Upcycling Musical Instrument: Creating The Solution

Upcycling Musical Instrument: Creating the Solution

In this phase I will show you the steps of making a one-string guitar, there will also be a process journal about how I decided to tweak some design when I had some problems.

My final product:

Me playing it (the sound recorded is a little weak and I need practice to play it good so…):

My video:

Materials:
A hinge

Several screws (about 10 at least)

A wood stick (for the neck) (I use a stick from a canvas)

A can (for the body) (diameter: around 25-26 cm) (I used an oreo can)

A bridge (anything you think is suitable but I am using a piece of wood)

Four pieces of small woods (about 4cm long and 2cm wide, depends on your neck)

Metal string (you can try other strings)

Paints (if you want decorations) (I used aquirlicks because I don’t have proper paints)

Tools:

Drill

hammer

nails

screw driver

file tool

(paint brush)

(The below pictures are taken with the finished product, it shouldn’t look like this before decorated)

Step 1:
Make a hole in the body, close to the side where the neck comes out. Draw a circle  (8-10 cm). If you have a hole. If you don’t, use nails to put holes around the border (the line you drew), use a wire-cutter to cut the circle out, and use a file to push the sharp parts TOWARDS the inside of the can and smoothen it.

THE HOLE SHOULD BE ABOVE HALF OF THE CAN, SOMETHING LIKE

This should take about 25-30 mins (for me as a beginner)

It might only take 17 mins if you are good at it.

Step 2:

Make a hole for the hole for the neck to go through. Place the neck in place and draw a line around it (max half cm from the edge: the better the closer). Use nails to put holes on the line, and use a file to push the sharp parts in and smoothen it. OR, you can put holes in the inside of the line, close holes, and then use a file to hit it gently until you get the useless part out.

This took me 30 mins, because it was the first time for me to make holes.

It should take about 17-22 mins

Step 3:

Take those little pieces of wood, face the no-hole side facing yourself, the neck pointing forward (not facing you). Now you have your wood/neck in, put the little wood understand the neck horizontally, drill holes on the left and right (through the little wood and the neck). Turn your whole thing over, and put the a screw in both holes. Flip the whole thing back in place like a while ago. place your second wood under the neck vertically. Drill holes on the top and bottom (through the little wood and the neck). Flip the whole thing over and put on the screws. Tighten all the screws. By now, the neck should be stably attached to the body with a hole.

MAKE SURE THE FIRST LITTLE WOOD PIECE IS ABOVE THE HOLE, AND THE SECOND IS IN THE BOTTOM.

This took me about 23 mins, it should take about 15-20 mins.

Step 4:
Take out your bridge. I suggest you to make the bride by cutting out a 5-6 cm (longer than the width of the neck) wood from a round wood. The round wood’s diameter should be around 1 cm. Use a file to flatten a part of the bride until it it (file the part below the line. Now take out your nut and your screw and your drill. Put the bridge in place horizontally (straight line with the neck, 5 cm from the edge of the hole). With the hole facing you, drill two holes on the side (don’t drill on the neck) and put screws and tighten the nut at the bottom.

Sawing and filing needs about 25 mins, putting it to the body needs about 20 mins for me, it should only take 15 mins if you are good.

Step 5:
Put the hinge on the edge of the neck (screw it), it will be the start of the string. Put a screw a bit lower than the hinge. . Loosen the screw here:

This step takes 15 mins maximum, unless you totally have no experience.

Step 6:

Put the hinge down and tie the string there and the losen screw. If it is very loose, do this.Bundle the string around the screw (the one close to the hinge), but make sure it is loose. The hinge should go like this:

Push it down:The string will tighten up.

This takes maximum 5 mins unless you don’t know how to tie.

Step 7:
Decorate it by painting. Better not to put too much little decorations because it may come off easily in this guitar where everywhere is going to be touched.

Decorating took me about 2 hours. It probably can be faster.

PLAY THE GUITAR BY PRESSING DIFFERENT PLACES. IF IT TURNED OUT THE STRING TOUCHES THE CAN WHEN YOU PRESS CLOSER, YOU CAN PULL NOT PRESS OR PRESS LIGHTLY.

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My process journal

2-12

I got a  string and I tied it to the hinge, to a screw on the body, push down the hinge, the string got tightened and the one-string guitar is done.

1-12

Today, I made a hole in the body of the guitar so the sound from the string will go in and make a vibration and sound louder. I draw where the hole should be, I used nails to put holes into the can/body, I used a wire cutter to cut it, and at last use a file to make it not too sharp and smoother.

I put a hinge on the edge of the neck as I thought it is a good idea and worked at the prototype. I put a screw in front of the hinge so the string can be bundled around it when lose (like the prototype). I painted blue for the body and yellow for the bride and neck, because I think it looks nice, it matches and it is really eye-catching. I painted the neck part below the hole black to make it look like nothing is there, a real hole. I didn’t have paint for painting that so I used aquirlick but it turned out good and beautiful.

31-11

Today I put the bridge onto the can, the body. I wanted to stick it at first but it was the same advice from my Dad: Sticking isn’t as durable as screws. I thought so too, I used screws at last. I used tape to stick the bridge in place, I drilled a hole on both sides, put a screw all the way through the hole, and put and tightened the nut at the bottom.

30-11

My dad said sticky the wood pieces may not be durable enough and suggested me to use screws. I used screws to stable the neck.

29-11

I cutted out a part of a thin round wood, and I used the file tool to scrub the wood flat at the bottom in order to stick it to the can. It is going to be the bridge.

28-11

Kevin said he’s going to buy the strings as he’s buying his too. I took my wood and can to class. I changed my design a bit:

1. At first I wanted to make the wood go over the can and the string over it and is without a cover, I changed it into putting a cover on top and let the string go on it and make a hole. I changed it because I thought the can is too big and it would be difficult for people to hold while playing. So it will be easier for players to press and hold it still.

2. At first, I wanted the wood to go all the way through (go in and show some parts out) the can just like my sketch and prototype. However, I changed it and only show the neck part, and a long screw will be drilled through the can to the wood (to make it rigorous). So now, the can have a hole, bridge and the screw (for tying the string) on it.

It was hard to make a hole in the can because I didn’t have any proper tools to do that. Mr. C taught me to use nails to make holes, use a wire-cutter to cut it and use a file to push it back and flatten it.

I used a clamp to hold some thin pieces of wood and used a saw to cut them. Mr. C taught me to stick it under and above the wood in the can to make the neck rigorous.

27-11

Kevin said he couldn’t take out the guitar string. I went to buy cookies, with the can. The cookie, and the can, costed 8.9 dollars. I took all the cookies out and took the can.

26-11

Today, I prepared my materials to make the proper one string guitar. I took a wood (one from the same canvas) and a can. I planned to smoothen the wood and then cut a hole in the can and put it together with the wood. However, according to my teacher’s suggestions, my can was too small, and he’s right. I tried to get some can from my classmates but they all said they don’t have, so I decided to buy some cookies and use the cookie can. I smoothened the wood. I asked Kevin if he have any old guitar strings, he said he had and would give it to me.

11-24

I made a prototype today.

I told my Dad what I wanted to make, and the materials I would need. We looked around the house and found a drawing I gave up before and it was on a canvas, we took out the wooden frame and used it as the stick of my guitar. In the tool box in my home, I found some hinge. We put them in the edge of the wood, and flip the wood over, and put one more on the same edge. We cut a hole in a plastic container to fit it in the stick. We put the bridge- which is something we just found from the toolbox and we wanted to try if it works- and tied the a slingshot string (because this is only a prototype and I want to take it easy first) to the hinges. We then push the hinges straight to make the string as tight as it could be. I wanted to make the guitar tunable easily, we thought maybe if we can put a screw so when they want it tighter they can bundle the string around the screw and unbundle it if want it to get lower sound and loser.