Guide to DIY Instrument Kits

Check out this guide to DIY instrument kits. Discover how using a kit to make homemade instruments can become an exciting project for you or the entire family.

By K.C. Compton
Updated on October 26, 2022
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by AdobeStock/Christin Lola

Check out this guide to DIY instrument kits. Discover how using a kit to make homemade instruments can become an exciting project for you or the entire family.

Use a Kit to Make Homemade Instruments

If you enjoy handcrafts, you may want to build your own instrument. Several companies make kits and offer good technical support. You don’t need to be a master carpenter, but some basic skills and basic tools are necessary. If you don’t already have the skills, you might want to ask someone who does to help you build your first instrument.

“The neat thing we see is whole families getting together to build an instrument,” says Jerry Brown of Musicmaker’s Kits in Stillwater, Minnesota. “It doesn’t require so much skill as it does time, motivation and interest. So it really can be a great way for the family to work together. Then, they have something really nice that can stay in the family.”

Companies often rank their kits in order of skill level and the number of hours required for the project. A simple hammered dulcimer takes about 10 to 20 hours, a mandolin — one of the more complex projects — can take in excess of 40 hours.

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