2018 electro-acoustic washboard

New for 2018

The haufcut electro-acoustic washboard

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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. 

'Hank' Hang Drum

'Hank' Hang Drum

I made two of these drums, from emptied helium gas tanks for the North Glasgow Skiffle Orchestra project. Drilling them was fairly easy using a metalwork drill. - Cutting the ellipses to size, with a sabre-saw was trickier. I suggest drilling sets of 3 joined holes at the top of the drum, then cutting down the side, Cut about a centimetre at a time, until tapping the elipse produces the note you want. Dennis Havlena invented this drum, and there is a useful template on his website... 

Dennis Havlena's Hank Drum

Haufcut Stompification - Stomp Box #7

Haufcut Stompification - Stomp Box #7

Here's a stomp box, made from a nice jewellery box I got for 50p. - Fitted with a piezo pick up, tone and volume pot, mono chassis socket, and a snare plate. Made in 15 minutes. Less than £8. - Sounding good.

and here's a video:

STOMPY Stomp Boxxx

STOMPY Stomp Boxxx

Wooden boxes for packaging wine bottles aren't great for making CBGs, but they are great for 

STOMP BOXES. (An electric bass/ kick drum). 

Here's a step by step guide to building a stomp box: 

Step 1. You'll need:

A wooden wine box with a lid (mine was hinged, with a catch.)

A metal plate, box lid or tray (not vital, but it makes a nice noise.)

Electrics: (Available from guitar shop / electronics store.) £1-£3

A mono instrument jack socket

A piezo transducer pick up

2 potentiometers (pots) - One Volume, One Tone.

2 knobs that fit the pots 

A capacitor (I used 0.33 ohms)

Wire

Solder

Tools

Drill,

File,

Pliers,

Screwdriver,

Soldering Iron

Step 2: 

Take the biscuit tin lid and snip at the corners so it folds flat.

Step 3:

Cut a metal section from the lid, fold it over the corner of your box and screw it in place, leaving one edge unscrewed, to allow it to slap against the box when stomped.

Step 4: 

Open up the box, 

Step 5:

File, chisel or sand down the area where the pots and jack will go. Drill 3 holes and secure the components with their supplied nuts and washers, tighten with pliers.

Step 6:

Solder the wires to the components. Sorry that my sketch is  rough. I hadn't intended for it to be online. Search the internet for a better one if you can! 

 Step 7:

Fit the knobs to the pots on the outside of the box.

Step 8:

Plug in a lead and try it through an amp. (Not this close though, or it'll probably cause feedback!)

Step 9:

Decorate it, smooth down ANY SHARP CORNERS ! and add a carry handle - {Belt section held with screws and washers on mine.)

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