Saturday, November 04, 2006
Fishstrument
Here are some comments that were left for this instrument.
Anonymous said...
Just brilliant and inspiring. Just started making cigar box guitars but this has me thinking about other ideas now. regards David Ward
Good Times for a Sick Mind
Is it a prison? Is it an instrument? Nobody knows for sure. In order for this instrument to work at 100 percent capacity you need to trick a small Poecile atricapillus or Cyanocitta stelleri into entering the hole on the top of the instrument. I suggest a nice seed mixture. You can make it up yourself, or purchase it from a local shop owner. It is up to you to find the appropriate business in your city or town. I strongly suggest you avoid the Branta Canadensis or Gavia immer as these are both way to large to fit through the hole, and by all means stay away from the Corvus coraxthey scare the heck out of me.
Once you have secured your package you must quickly string the instrument up before they become wise to your plans. This can be tricky as most avionic creatures are evil in nature and have probably already figured out what it is that you are doing. Now that the instrument is strung up gently shake out your seed mixture unless you are looking for a shaker sound. All you have to do now is tune your instrument and start playing. The plucking and sweet sounds of the chirp chirp chirp will entertain you for hours on end.Ok I have been contacted by a group of anonymous legal types that have strongly suggested
that I put in this description that doing any of the above would be cruel and unjust, and there is a good chance that I might end up doing time for said crimes. I have also been advised to inform all readers that no animals were hurt in the construction of this instrument, and I take no responsibility for any sick persons desire to construct this instrument to its full potential. If you do, you are sick, and need help. I wash my hands of all of this madness.I almost forgot. The instrument is constructed from a wooden wine box I found in the garbage; unfortunately the wine had already been consumed. The pegs were made from chair legs, and the slide tuners were stripped out of an old equalizer from an eight track player, and the strings are just regular strings, only a lot shorter.
The Spy vs. Spy Sitar
So this really isn’t a Sitar at all, nor was it meant to be. This was one of those instruments that took a very long time to figure out what it wanted to be. I was kind of 
just flying by the seat of my pants on this one. Oh wait, that’s how I build all of these things. The Sitar part of the name came from the nice droning buzz sound I get out of it. I think it has a lot to do with the bridge I used. It was a curved piece of ceramic tile from a kitchen I worked on last week.
The Spy vs. Spy part of the name came from Jen. Sometimes Jen is crazy, but this time she was crazy. That makes no sense, and that’s how I like it. Mind you ever since she said that all I can see is Spy vs. Spy. It reminds me of the first time somebody told me the Jimi Hendricks line was “excuse me, while I kiss this guy” The song has never been the same.
The instrument was constructed out of knotty pine (I do like Knotty Pine) from the family run hardware store down the street. The face of the body was from a demolished basement, and it is in fact real fake wood paneling from the Seventies. 
Finally the back of the instrument is another of those lovely salad bowls.
The fret board was set up as a “Classical long” From Stewart-MacDonald web site. He has a great fret calculator on there that I use for most of my fretted instruments
My Oblique Strategy for the Spy vs. Spy Sitar was Overtly resist change
Here are some comments that were left for this instrument.
So this instrument is badly in need of a name. Anybody out there with any ideas, please, help me out here. I made this out of scrap pieces of wood from the larger scrap pieces of wood that I get from job sites, the streets of Parkdale, and furniture my friends and family give me. I do like to use salvaged material. It’s my way of making me feel better about all my other sins, and trust me folks, there are many. The tuning pegs came of a
coat rack that I obviously dismantled. I have been quoted as saying “I don’t believe in hanging coats” It’s true. The round things on the head of this instrument were wooden cupboard knobs. Is that
not fascinating? Wow.
My Oblique Strategy for this instrument was Discard an axiom
So far only two entries have been submitted for the “it kind of looks Greek” instrument
1. “NonSpoon” by The Lone Guitarist
2. “Euclid's Beltbuckle” posted by Anonymous, but I think I know who it is. I’m looking in Warwick’s general direction
I’m still waiting for the one that jumps out and grabs me. I am leaning slightly towards Wicks choice right now.
Two more to add to the list
3. "Mjollner" by thefirstbardo
4. "Balabanjo" "Banjolaika" and " Fuckaranjolaika" these three entries were by Alex_n
5. Somebody going by the name of Felix the Cat has suggested the TriLyre. This one is growing on me.
Here are some of the comments that were left for the odd instrument.
-
I think you should call it the NonSpoon because it isnt a spoon. Theres no logic in there so dont try and look for any lol. keep up the inspirational work
-
Hmm.
How bout 'Euclid's Beltbuckle'
because Euclid was the father of geometry (and it is quite a geometric object), and beltbuckle because, well, because it isn't I guess. -
Something having to do with Mjollner, Thor's hammer. But that would be Norse, not Greek. So hpw about the Norse Hammer or better yet, The Nørdic Håmmer.
-
Looks like a fore-shortened Balalaika and a fucked up banjo had a kid...with rivets!
Balabanjo?
Banjolaika?
Fuckaranjolaika? -
How about TriLyre. A lyre is a Greek instrument related to the harp, but hell, who cares, if you dig the name.
-
I think it looks Russian. And it reminds me of a super-sleek jet fighter, but it's too long for a fighter. Oh, wait — I've got it:
BalaConcordea
elan
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
Sister of the Door-o-phone
I really don’t have much to say about this instrument. I enjoyed the layout of the Door-o-phone and thought I could reproduce it. I don’t really think it came out with the same feel to it. It was hung in a show and forgotten about until I found the Raga and the Drone in my files. I also wanted to use up the nylon strings that have been in my string box for far to long.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
yer comin' awful close to dissin' the Jen there, better watch it or she'll kick yer butt.
Shouldn't it be 'naughty pine'?