, bow re-hairing, or actually fixing cracks of loose fingerboards. Jokingly he would tell me that I had to learn so that I would stop 'pestering him'--actually he was quite serious about me learning purely for the knowledge and experience. I took up up on it and re-built (from the ground up) two violins and significantly improved their appearance, sound production, and monetary value He sold one and I kept the other for my mom to play. I did all the work but he gave me careful instructions and observed everything I did. Under his guidance it took me one week of working from 10 AM to 8-10 PM to complete one fiddle. It was a fantastic experience because I learned how the instrument actually works, and gained a greater appreciation for the instrument and the makers. If your interested I would highly recommend doing an apprenticship with a maker near you. The schools also sound like a neat possibility.
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by esfiddle
Re: Building Instruments
Does anybody know of a maker in Southern California? That sounds like a good idea, Erin, and a lot of fun too.
-Max
# Posted on November 28th 2003 by Max Becher
Re: Building Instruments
For anyone struggling to make a whistle that plays in tune with a decent tone and volume, try this website, which I found just now in a google search.
http://www.dougsparling.com/irishmusic/whistle/whistlemake/
Trevor
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Trevor Jennings
Re: Building Instruments
Erin, what's the name of the maker in Longmont? Someone was telling me about him but I don't remember the name...
If you're ever in Longmont on a Sunday afternoon, drop into the tune learning session.
Zina
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Building Instruments
Check out the Musical Instrument Makers Forum at http://www.mimf.com
Go ahead and become a registered member (free) to have access to their archives.
You can see one of my instruments (to be delivered to its new owner next week) after approximately 12 noon Chicago time at http://www.GoldbugProducts.com/guitar.htm
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Tusong200
Re: Building Instruments
Zina,
The maker is Dave Reeve of Reeve Violins. He's quite an 'old grump' on the surface (though don't tell him I said so), but is a fantastic instrument maker/repairman, has great instruments in stock, and is really quite a gentleman when you get past the hard shell.
Thanks for the invitation to the tune learning session. I'll see what I can to do stop in when I am down that way.
Erin
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by esfiddle
Re: Building Instruments
BTW, Erin, every now and again, we have a session up in Ft. Collins with John Carr -- don't know what end of WY you're on or what level you play at, but if you like I'll try to e-mail you next time we have a night with him if you're interested!
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Zina Lee
Re: Building Instruments
My favourite bodhran is one I made myself. I acquired a second hand plastic basin and cut a piece from a broom handle as a beater or "thumper" as it's known in real ITM circles. I've played it at many sessions though for some unknown reason, those sessions have all disappeared over the years.
Try making one yourselves. Any fool can learn to play one.
# Posted on November 29th 2003 by Joe Quinn
Re: Building Instruments
YahooGroups has quite a few instrument-making email lists, and most are excellent resources. I am a member of the Flutemakers and Amateur Bagpipe Makers lists and am constantly amazed at the topics covered and the experience of the members. Additionally, the lists usually have a parent site which allows you to search the archives and allows space for posting photos, plans, links, etc.
http://groups.yahoo.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flutemakers/
# Posted on November 30th 2003 by Dabooks
Re: Building Instruments
Eric,
thanks for the link.That's more technical then I like to get, but I'm sure I'll be able to use it for something.I have no problems with D flutes and whistles,but for other keys it might help.
# Posted on December 2nd 2003 by seisflutes
Re: Building Instruments
Fiddlecrazy .. check out this site for violin kits www.internationalviolin.com
# Posted on December 2nd 2003 by endpin