Make: Kit Reviews

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 […]

Musical Instruments: Arduino, drums, music, musical instruments

It took me about 45 minutes (not including glue drying time) to put together a service-able ukulele from Wolfelele’s precut wooden components. The well-designed parts fit together in a way that ensured it didn’t end up crooked, and the triangular instrument sounds better than any other $100 ukulele I’ve played. The kit has everything you […]

Musical Instruments: music, musical instruments, Ukulele

In an alternate Old West universe, folks played synthesizers, and they called ‘em “Phantastrons.” Incorporating tubes, steel panels, and a branded wooden crate ripe for customization, this is one unusual synth kit. The power supply comes mostly assembled, but the 30s-era “turret board” is a challenge for seasoned solderers. Not your standard volt-per-octave functionality; this oscillator […]

Musical Instruments: music, musical instruments, synthesizer

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 […]

Musical Instruments: music, musical instruments, synthesizer

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 […]

Musical Instruments: music, musical instruments, theremin

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 […]

Musical Instruments: amplifier, guitar, music, musical instruments

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 […]

Musical Instruments: music, musical instruments, noise-maker

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, […]

Musical Instruments: effects pedal, guitar, music, musical instruments

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 […]

Musical Instruments: effects pedal, guitar, music, musical instruments

Aspiring luthiers will find this a satisfying first project, with its pre-assembled mahogany body and ready-to-attach neck; you’re left with the satisfying jobs of final assembly and finishing. The woods are nice despite the low price — the plywood fretboard being the only weak piece — and if you build it as instructed, you’ll end […]

Musical Instruments: music, musical instruments, Ukulele