My Homemade Celesta
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ส.ค. 2024
- This is a documentary on the construction of my homemade celesta showing each step of the process through completion. The full video is rather long so if you'd like to see the instrument finished and hear a short demo then skip ahead to [15:30], although you shouldn't miss a couple of fun segments where I tried my hand at some amateur animations at [10:30] and [13:25].
Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.
lovely! I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to play the Celeste that was used for the opening of Mr. Rogers Neighborhood. we used it in a production of the Magic Flute
That's awesome!
This is a most interesting and informative documentary and love the comic relief throughout. Everyone should be sure to watch the full video.
This is really fantastic, a job well done! The finished instrument looks and sounds great! Congratulations on building a fine instrument.
This is awesome! My brother and I are going to be building one as well, your process will be super useful for us.
Very cool project, thank you for sharing this video Todd. I'm presently restoring a Schoenhut toy spinnet. I've restored many guitars and basses. In my storage unit I have a quite rare 1800's "harp piano" it's huge, about as big as the harp inside of an actual piano. They were popular only briefly, mostly in schools in the midwest. I haven't found much info about them, but apparently they have no flat notes (odd!) and were used much like an autoharp, played sitting flat like an autoharp would be, except this weighs about 75lbs. and it's size is about 4'x5'. A friend gave it to me here in North Dakota, he found it in his family farm's barn. The strings appear to be original, since they've obviously collapsed the original bridge over the decades (an easy fix) I'm hoping to be able to refinish it without losing the stenciled art and manufacturer's identification on the soundboard after I clean off the mouse piss and pigeon poo. Ahhh, the things we do for love, right? -another cool find I got here was a 1952 Sherwood DeLuxe lap steel, made by Kay. It sounds GREAT and even has the old screw in amphenol style plug. It was given to me by a cousin who'd put it away in his barn in 1955 when he quit playing! He said he doesn't know what happened to the old FENDER amplifier that went with it...dang!
Awesome! You've got some gems there. I'm going to look up the "harp piano". It sounds interesting. Also, vintage Kay instruments fetch a handsome price these days. Thanks for the message.
Absolutely wonderful video and instrument!! Sounds beautiful!
Thank you!
17:28 Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy played a whole step lower. It was originally written for Glass Harmonica but it's very Delicate so we use a Celesta as a Substitute because it holds tune better.
Love this, I actually have an antique toy celesta and it was while researching it that I found your video.
Nice! Thanks for the messge.
That is the most coolest bell piano I've ever seen and heard. Kinda gives the toy piano a required make over...stat!😀 WTG!
Nice work, Todd!
I love “unplugged” instruments and the more when they are hand made.
Wow... there are actually 10 thumbs-down votes. Must be trolls! So ridiculous - this is a fantastic video! Thank you for explaining your process so well.
Very nice work, Mr. Martin (and chipmunk!)!
17:28 That piece was originally written for a very delicate instrument made entirely out of Glass Drinking cups, the Glass Harmonica
Charming and innovative. Bravo.
cheers from an instrument maker in Vienna, Scott
This is awesome!! We were laughing at your video. Nice job making your own beautiful Celesta!
What a beautiful instrument - really a wonderful keyed "Glockenspiel" (16:00).
BTW: A great and very entertaining video!
Thanx a lot from Germany!
Thank you so much for sharing this, mate.
Thank you for sharing this. I just built a hammer dulcimer of my own design and want to add a keyboard to it just like you did to the bells. It will be a challenge but fun.
I am doing just this right now. Yes this is a challenge. I am using very light weight hammers. Project should be done by Sept. 2016.
LOL Mr. Wikkid Puke, I had to make the long educational/instructional video interesting some-how. It was the most fun part for me of putting the video together. I'm glad you liked it - ha ha.
Great beautiful instrument...skills 4 sure.Gods continued blessings
Very interesting video about the celesta and your project. Obviously, this took a lot of thought and creativity. Congratulations on your project!
Wow, Great work! Thanks for sharing.
Amazing! It was obviously a lot of hard work but such a wonderful instrument as the end result. Well done!
Beautiful work!
It just shows that sometimes need leads to creation, invention and re-purposing of things to a better or more usable format.
very enlightening video - just what i needed to watch!
Thanks Michael!
Quantum: The video is essentially an instruction guide. Exact measurements aren't included but they would vary depending on materials and components. I'm happy to consult should you venture such a project and have any questions.
Very nice, it does sound magical.
Such a nice and fun video to watch and your build is so well done. Great piece of work. Really gives me inspiration to finish my guitar build. Thanks :)
Thanks Leofred. Good luck with the guitar build.
very beautiful job on an awesome instrument. well done.
Great video...What a fabulous sound...Your'e a genius!
Brilliant!!! I love videos like this, and have BIG respect of the time, hard work and creativity that you took to make something so cool!
You're a genius! Fantastic skill as musician & craftsman! I like playing keyboard instruments, too! I'm a creative writer and you
resemble 2 of my creations...Granville K. Hubbard (anglicized from Hlebivoda, Croatian) & Michael (Mickey) Saint-Albans.
Thank you! I'd love to hear your creations.
Truly a wonder, and handmade blessing! I am a very accomplished wood worker, mechanic, and music enthusiast, I just need to be able to play keyboard better (alas, no left hand). I am more inspired to do both--practice more and take on building or restoring an instrument. Best of luck with the stewardship of that old girl you inherited (green w/ envy)! Keep those friends @ the wood shop close, maybe chronicle your work for posterity. All the best, God bless, AC
The Rhodes Piano is an Electrified Celesta
Wow! Amazing! Thanks for sharing.
this is just an awsome project! thanks so much for sharing. so inspiring! didn't even know about celestas. I need one! so beautiful! used to play common metallophone, but never thought of having a keyboard to trigger it! this just amazing! :)))
Impressive work! It must be very satisfying to build your own instrument.
Excellent job. One nitpick: this is not a celesta, but a keyboard glockenspiel, because of the hard mallets and bright tone.
Thanks for the message. You are indeed correct. In fact I had a placard made for the side of the instrument that says "keyed glockenspiel". (Y)
Wonderful.
I thought same idea.
wonderful. :)
Wow you did a really nice job! Well done!
Pretty cool! I wish I had that kind of patience!
this is genius! the world is so small. i was interested in doing something like this out of some parsifal bells i own, then i heard tucson and looked up the fb link provided, and looks like you know khalila from santa rita. i volunteer for percussion at desert view with her! go figure
Wonderful! Good Work :)
very interesting and intelligent idea , i really enjoyed your documentary ..
Thank you for taking the time to send a message. I hope the video will be an inspiration for others to try an "out of the box" project.
Love it !
This is amazing! Great job!
Where did you find all of those celesta recordings to use as background music for the video?
Bravo, well done !
So now with the Keyboard, you can hit the right notes.
Great Work!!
BRILLIANT!
Danny Federici would be proud!
Vey nice ,I'm thinking about making one but where the bells will be about ten times smaller with microphone or electromagnetic amplification,do you think dividing the bells size by ten will do the thing for the correct pitch or is it going to be more comlicated .
Thanks Michael and Zooman :-)
wow amazing talents!
Your dog is cute and I have a black lab too (a puppy, and he is also half golden retriever too)
Beautiful finished instrument....I say with all the time/materials/man hours of labor you put into this machine....it would cost....oh about $13,000 (lol)....but of course...your actual cost is minute....good job....enjoyed watching this video....
Thanks Zippie. Glad you enjoyed the video. Yes, you do understand the labor of love involved, haha. I had someone offer me $800 to build one but that doesn't touch the cost of labor (love).
very good
recomendo
A Keyed Glockenspiel
You are a magician!! hahaha
Would you mind telling me what metal it is?
I'm not sure exactly. I used the tone bars from a glockenspiel but cannot find any info on what type of metal they're made from.
bravissimo!
super cool!! love it!
so....
how much would you charge to build anothuh please? (Tiny Tim voicing)???
can you make an instruction guide on how to do this?
Nice little thing. :)
How did you tune the resonator tubes ? By blowing across the ends, like with a bottle ?
Yes, I started by blowing across the tubes to get close to the pitches but then fine tuned each one by adjusting the pipe fittings. The resonators are most effective on the lower tones.
@@pianotodd Thanks for your reply.
Of course the tuning itself is done by altering the length. But I wondered how you would get the best response of their resonating tone. Blowing was one idea, because I was not so sure if the tubes could be tuned by their response to the chimes, when they are built in. But possibly I'm wrong because that's what the resonators should do and what matters in the end.
Cute dog! :)
Why do the bass notes make such a pronounced "clunking" sound?
I can't really answer your question Laura. I'm not a professional instrument maker by any means. I simply did this as a fun project just to see if it could be accomplished. All of the notes have tone bars that are struck by hard plastic elbow hammers. It could be that the lower notes allow the "clunk" to be heard more than the higher tones. It could be that the mic I used for recording picked those up more than the higher notes. Thanks for your question but I'm just not sure. :-)
great job :D
Thanks!
i need one!
Hello Tod, you did a great job but where have you found the picture at 3:04 because I have the same instrument without any manufacturer' name...1887 writen only...thanks.
+Don Dorgan Hi Don, It was a generic pic that I found though a google search to use as an example. How wonderful that you have the same instrument. I did relocate the pic that was originally on an auction site with only the info that it was made circa 1880. This one has a label above the keyboard but is impossible to read. The auction site no longer has info since it was sold. However, here is a link to the pic if it's of any help for you in doing your research.
www.liveauctioneers.com/item/17378006_keyboard-chimes-celesta-c-1880
+Todd Martin . Thank you Todd .Your answer is a good help for me because I did not find any information in France or through Google. Now I'll search by the German auctionner...
Don.
I'd like to see somebody make either a small piano, or something like this, out of an old type writer.
17:25 "The Most Famous Celesta Piece" [The Nutcracker]. Actually, today I'd argue that the opening of John Williams's Harry Potter theme (i.e. Hedwig's Theme) is equally as famous today (if not somewhat more famous) when compared to the Nutcracker, if only because of it being so contemporary. Though, thanks for sharing the construction, it looks great. Though, the octave range of yours might make it a bit of a challenge to play Hedwig's theme.
By bells I meant forks
Yamaha produces also celesta? Sincerely, I'm not suprised.
muy interesante
hello! please, what is the tuning of this incredible instrument?
It's tuned to A440 and the range is G4 to F6 similar to a glock. or orchestra bells.
Olha eu não tenho aqui primeiro aí dá um joinha atendeu porque tem um joinha e vocês se não todo duplo jóia para baixo
Any chance you would build another to sell?
+Charlie Shapiro I'm honored that you asked but Oh my gosh, it was a ton of work and not even sure if it would come out anywhere near the same. Thank you for asking though.
no problem! great stuff and good work. if you change your mind let me know. Thanks
Damn. This video is straight outa 2006
bruh hahaha
Well you've busted up 30K pianos to make a 13 K celeste
Dog Wott LOL. Not quite. Maybe 30K worth of work but the total cost for materials was under $300.
Todd Martin Ahh ... but that is because you are in the industry!
For us to access all those piano parts, wewould need to take apart a piano, if nothing else
Dog Wott Congrats on all your industry, nevertheless
Dog Wott I bought a toy piano for $119 and used the mechanical parts inside. I bought a used glockenspiel for the tone bars for $50. The felt piano key spacers were purchased online for $12. No actual pianos were harmed in the making of this instrument. You could do it too :-)