Where the wind blows..

[Caspar Hauser]

From what I can tell, everyone here is making stringed instruments of one kind or another. I am curious, is anyone making wind instruments? Uilleann or Northumbrian pipes anyone?

[Jim Finn]

I made a train whistle once.......haha.

[Caspar Hauser]

Well, there's one, any advance on one?

:)

[Andrew Gibson]

I made a train whistle once.......haha.

Thats what I was going to say... The President of my woodworking club makes them. he brings them around to all the woodworking shows and fairs and blows it to attract people to the booth... though I have not made one myself.

I have read somewhere recently of someone making their own reeds for woodwinds, but now I don't remember where it was.

Do turkey and duck calls count? Some of the guys in the turners forum make those.

[Caspar Hauser]

I suppose duck calls and whistles would 'count'. :)

I am curious why everyone seems to be making plucked rather than wind or percussive instruments. I know little to nothing about making musical instruments and wondered why the predominance of stringed instruments? A cultural thing? Ease, or indeed challenge of manufacture?

I also happen to like the Northumbrian and Irish pipes.

It would be interesting to know what draws you to make the instruments you do.

[James Patrick]

I am curious why everyone seems to be making plucked rather than wind or percussive instruments. I know little to nothing about making musical instruments and wondered why the predominance of stringed instruments? A cultural thing? Ease, or indeed challenge of manufacture?


My guess would be that they are difficult to make. I don't know a whole lot about it but other then the simple flutes and train whistles, most wind instruments seem to be very complex combination of wood, plastic, and metal. I could be wrong about that though. I like the idea of making percussive instruments though. That might be something to try in the future.

[Caspar Hauser]

I did wonder whether wind instruments might be a bit tricky. I don't know if you saw this when it was posted in another thread but it is quite beautiful and a percussive instrument to boot.


3 min - Apr 3, 2011 - Uploaded by stball777
Forest's xylophone this is an Japanese cell phone commercial for touch wood a wooden cell phone No CG or tape-cut. Four days spent ...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=r83-GBFepj0

[Rick Rutten]

Caspar that is really cool. Thanks for the link.

Rick

[Caspar Hauser]

If only for reference or should anyone be interested I just found this site dealing with the building of a set of Northumbrian small pipes;

http://www.machineconcepts.co.uk/smallpipes/pipe1.htm

[george wilson]

Nah,I just make musical instruments!!!!:)

[Caspar Hauser]

Ah ha, so that's how it is, is it?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWWBXPo1PXQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player etc..

Irish pipes, http://www.seanreidsociety.org/#