Kvetchbox

Inspired by a comment linking to a video by Tom Nunn, the Kvetchbox is simply a wooden cigar box that has been adorned with various metal bits and strategically placed contact mics. It was a quick and dirty project whose beauty lies in the ease in which the instrument can be modified or completely altered. I chose the name “Kvetchbox” because it amused me – no other reason.

This initial configuration features a spring mounted on one side, a series of staples of different lengths, a flat metal bar, a bolt with loose washers, a U-shaped metal clip and a series of ridged metal wood connectors.

The plinks, spoings, clanks and metallic jitters are all captured by a series of contact mics affixed to the inside of the box in a way that they can also be readily moved to accommodate future configurations of accoutrement gracing the outside of the box.

Overall, it’s not an amazing instrument. It was put together in an hour out of frustration. It has severe limitations in the types of sounds it can currently produce, but it has incredible flexibility in terms of future modifications, so I hope to revisit this regularly and continue to hone the instrument until such time that it becomes a formidable element of my rig.