the goatpot was the first instrument of the lute family i built
from scratch. it is built from three main items: a piece of goat
skin from a broken bodhran (also used for the cardboard drum), a redwood 2x2, and a
plastic pot from a floral arrangement.
the goatpot was built before i had set up my workshop. the only
power tool i had was a hand drill; the results are pretty rustic.
i carved a pegbox and the pegs with a knife and a few chisels. the
goatskin is held on by a rather irregular weave of twine to a
simple wooden plate on the back of the pot. the bridge, nut, and
tailpieces are carved out of scrap wood.
the neck is fretless. the tuning pegs have a tendency to pop
loose; as a result the tuning of the instrument varies from day to
day, but it is usually some combination of octaves and fifths,
sometimes with a minor third between the two highest strings.
the tone of the higher strings is reminiscent of some similar
middle eastern/northwest african instruments. the bass string has
a surprisingly rich, double-bass-like tone.
examples:
samples:
samples, loops, and Reason/Mach5 banks coming soon...
the goatpot was the first instrument of the lute family i built from scratch. it is built from three main items: a piece of goat skin from a broken bodhran (also used for the cardboard drum), a redwood 2x2, and a plastic pot from a floral arrangement.
the goatpot was built before i had set up my workshop. the only power tool i had was a hand drill; the results are pretty rustic. i carved a pegbox and the pegs with a knife and a few chisels. the goatskin is held on by a rather irregular weave of twine to a simple wooden plate on the back of the pot. the bridge, nut, and tailpieces are carved out of scrap wood.
the neck is fretless. the tuning pegs have a tendency to pop loose; as a result the tuning of the instrument varies from day to day, but it is usually some combination of octaves and fifths, sometimes with a minor third between the two highest strings.
the tone of the higher strings is reminiscent of some similar middle eastern/northwest african instruments. the bass string has a surprisingly rich, double-bass-like tone.