BR Ukuleles
Well-known member
Turns out that you don't need all that much at all. Especially if you are living in a refugee camp. Hope you enjoy the video as much as I did.
How much equipment do you need to build an instrument?
- Thread starter BR Ukuleles
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Moore Bettah Ukuleles
Well-known member
Priceless! I love the knot on the soundboard of one of the guitars. Haha.
I keep telling people that you don't really need a lot of fancy equipment to build instruments. It's fine if you're using lutherie as a means to satisfy your tool fetish but they can often remove you from the craft as well. If you walked into my shop you'd be hard pressed to guess what I did for a living. Machinery doesn't build instruments, hearts and hands do. I'm sure the guy in the video builds soulful, if imperfect, instruments.
I keep telling people that you don't really need a lot of fancy equipment to build instruments. It's fine if you're using lutherie as a means to satisfy your tool fetish but they can often remove you from the craft as well. If you walked into my shop you'd be hard pressed to guess what I did for a living. Machinery doesn't build instruments, hearts and hands do. I'm sure the guy in the video builds soulful, if imperfect, instruments.
I must confess; when I saw the title of the thread I thought "Oh no. Someone is looking into building, hasn't done much homework, and is about to be gently scolded in at least one reply." Then I saw who the OP was and decided to check it out. Glad I did. A rather humbling video. I do wish we could have seen the making of those nice-looking saddles.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks for posting.
Timbuck
Well-known member
I think he gets those bridges from the same guy who supplies him the pickups,Tuners, Strings and Fretwire....I like the way he uses a chrome humbucker cover as a tailpiece in one of the shots
ksquine
Well-known member
How much equipment you need? Same answer for everyone.....EVERYTHING YOU HAVE!!!
Titchtheclown
Well-known member
This video made me go out and cut up an old bike inner tube. 2 locating nails through fret slots to pin it in place and wind up. Just seems so much easier than all those clamps.
Timbuck
Well-known member
It is easier ..I do it all the time I use surgical rubber tube ..old inner tube ..and electricians tape on a regular basis.
Flyfish57
Well-known member
I get more flats than tubes I need, but I find the 23c tubes to be perfect. Slice them down the middle and they have the perfect stretchiness for me.
The hand plane sitting in the dirt toward the end of the video made cringe a little.
blue_knight_usa
Well-known member
When I was in Africa this past year, no one I met knew what a guitar or ukulele was. I even drew it out and they had no idea. I was thinking about buying a bunch of ukes and taking them to Africa on my next trip and maybe start a uke revolution ;-)
I was with the Masai who welcomed me into their home (well really a hut of dung/mud which was amazingly cool inside) in Tanzania and Kenya and they had some very crude instruments but nothing with any fabricated materials or even close to this guy in the video. Just wood and bone. This video was amazing. Thanks Allen!
When walking in the bush in Africa, you don't get 9 lives, but you can get 9 wives! Can't wait to see what I can find in Australia ;-)
I was with the Masai who welcomed me into their home (well really a hut of dung/mud which was amazingly cool inside) in Tanzania and Kenya and they had some very crude instruments but nothing with any fabricated materials or even close to this guy in the video. Just wood and bone. This video was amazing. Thanks Allen!
When walking in the bush in Africa, you don't get 9 lives, but you can get 9 wives! Can't wait to see what I can find in Australia ;-)
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