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Other Stuff That Has Little To Do With PLA => General Discussions => Music => Topic started by: MattGSX on October 08, 2007, 08:50:30 PM

Title: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: MattGSX on October 08, 2007, 08:50:30 PM
It will be constructed of:
a French Horn (horn) mouthpiece (for the widest range. Shallow-ish cup with thin walls)
Garden hose, cut to variable lengths - 9 ft, 12 ft, 20 ft, 24 ft (to give different length resonating bodies)
instrument bell- probably my favorite part. This will be made using a toilet with the cabinet either cut off or containing the coiled hose.
I'm experimenting with different lengths of hose to see if it really has an effect on the overtones I'll be able to blow. Since so much of the resonance is going to be absorbed by the material, I don't think it will matter after 12 feet, since anything over 24 could very well be unplayable

Here's the challenge: I'm trying to think of a way to string the top of the toilet bowl with 7-24 sympathetic drone strings (probably just guitar strings) tuned to the chromatic scale with a few microtonal variants thrown in there for good luck. My original thought was using the u-ring and stringing it like a lyre, but I don't know how to string a lyre. Maybe I should cement the headstock of a guitar to the u-bend and the bridge on the other side and just have 6 fully tunable strings? I don't know.

My hope is to start it this weekend and have a video made before Halloween of a full performance.
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: Zazen on October 09, 2007, 04:00:13 AM
That sounds really cool, but I get the feeling that the garden hose will muffle the sound.
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: MattGSX on October 09, 2007, 10:36:52 AM
Well, it sort of will. The rubber is not the greatest for sympathetic vibrations, but it gives such a distinctive sound that I'm willing to take the smaller overtone series resulting from the absorbing materials.
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: Nod on October 09, 2007, 05:39:18 PM
May I ask what kind of drugs inspired this?
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: M-26-7 on October 09, 2007, 06:34:10 PM
May I ask what kind of drugs inspired this?
Jenkem
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: Nod on October 09, 2007, 07:01:41 PM
OMG! FECAL NARCOTICS!
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: MattGSX on October 11, 2007, 09:57:23 AM
May I ask what kind of drugs inspired this?

None. For embouchure-building exercises, I already have to blow overtones into a garden hose. My idea was to originally use a glass bell, but then I thought that it would sound like ass with the vibration of the glass itself. My next idea was porcelain because 1) it absorbs no sound (which means more presence) and 2) It looks hilarious.

I'm getting the toilet this weekend!
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: PHISH-PHREAK on October 11, 2007, 06:26:26 PM
(http://img164.imageshack.us/img164/6180/insstoua7.jpg)
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: M-26-7 on October 11, 2007, 06:39:03 PM
My own mediocre attempt at humor has been highly amusing to myself. @ TOILET BONG
Title: Re: So I'm building an instrument
Post by: Zazen on October 11, 2007, 08:15:01 PM
For embouchure-building exercises, I already have to blow

No need to build a poop tuba. I'm sure plenty of guys will help you build up those chops

 :-*