Hornucopian Dronepipe and More; Uncommon Musical Instruments That You Can 3D Print

There are a lot of bizarre inventions in the world. It all comes in shapes and sizes. Same thing goes with instruments. We know the basics, guitars, violins, pianos. But, have you ever thought that there is an instrument that shapes like a tree? Or an alien-like musical instrument like a Hornucopian Dronepipe? In this article, we’ll show you rare musical instruments that you can 3D print.

 

We will categorize it from the most bizarre to the funniest looking instruments. Let’s start!

3 Printable Bizarre Instruments

1. Crwth

 

(Image Source: https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Crwth)

 

Crwth is an ancient Celtic instrument from Welsh. The appearance of this odd instrument is similar to a violin. However, it’s box-shaped which is nothing like the curvy dimension of a violin. The wooden, rectangular body frame of the instrument has two holes in the soundboard. It also has very small tuners and a special cavity across the fingerboard.

 

The sound of this instrument makes you feel like you’re in one of the Welsh’s scenic lands. You can definitely 3D print the body of Crwth. There are a lot of plastic materials that can be an alternative to its wooden body frame. 

2. Hornucopian Dronepipe

(Image Source: https://www.arch2o.com/hornucopian-dronepipe-monad-studio/)

 

MONAD Studio created this dystopian-looking airpipe using 3D printing. Hornucopian Dronepipe is a combination of 5 instruments like:

 

• 2-string piezoelectric violin
• 1-string electric travel bass guitar (monobarasitar)
• 1-string piezoelectric monovioloncellon
• Small didgeridoo
• Hornucopian

 

The sound of this bad boy is somewhere between a scream from the underground to a straight up SFX from an alien invasion movie. You can’t really explain the great quality of its sound through words. You have to listen to it and describe it yourself. 

 

There are a very few companies distributing Hornucopian Dronepipe. However, the instrument is purely made out of the three-dimensional printing technology. So,all you need is a concept design to create this instrument.

3. Nyckelharpa

(Image Source: https://www.albanfaust.se/en/nyckelharpa-3/)

 

If you look closely, this looks like a combination of several instruments like cello, accordion, and guitar. Nyckelharpa or key harp is a traditional Swedish chordophone. The instrument’s keys connect to tangents. Furthermore, these keys serve as a fret to change the pitch of the string. 

It is hard to find Nyckelharpa online. If you found one, you’ll have to pay a lot of money just by getting a set. Good thing, frames of this instrument are printable using 3D technology. Maybe you can assemble your own Nyckelharpa instead of buying one. It’ll be more meaningful once you hear it for the first time.

 

3 Printable Funny Musical Instruments

1. Hydrolauphone

(Image Source: https://interestingengineering.com/musician-plays-hans-zimmers-interstellar-theme-on-hydraulophone)

 

From the name itself, hydrolauphone creates sounds out of vibration from running water. The player seals the holes of the waterjet to produce a full, calming sound in a unique fashion. It’s like listening to melodramatic music while it’s raining. Moreover, it produces chilly but relaxing music because of the dripping water sound effects.

 

You can 3D print the overall structure of the hydrolauphone. All you need to figure is where to put the holes and its dimension. 

2. Sitar

(Image Source: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_2017-3039-1)

 

This string instrument originated in India which is also popular in other Southeast Asian countries. The common usage of  sitar is for Hindustani classical music. You can play this instrument solo or in ensembles. Additionally, you can hear Sitar to traditional northern Indian dance-dramas called kathak. Sitar is very popular from the 16th century until the 18th century.

 

You can customize the exterior appearance of your Sitar using 3D printing machines. Some companies can also provide unique designs that will still incorporate the traditional Indian aesthetics of the instrument.

3. Toha

(Image Source: https://victorgama.org/instruments.html)

 

Also known as Totem Harp, composer Victor Gama popularized the Toha. His inspiration in creating this instrument is a nest of extinct Angolan birds. Apparently, he wants to “evoke” their spirits in the instrument. The sound of this musical device feels like you are in a surreal place with a lot of chirping birds.

On top of that, two people can play this instrument at the same time. It has a set of strings on both sides. A great way to have bonding time with your loved ones. You can 3D print the built frame of the Toha instrument and attach the proper strings after. Who knows? You might be able to evoke the spirits of the extinct Angolan birds.

You can produce different bizarre and funny musical instruments as long as the material needed is available. Shapes and sizes are not a problem since there are various 3D printers that can print complex designs.

 

Where Can You Print 3D Musical Instrument Like Hornucopian Dronepipe?

You don’t have to look for a store to buy exotic-looking musical instruments. 3D2GO can help you in creating the best musical instrument. Whether you are a hobbyist or planning to manufacture unique instruments, we got you covered.

We are an end-to-end 3D printing service provider that serves many industries. Meaning our service ranges from scanning anything to 3D printing it. Here’s how you can benefit from our services.

If you have an instrument in mind that you want to redesign then we can scan it for you. We also have advanced 3D software that will professionally modify your instrument according to your likings.

Once done, we can work for rapid prototyping if your main purpose is to mass produce it. After all, we have to make sure that your idea is flawless before mass production. It’ll save you tons of money and time.

Sky’s the limit when you choose to 3D print your idea. Contact us today and let’s discuss your ideal unique musical instrument.