Perhaps a few years ago, the idea of anyone owning a 3D printer would be ludicrous given its price, but nowadays it’s not such a far-fetched idea, and with that being said, it will be interesting to see what sort of things people are able to cook up using their 3D printers. We’ve seen in the past how 3D printers can be used to make all sorts of things, ranging from medical to novel, but what about musical instruments? During CES 2014, the folks at Mac Observer came across a 3D printing booth and performing live at the booth were a group of musicians who, for the most part, were performing on instruments that were 3D printed!
As you can see in the video above, the drums, the guitar, and even the piano were 3D printed, at least for the most part. While the innards of the instruments remained the same, it was their shells that were 3D printed, leaving rise to the possibility that those at home could one day start fashioning their own instruments easily, coming out with all sorts of interesting looks and designs that normal instrument makers might not have thought of. Of course some might argue that using plastic is hardly the best material to use when it comes to making an instrument, especially given wood’s inherent acoustic properties, but hey if it sounds good, who are we to judge, right?
If you have a minute to spare and want to see what jamming with 3D printed instruments might look and sound like, check it out in the video above.