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I built a a thing that makes noise that is in the shape of a diddley bow

I hesitate to call my build an actual musical instrument. It's more like a electric noise maker. I'm not a guitarist, or a musician of any sort. But I decided to see what I could come up with anyway.

I don't have a lot of tools at my disposal, and I didn't feel like dropping money on any, so I used what I had on hand, a cheap little electric drill which is more like a screwdriver, a hammer, and a hacksaw. Here are the parts used:

Axe handle - $15

Altoids tin - $1.50

Guitar strings - $8.00

Eye bolts - $3

Picture hanger - $3

Machine tuner - $2

Audio Jack - $3

Piezo element - free from an old smoke detector

Wiring - free, I "borrowed" some speaker wire from my stereo

So the grand total was probably around $40 once you add in tax. So, here are some pictures and a short clip of what it sounds like.

pics

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/albums/my-first-build-14

Noise

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn-kNgxWGgA

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Smith on September 1, 2011 at 1:41pm

If you had fun building it then that all that matters, right?

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Permalink Reply by Roadkill a.k.a. John Maw on September 1, 2011 at 3:16pm

You are the embodiment of the early bluesmen. You made do with what you had or could afford and you made music. Their spirit lives on.

I'm interested though. In the second half of your sound clip there are two notes played at once, yet the instrument (for that's what it is) only has one string. How did you do it?

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Permalink Reply by Seaman Jay on September 1, 2011 at 8:22pm

If it quacks like a duck.... Nice work.

BTW: I see no bridge and your "nut" is slightly wider than usual - is the string lying flat on both sides? Or is the inner edge of the altoids tin really higher than the outer one?

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Permalink Reply by Marshall Novak on September 1, 2011 at 10:34pm

A friend of mine let me borrow some effect pedels. I forgot to mention that.

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Permalink Reply by Roadkill a.k.a. John Maw on September 2, 2011 at 1:27am

Ah. You were so busy being self deprecating that you omitted this vital information. You see. You are a musician after all.

Marshall Novak said:

A friend of mine let me borrow some effect pedels. I forgot to mention that.

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Permalink Reply by David Beasley on September 2, 2011 at 11:39am

Looks better than my diddley bow! (mine looks like a crucifix) As Thomas Smith said "If you had fun building it then that all that matters, right?" he's right in saying that, I had fun making mine with little to nothing ( one thin plank of wood, two blocks of wood one slightly longer than the other, 9 nails all different sizes, a tiny bit of fret wire left over from my CBG and a guitar sting) the note of the string depends on what angle the bridge it at, but it's a heap of fun to play and was to build!

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Permalink Reply by Marshall Novak on September 2, 2011 at 2:40pm

The string does lay right on the altoid's tin and because of how the fits inside, it is a bit higher on one side.

Rafal Sulejman said:

If it quacks like a duck.... Nice work.

BTW: I see no bridge and your "nut" is slightly wider than usual - is the string lying flat on both sides? Or is the inner edge of the altoids tin really higher than the outer one?

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Permalink Reply by Henry Strat-o-varius Lowman on September 2, 2011 at 3:18pm

Kinda had me thinking of Captain Beefheart. I love the ingenuity that you showed in this build, as Roadkill nicely explained. Don't stop now, cuz you're on a roll!!