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VIDEO: The World's Most Irritating Instrument

Meet the Savart's Wheel, a tuned rasp instrument performed by legendary instrument inventor, Bart Hopkin. There are thirty discs placed on a rotating spindle, each with ridges placed on the edges. Hopkin uses hand-held styrofoam cups with plastic plectrums as the means of playing/amplifying the notes. (Styrofoam is a great resonating material!)

Enjoy the irritating sounds as Hopkin plays Somewhere Over the Rainbow! (We're hoping that he records a Christmas album on the Savart's Wheel someday...)

Learn more about the Savart's Wheel by visiting Bart Hopkin's website.

A note from Shane Speal: Bart Hopkin's work has been highly influential in my study of DIY instruments. The back issues of his now out-of-print magazine, "Experimental Musical Instruments" are an essential resource. This book contains all of the canjo-building how-to info that Ben "Gitty" Baker has gleaned over almost a decade of building these fun, easy-to-play instruments. Canjos are one of the easiest homemade instruments to build, and now you have all of the how-to guidance you need right at your fingertips! This guide is chock-full of detailed color photos and diagrams to walk you through each step of canjo-building.

How to Build a Canjo - $9.99

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Permalink Reply by Mark Bliss on September 12, 2017 at 4:44pm

I am pretty sure that with some effort, I could improve the design.

Getting the drum to run true and reduce "wow" and "flutter" would be a start. Then changing to a drum of infinitely varying diameter instead of steps.

Color coding zones for pitch reference might be a good thing.

I am confident I could improve the results to at minimum, the level of horrible. LOL!

Interesting concept, from a thinking man. Dig it.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Wiley on September 12, 2017 at 11:36pm

Thanks for the morning laugh

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Permalink Reply by John Sawyer on September 14, 2017 at 3:15pm

holy hell... it's like screaming puppies nails on a chalkboard. Good for him! Glad I don't HAVE to listen to it...

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Permalink Reply by JL on September 14, 2017 at 11:42pm

It deserves a spot on the Steve Allen show...

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Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on September 17, 2017 at 4:55am

Almost as irritating as my wife on a relentless rant about my cbg's?

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Permalink Reply by Paul Craig on September 17, 2017 at 6:09am

Too funny. You better hope she doesn't see this post or you'll be making a lot of replacement gits. Haha

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Permalink Reply by James Matthews on June 13, 2018 at 11:17am

... I LIKED IT!! :)

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