Elemental Design

Metal Instruments:

Metallophones, Glockenspiels , Gongs...

Metal is an incredibly resonant sound source. In designing these metallophones and "gongs", I try to make the most out of their vibrational possibilities. With the exception of some wrenchophones, I usually tune these pentatonicaly. My metallophones are resonant enough that other tunings would mean a lot of overlapping sound and disharmony. These are closely related to the more traditional vibraphone,celesta, glockenspiel, and the Balinese gender and saron. Only I use copper pipe, thick salvaged aluminum, wrenches, and old water tanks to achieve a wider spectrum and possibly more interesting sound in my metallophones and gongs. For interesting variations on gongs, check out my experimental... page.

Pipe Harp

Copper on Oak
HEAR PIPE HARP ////PLAY VIRTUAL PIPE HARP

The name "Pipe Harp" comes from the resemblance in sound to a harp, when either is "strummed" across the notes. The tone is bright, resonant and clear. These work well with Balinese tunings for the more adventurous or gamelon fans.

Pentatonic (12 keys, 16" long).....$220

Atunement Bar

Copper on flat laying Hardwoods

Bass Whale Drum

HEAR WHALE DRUM
This recorded very softly, so you'll need to crank your computer volume way up and possibly wear headphones to do the sound justice. I'm working on a re-do.

These are made from old water tanks with rounded tops, in which I cut "tongues".
The sound is incredible: rich, deep, and vibrant.

Four to eight tongues, made to order (16"- 24" x aprx.40")...$175- $305 finished
cheaper if you clean-em up and paint.
I currently have a bunch of these on back order, as it's getting hard to find the proper tanks. Be prepared to wait quite a while for one.

Wrenchophones

HEAR WRENCHOPHONE////PLAY VIRTUAL WRENCHOPHONE
Yep, made from old wrenches and mounted on a flat board. Bright, clear sound.

five note pentatonic....$60
twelve note diatonic.....$125

Available in a wide range of sizes and scales
up to three octave chromatic.
add $5 a wrench for most other sizes.
If you want to spend more for a bettter sound and look, check out the Children's Museums page
for ones that look more like below:

Cosmophones

HEAR 8 KEY COSMIPHONE
Made from recycled aluminum pipe. Can be either mellow and very resonant or loud and brain warpingly resonant depending on the mallets used and how hard it's played.
Available in a pentatonic tuning any size up to 12 or so keys.

$15 key unfinished keys with a flat base.
$20/key shiny finished keys with a flat base.
Also available with a "box" base.

Others:

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