Here it is very famous among the people who cannot play any instrument but is able to follow the rythm. It is like a bass kalimba and I have seen some excellent performers in some parties.
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Ok I will try to explain a little more about it.
Basically it is a bass kalimba, meaning that is is some sort of percussion instrument based on metal strips that when plucked make some sound. In my place it is normally played by someone who is not able to play a proper musical instrument but has some feeling about rythm and music. You can put from 4 to 8 strips or tongues, and each one must be aporx tuned to a certain note. The sound is not really tuned but when played with someone you can simulate a bass, both with rythm and by notes. I haven´t seen things as alaborate as mine except for a semicircular one. Normally is just a box with a hole in it and some tongues. Because this was a present to a friend I tryed to put some decorative inlay in the top and around the soundhole.
The materials to make it is just plywood (3mm thick), some pine strips for internal reinforcement and of course some hard wood for the bridge. The metal tongues are made normally from metal strips, best if they are hardened so they are stif and return to position when plucked.
For the sound, as far as I rememeber i did some research around the Helmotz resonance to calculate the hole size according to the air volume of the box, and also I didi include two fan bars inside the soundboard and some reinforcement on the back. The results were to my thinking very nice, compared to some boxes I have seen in shops and parties around.
The worst side of the story is that I made three fo them: for my father and two friends; and none of them play them so I sort of became upset with this experience and promised that I will only expend my time on instruments for myself and kids.
If you need some measurements I can take them from my fathers instrument.
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Basically it is a bass kalimba, meaning that is is some sort of percussion instrument based on metal strips that when plucked make some sound. In my place it is normally played by someone who is not able to play a proper musical instrument but has some feeling about rythm and music. You can put from 4 to 8 strips or tongues, and each one must be aporx tuned to a certain note. The sound is not really tuned but when played with someone you can simulate a bass, both with rythm and by notes. I haven´t seen things as alaborate as mine except for a semicircular one. Normally is just a box with a hole in it and some tongues. Because this was a present to a friend I tryed to put some decorative inlay in the top and around the soundhole.
The materials to make it is just plywood (3mm thick), some pine strips for internal reinforcement and of course some hard wood for the bridge. The metal tongues are made normally from metal strips, best if they are hardened so they are stif and return to position when plucked.
For the sound, as far as I rememeber i did some research around the Helmotz resonance to calculate the hole size according to the air volume of the box, and also I didi include two fan bars inside the soundboard and some reinforcement on the back. The results were to my thinking very nice, compared to some boxes I have seen in shops and parties around.
The worst side of the story is that I made three fo them: for my father and two friends; and none of them play them so I sort of became upset with this experience and promised that I will only expend my time on instruments for myself and kids.
If you need some measurements I can take them from my fathers instrument.