Chet W.

There is a Company called St. Croix Kits from Minnisota, or Wisconsin or one of those states out there who sells great plans as well as kits. I got hurdy gurdy plans from them that are quite nice as well as guiatar and banjo plans. I have a book of plans for most classical; instruments, Baroque fiddles, Viola d'Gambas, Lutes and Harpsichords. I'll get the publisher if you like. i also have plan for Ulliean Pipes. Any of that stuff puff your sails?

Don

Yes, please post us an adress here.

Slainte

alison

You bet. Tomorrow tho' The plans are in my office.

Don

I recently bought (well, last Easter from the Wooden Instrument Makers' display at the Australian National Folk Festival) a book on "Wooden Instrument Making". I haven't done anything worthwhile from it yet (the currently broken wrist doesn't help, but that post-dates buying the book) but friends who have seen the book were keen to get a copy.

The publisher is American, so you are in a better position than I am to chase it up. I will post the full details tomorrow, after I dig out my copy. The book went as far as a full-blown troubador harp, as well as some simpler instruments (for the kids ... or for practice!).

Back with details tomorrow ...

Regards,

Bob Bolton

Check your local library, and as many used book stores as you can. I've seen several, but I don't recall the titles.

I STRONGLY recomend that you read several books on your chosen insterment before you start, I don't think any of them really give the full story on how to make on.

In one of the books I read the author made a Harpsacord, and notes that after trying his first attempt an expirenced player told him to study a real harpsacord before trying again. (probably the nicest way to call a beatifully finished work of art fire wood) So make sure you know the insterment you are trying to build, I'm not saying be an expert, but you should be able string some cords togather to make a tune, and you should know how it should sound. Be prepared to burn your first effort, I suspect that you will need to. (consider it a learning exercise, and then fix the mistakes after you know how the second sounds.

Here you are: Music Maker's Kits PO Box 2117 Stillwater, MN 55082 USA www.musikit.com

The Irish Bagpipes by Wilbert Garvey Blackstaff Press 255A Upper Newtownards Road Belfast BT4 3JF

Making Musical Instruments Edited by Charles Ford Pantheon Books New York, New York

Published in Great Britain by Faber & Faber, LTD. London

These people and books supply blueprints and good descriptions of the process for building instruments. Musikits supplies materials and tools as well.

I hope these are of use to you all.

Don

The book of which I wrote yesterday was Making Wood Folk Instruments, by Dennis Waring,
Sterling Publishing Company Inc,
387 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10016.

This starts with very simple instruments: the Simple Stringed Instruments section runs from Rubber Band Harp, through Washtub Bass and Bleach Bottle Banjo, to Renaissance Psaltery. It then covers Wind Instruments (from Pen Cap Pipes to Transverse Flute [un-keyed]) and Percussion Instruments from Washboard to Drums, before covering woods and tools in preparation for More Complex Stringed Instruments with plans for Hammered Dulcimer, Fretless Banjo, Plucked Appalachian Mountain Dulcimer, Tear-drop Fiddle and Celtic Harp.

The book stops short of the big ones: Acoustic Guitar and Stradivarius pattern fiddle. My passing acquaintance with The Australian Association of Musical Instrument Makers suggests that this is akin to stopping short of walking through minefields! The best examples of these instruments are pretty much the peak of the luthier’s craft and each warrants (and generates) volumes of learned writings - and requires years of dedicated work - or the guidance of a skilled master.

The book is about quarto format, soft covered, 160 pages and profusely illustrated. The US price is given on my 1990 printing copy as $14.95. If it is still in print, I suspect that will have risen ... but not anywhere near what I paid for it at the Wooden Instrument Makers Display in Canberra.

Regards,

Bob Bolton

All the best,

Mick

Chet W.

All the best,

Mick

Saw a great thing played last night... a xylodrum.... anyone have a plan?

slainte

alison