Nina KalininaMar 8

I'm sick (again!), and so I'm reading old magazines as a comfy way to spend time. I have procured scans of 1961's magazines (that's 65 years ago!), and will share some interesting findings in this thread.

The Workbench magazine features a DIY ukulele on the cover, that sounds... incredible? I wonder if the instrument itself sounded good. We'll find out, I guess?

Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
"Workbench" features a catalogue of patterns for sale, from "unusually cute designs" to "electroplating baby shoes" and a gun RACK (edit: it was a gun rack!). I wonder if baby shoes must be in a "never worn" condition for this to work.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
After all, who wouldn't want a DIY transformer, right?
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8
We're back to the ukulele-making article! Now I know why I'd want to have a bandsaw in our local hackspace, huh.
Show threadNina KalininaMar 8

Aha, they're using pre-made fretboard. I imagine making a decent fretboard is probably one of the biggest challenges in making an instrument like this?

Surprised that strings and pegs were considered "difficult to obtain"

Show threadToby JaffeyMar 8
@nina_kali_nina it’s not too hard to make a simple board with a plank and some fretwire. This cigar box guitar I made is bearable... The simplest instruments aren’t fretted though and are still a lot of fun https://youtu.be/XwxBoZmbBk8?si=F3_MBKOmhHMfbrOq
Show threadTim Chaffee
@tobyjaffey @nina_kali_nina I've seen a few fretboards on cigar box guitars made with long carpenters nails and one didn't even file off the points. You had to be careful playing that one 🤕
Mar 8 at 1:40pmWeb