Friday 23 September 2016

CAJONTY Electric Cajon

CAJONTY(c) Electric Cajon

I have never seen anyone else make an electric cajon. I love the ones that I have made. They are so simple to construct, and I laugh when I see the price some people charge for a cajon. Let me know if you would like one. 


Tuesday 26 July 2016

Friday 1 July 2016

The Jammie Canjo

The Jammie Canjo

An electro-acoustic, tenor, canjo, banjo, made out of a Jammie Dodgers biscuit tin. 



Friday 24 June 2016

The 'Instructions' Cigar Box Ukulele - For Grace.

The 'Instructions' Cigar Box Ukulele - For Grace

Grace, on Amanda Palmer's Patreon page, mentioned that she had a dream about a ukulele, decorated with illustrations from Neil Gaiman's poem 'Instructions', so I offered to make the dream a reality, and the uke will be posted out to Massachusetts on Monday. Unbeknown to me, until yesterday, I finished it on Grace's birthday... Happy birthday Grace!


Sunday 12 June 2016

Haufcut, Electro-Acoustic, Partagas Tenor C.B.G.


Haufcut, Electro-Acoustic, Partagas, Tenor C.B.G.


A lovely sounding tenor CBG, made from a cool Partagas Cuban cigar box. Electro-acoustic, and tuned GDAE. ON SALE NOW !!!




Saturday 11 June 2016

Haufcut, 4 string, Fretless, Deco-Canjo

Haufcut, 4 String, Fretless, Deco-Canjo

Made from a really nice, deco tin, with an oak neck, 4 chrome tuners, a key bridge, cordian nut, piezo pick-up and fretless, for slide playing - Tuned AEaC# (low to high)




Thursday 9 June 2016

Haufcut Cohiba III CBG


Cohiba III CBG


Made from a really nice, black, Cohiba Cuban Cigar box, with 3 strings, tuned ADA, an oak neck, mahogany fingerboard, 24 steel frets, cordian nut, key bridge, chrome tuners, piezo pick-up, black sparkle fret markers. ON SALE NOW!



Monday 6 June 2016

Haufcut Washytartar

Haufcut Washytartar

People keep saying to me "You should make a washboard guitar, like Seasick Steve plays. So I did...

Pre-assembly
Stage 2





Theatre Nemo Workshops

THEATRE NEMO Workshops

I was delighted to be asked by Isabel McCue O.B.E. to lead a series of instrument making workshops with Theatre Nemo, in Glasgow. Theatre Nemo is a charity, which offers participation in arts and theatre for people with mental health issues, and promotes inclusion and the therapeutic benefits of art.. Over 15 weeks, I assisted in the completion of a number of very cool instruments, which were designed and made by participants. It was great for me to see the enthusiasm and care that everybody put in to the workshops... Plus we had tea and cakes most weeks. - Pictures and videos below:

A mini cigar-box dulcimer.
Martin with his mini dulcimer
Ian built a fantastic canjo
The Wallace & Gromit Canjo





Isabel wrote about the workshops here:
CLICK FOR ISABEL MCCUE O.B.E.'s BLOG

Monday 18 January 2016

Theatre Nemo Project

I'm Looking for Your Old Boxes & Tins

Timber & 'Bits' For A Major Project

I will be leading a series of workshops, in Glasgow, from February to May 2016, with Theatre Nemo, a company and charity established to highlight social issues, particularly mental health.
We are looking for tins and boxes to make instruments from. (30cm by 15cm by 5cm is ideal, but anything is useful), also planed hardwood timber, broken instrument parts like tuning pegs and fretwire...and anything else you can offer.
Please spread the word, and get in touch if I can collect anything in the Glasgow area.
Many thanks.
J

BATCAN

BATCAN

Here is the BATCAN - A canjo made from a cool, Batman 'Gadget tin. Fitted with a piezo pick-up, and (finally) completed with bat fret markers, 24 nickel frets, 4 chrome tuners, oak neck, mahogany fingerboard, bone nut and key bridge - Tuned GDAE

and here's a quick video clip from when it had dot markers