A rake handle and wine box create a playable slide bass. These plans, originally in Modern Mechanics and Inventions magazine were first published in 1931 as part of a larger article, "Crazy Music from Odds and Ends." I've transcribed the Rake Cello portion of the plans and also included scans of the entire article at the bottom.
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How to Build a Rake Cello
Got a nice old fashioned wooden hay rake with a couple of teeth missing? Fine! Here's where we can manufacture a cello that'll knock your neighbor's ear off. (Shane's note: I've found these rakes at junk shops and antique stores.)
First, swipe a thin wooden box from your grocer that measures about a foot long by 8 inches wide and 3 or 4 inches deep. (Note: Get a wine gift set box from the liquor store.) Cut a hole in the best flat side in the middle and about 3 inches in diameter. (Note: this is the soundhole.) Then in each end cut a hole that will just fit over the rake handle.
Slide the box down over the handle until it's just below the center. Fasten it securely with two or three little screws so it will not surn or slide. Fasten a screw-eye to the bottom edge of the box and just above it fasten a bridge as shown in the detail sketch. Drill a hole in the top of the rake handle and force in a large wire spike bent at right angles as a key. Drill a small hole through the projecting shaft. (Note: I recommend a cheap guitar tuner. The bent wire spike is definitely a cool throwback part, but will slip when you're trying to tune the cello.)
Now get a piece of fine steel wire, a long guitar string or snitch a string out of the piano. (Sigh... Here's another note: Please don't clip wires from your piano. Use a G guitar string and see if the rake handle is strong enough to handle the tension. If so, use an even thicker string, such as an A or E string to get a more bass-like tone. If not, go lighter gauge.) Fasten one end to the screw-eye, bring the wire up over the notch in the bridge and fasten the other end through the key. Then wind the key up until the wire is taut enough to say "do" when you pluck it. Now all you need is a tuning bar (note: guitar slide) consisting of a piece of tin 3 by 2 1/2 inches and a violin bow.
Will she play? Just bear down on the string with the tuning bar and draw the bow across above the hole in the box. Slide the bar along the wire to vary the pitch and in a couple of hours, you can play anything from Home Sweet Home to the Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, just like nobody's business. (Note: while we're over-promising things, might as well say you can play Paganini or Bach with this sucker!) If you haven't a bow, just pluck the string. It'll sound just as bad.
As promised, here are the scans of the entire article, showing glass armonicas, tire pumps, balloons and more:
You can support CigarBoxGuitars.com with a small donation using the Paypal donate button:
Nice, all the instruments are made from household items!