Customize your guitar by downloading and printing your own parts

reAcustic eGuitar, with removable sound cells

Amit Zoran of MIT Media Lab envisions an acoustic guitar with parts that could be customized and updated with open-source downloads and printed on a home 3-D printer. (3- D printers are poised for home consumer production  and should be available in the near future).

Zoran explains " ..the reAcoustic eGuitar enables guitar players to customize their own sound by assembling different sound cells instead of a single large sound box. Each string will have it’s own bridge, each bridge will be connected to a different cell. changing the cell size, material or structure will allow sound design innovations, re-designing acoustic musical instrument according to the abilities and characteristics of rapid prototype materials. open source and shared files environment can lead to a reality in which a player can download or design his own sound cells and add them (as a patch) to his instrument".

Zoran

Seth Hunter test drives a newly printed flute in this video

Multi-piped horn: Playing with
design possibilities using 3D printing

Zoran is also known for printing a working flute and recording the results as it was played as a test for acoustical quality. The resulting video is a good demonstration of the possibilities for 3D printing in the evolution of music.  He has also designed alternative concept instruments using 3D printing technology.