Making Musical Instruments by Hand

Rating:
Summary: Good range of projects, without a lot of power tools
Review: I have several other books on making simple musical instruments, and all of them seem to repeat some of what other authors do. Havighurst made a real effort to avoid that with his book, I think. This, if nothing else, makes the book worth a look. The level of detail in the step-by-step instructions is very good, with only two exceptions. The design for the bow for the spike fiddle was covered inadequately, with only two pictures. Also, the layout sometimes is less than intuitive, though that is an editorial thing, not a problem with the content.

I felt that the method of hollowing a dowel with a hand drill instead of a lathe was worth the cover price of the book. It was a method I had never thought of, though it really is pretty simple. Other good stuff includes a lyre (don't see those very often in other books!), a very nice kalimba design, a tall drum, and a Chinese zither. There are no bleach bottle banjos or rubber band zithers in this book, which I often think are put into other books just to pad out the number of instruments shown, without adding any real substance.

I also like the gallery of other instruments of similar types included with each project. It is fun to see what other makers are doing along these lines. It also serves to draw some similarities between different cultures when you see that they have instruments that function in a similar manner.

The one failing that this book (and every other book of its type) had was a very cursory amount of information on how to play the instruments. When you make an obscure or unusual instrument, how are you supposed to learn to make music if there is no available information on playing the thing?

Other than that, it is a very good book for the home hobby builder. The very simple shop setup makes all of the projects approachable for even the most casual of woodworkers. I am a daddy with very limited time and monetary resources, so that is important to me.

Rating:
Summary: Good range of projects, without a lot of power tools
Review: I have several other books on making simple musical instruments, and all of them seem to repeat some of what other authors do. Havighurst made a real effort to avoid that with his book, I think. This, if nothing else, makes the book worth a look. The level of detail in the step-by-step instructions is very good, with only two exceptions. The design for the bow for the spike fiddle was covered inadequately, with only two pictures. Also, the layout sometimes is less than intuitive, though that is an editorial thing, not a problem with the content.

I felt that the method of hollowing a dowel with a hand drill instead of a lathe was worth the cover price of the book. It was a method I had never thought of, though it really is pretty simple. Other good stuff includes a lyre (don't see those very often in other books!), a very nice kalimba design, a tall drum, and a Chinese zither. There are no bleach bottle banjos or rubber band zithers in this book, which I often think are put into other books just to pad out the number of instruments shown, without adding any real substance.

I also like the gallery of other instruments of similar types included with each project. It is fun to see what other makers are doing along these lines. It also serves to draw some similarities between different cultures when you see that they have instruments that function in a similar manner.

The one failing that this book (and every other book of its type) had was a very cursory amount of information on how to play the instruments. When you make an obscure or unusual instrument, how are you supposed to learn to make music if there is no available information on playing the thing?

Other than that, it is a very good book for the home hobby builder. The very simple shop setup makes all of the projects approachable for even the most casual of woodworkers. I am a daddy with very limited time and monetary resources, so that is important to me.

Rating:
Summary: Deliful book packed with easy to make insturments
Review: This is a delightful book for anyone who enjoys traditional musical instruments or building small projects. Using basic materials and techniques, this book will lead you to build some truly impressive and entertaining instruments.

There are 9 categories of instruments here including a shaker, thumb piano, drum, lyre, spike fiddle and zither. Most use simple materials such as a didgeridoo made from PVC pipe and a whistle or flute from maple dowels.

There are detailed step-by-step instructions illustrated with color photos for each instrument. There are also complete tool and material lists for each one and even tips on decorating and playing the instruments.

A wonderful feature is the gallery for each instrument, showing variations in style and materials by several artisans. Contact information for them is included along with a detailed resource guide.