The Ultimate Kit Guide

Community Quality: 3

(5=Most community) How much of a community is there around the kit? Are there builder groups, online forums, circles, and meetups? Is the kit used in class- rooms or after-school programs? Do the kit makers or builders have a presence at events like Maker Faire?

Drum Kit Kit

Drum Kit Kit

Make Kit Reviews

Drum Kit Kit

$19

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Reviewed: November 14th, 2011

Turn anything into a drum set with your Arduino and this simple kit. Some makers build custom drum sets from fine hardwoods, while others take the easy route and make practice sets from mouse pads and sheet metal. Instead of building my own, I used the included piezo elements to trick out my Rock Band […]

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Drone Lab V2

Drone Lab V2

Make Kit Reviews

Drone Lab V2

$230

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Reviewed: November 11th, 2011

As a newbie to synthesizers and most electronics, I found the Drone Lab V2 a rewarding kit to construct. This analog drone synthesizer is made up of four oscillators, each with tuning and volume control, that get mixed together and run through various effects. You can also run another synth, noisemaker, guitar, or whatever straight […]

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Etherwave Theremin

Etherwave Theremin

Make Kit Reviews

Etherwave Theremin

$359

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Due to its hands-free interface (your body’s interference with its electromagnetic field controls the sound), the theremin is famed for both its novelty and its importance in 20th-century music. When I started building this kit, I had little soldering experience, but the straightforward instructions made for a great introduction to the world of circuits. The wooden casing […]

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MOD 102 DIY Guitar Amplifier

MOD 102 DIY Guitar Amplifier

Make Kit Reviews

MOD 102 DIY Guitar Amplifier

$215

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Musicians have long praised the tone of tube amps, and after a face-melting guitar solo, it looks pretty rad to have your amp glowing behind you on stage. I love the simplistic, wholly utilitarian design of the Mod102’s case, and the sweet tone it adds. The circuit design is point to point, giving beginners and […]

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Loud Objects Noise Toy

Loud Objects Noise Toy

Make Kit Reviews

Loud Objects Noise Toy

$20

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Reviewed: November 2nd, 2011

Bzzzzrrrreeeeepeh-khkhkhhhhhhhk! Build your own Noise Toy with this kit from electronic noise group the Loud Objects. Plug in your headphones and glitch out, or jack into an amp and play it as an instrument. These kits come complete with a custom-printed circuit board, a noise generating microchip programmed with the firmware Loud Objects uses for […]

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E.S.V. Fuzz pedal

E.S.V. Fuzz pedal

Make Kit Reviews

E.S.V. Fuzz pedal

$95

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Perfect for the hobby electronics musician, the E.S.V. Fuzz pedal adds that “Extra Special Vintage” tone to your electric guitar. The kit has a handy PCB design that makes soldering a breeze, and as a result I was able to put this kit together in about an hour. Follow the detailed instructions and you, too, […]

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The Persuader Tube Drive Effects Pedal

The Persuader Tube Drive Effects Pedal

Make Kit Reviews

The Persuader Tube Drive Effects Pedal

$65

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Reviewed: November 1st, 2011

Looking to get some clean preamp boost out of your guitar, and love the tone that vintage tubes offer? Check out The Persuader pedal from Mod Kits DIY. The Persuader can take the tone of your guitar from nice and clean to that warm, smooth tube overdrive. Easy to construct with the solid instructions, this […]

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