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When we developed the Hubcap Howler, word started getting around the Gitty workshop that this was going to be one of the most unique, old-time sounding kits.  At some point, one of us said, "we should send one of these to Brett Gardner and see what he could do with it!"  So we did!Brett is a master of classic jazz, he's based in New Orleans and performs with 100% homemade instruments.   There was noone better to test drive this kit!  Ben Gitty printed up a special versio …

Youtube guitar sensation, Samurai Guitarist has just published a new video featuring "ridiculous" instruments he purchased on Etsy.  One of those instruments just happened to be a C. B. Gitty one-string Canjo!  The canjo was actually the instrument that spawned the entire C. B. Gitty Crafter Supply Company and the Samurai Guitarist (real name, Steve Onotera) shows its potential as a unique voice within a song. (Fast forward the video to the 9:20 mark to hear it in the s …

We recently got to know Scott & Betsy Heron of the duo, Green Heron at a gig up here in New Hampshire. Since then, they've appeared on the Gitty Gang show a few times and have quickly become good friends.When we created the 2021 Musical Mutants Build-Off Contest, they jumped right in and created their own double-instrument hybrid.   The only way we can introduce this instrument is to play the video first.  It features the trad music duo somehow pulling a fantastic tune out of this …

In the early days of musical recordings, singers and instruments needed to be loud and direct enough to project the music in the acoustic horns or primitive recording equipment.  The violin, in particular, was an instrument that needed extra help to make its way onto the wax cylindars.  In 1899, electrical engineer, John Matthias Augustus Stroh, patented a violin that used a bridge that excited an internal membrane which was fed into a brass horn.  The sound was more piercing …

Unbeknownst to most historians Hawaiian music was all the rage during the Steampunk Era.  Introducing the Phono-Uke, a wild instrument created by Benand Nellie for our 2021 Musical Mutant Build-Off.  Nellie says, I call it a 'Phono-Uke'. The idea came from several late night discussions with a ukulele/ gramophone enthusiast friend of mine and it's made from an old battered cornet, a gramophone soundbox and some scrapwood.Hear it in action...twice...with this throwback demo video f …