Junkyard Jam Band: DIY Musical Instruments and Noisemakers

by David Erik Nelson

Making music isn't about dropping big bucks in the guitar shop or endlessly fiddling with expensive software. It's about wringing good noise out of bits of wood and wire, crafting your own sound with plastic and steel. When you create your own instruments, creating your own sound comes naturally.

"Junkyard Jam Band" is a step-by-step guide to making a full array of complete musical projects on the cheap, no previous carpentry or electronics experience required. Each build includes tips on how to coax the best sounds out of the instrument and encourages you to mod the project to fit your own style.

• Transform cigar boxes into electric ukuleles and thumb pianos
• Bend notes with phaser and tone effects, homebrew synthesizers, and your own electronic pickups
• Turn any magstripe card into a turntable with the Scratchbox
• Give your voice a robotic makeover with the Droid Voicebox
• Unleash the music from cast-off toys and housewares with guides to circuit bending and junkshop percussion

You'll explore the physics behind wind instruments, discover how harmonics work, and get your feet wet with some music theory. To top it all off, the back of the book includes a soldering primer to get beginners started, along with ideas and extra circuits to take your projects further.

Jump right in and build your own band your way!"

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

408 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2015

About the author

David Erik Nelson is an award-wining science-fiction/horror writer and essayist. His fiction has appeared in Asimov's, The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, The Best Horror of the Year, and elsewhere. Find his fiction online at https://www.davideriknelson.com/FreeFiction

Reviews

[Haig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a lot of fun, the instructions for making the projects are clear and easy to follow. I appreciate the tone the book is written in, quite a few little comedic moments.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

In compliance with FTC guidelines, I have won this book through the Goodreads Giveaways.

This is a wonderful book that explains clearly how to make a variety of instruments from simple to slightly more complicated.

I was expecting something less technical, so this is a wonderful surprise. If you enjoy making your own music, I would definitively say to get this book.

[Adam M · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really helpful step by step directions, wonderful tips and tricks. A great companion piece to David Erik Nelson's previous book "Snip, Burn, Solder, Shred" which also has some great instrument building ideas. Lots of side bar information that really fleshes out the process of DIY and makes it seem doable for anyone.

[to'c · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good projects, cool instruments, simple instructions, rich information in the appendixes. I borrowed a copy from the library and almost immediately ordered one of my own from Amazon. Good stuff!

[Nation · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book if you're looking for inspiration on building your own musical instruments. My only critique is that the parts listed for various projects are all from American sites.