Lee Connah's Instrument Photo Gallery <
Welcome to the home of Lee Connah's "Pick of the Litter Instruments".
These are fun and functional stringed musical instruments built largely from salvaged and recycled lumber, construction debris, found objects, stock hardware, and other unorthodox materials. All necks and tops are made and shaped by hand -- no parts are taken from existing instruments. Many of the instruments have been featured in exhibits of green-themed art and craft. Some are in private collections, some are currently for sale, and commissions are always accepted.
As a carpenter and construction worker I see lots of useful and beautiful materials go into dumpsters every day. i ssalvage antique wood from demolition, newer wood "waste" such as tropical hardwood flooring cut-offs and rejects, and electrical wire, then combine with ordinary hardware, found objects, and other repurposed materials. Throw in some Mardi Gras beads, glitter paint, or other decorations and a unique instrument is born.
It is often forgotten that, historically, folk music was made on folk instruments. Factory-made instruments did not exist until very recently. All were made by hand by someone. One of my goals is to explore and identify simple methods of construction that could enable anyone with basic skills and tools to successfully build an inexpensive, good sounding instrument.
Click here to read What Weekly's review of Lee's Instruments at Baltimore's DIY Festival.
Big News: "Silver Girl" upright electric bass recently received an "Honorable Mention" in Cigar Box Nation's MacGyver 100% Recycled Guitar Building Contest.
Recent one-man exhibition: April 9, 2011 at Noon Whistle Pottery in Stanardsville, Virginia.
You will find links to audio and video for several of the instruments below.
"Lady Luck" Twelve-String Resonator Guitar (2009).
The neck is made from an antique pine stud salvaged from a Baltimore City rowhouse. The resonator is a hybrid built from a large cookie tin with an added wooden back. That wood is old growth spruce sawn from a half-rotted fence post, edge glued and planed. Note the dark staining around nail holes in the resonator back and the neck. The wood of the top and back is salvaged luan plywood.
Detail of "Lady Luck"'s top showing strings running beneath the "suspension bridge", a design I developed for use with this type of resonator guitar. The image of Annette came from an old LP found in a dumpster.
"Silver Girl" Upright Bass (2009). The body is built-up from layers of scrap plywood, the neck is a piece of handrail stock. The frets are from 10 gauge copper electric wire anchored with countersunk drywall screws. Follow this link to see and hear this bass played.
Volume control knob is from an old reel-to-reel tape recorder. The circular grille beneath it came from a junked charcoal grill. Dice function as fine tuners. Note the home made pick up with plexiglass top.
Detail of tuners made from bike quick releases.
Click here for video of this banjo.
"Six Ball" Acoustic/Electric Guitar (2010). The green enameled Masonite panel of the top came from an old kitchen base cabinet. The neck is from locally sawn cherry and antique salvaged walnut. The fret board is from an odd piece of tiger maple found among the construction lumber at Home Depot. 
The Six Ball has an adjustable bridge and an internal piezo disc pick-up for amplification.
The back is made from old panelling from my bathroom remodel.
"Redwood Banjo" (2011). Pot rings made from salvaged old growth Redwood siding. Neck with a core of scrap Sapele Mahogany with laminated layers of Redwood, and a scrap Cocobolo fretboard.
The head is a clear 8" Remo drum head. The compensated bridge is made from Sapele.
Here is a video of the Redwood Banjo being played.
"Tamboura", 2010 (private collection). Built quickly as a proof of concept piece. Later modified by Matt Muirhead.
Click here to see and hear the Tamboura played by Matt.
Click here to see and hear this guitar played.
Maps of Baltimore, and a vintage (circa 1970) Natty Boh cap..
"Chick Feeder Fiddle" (2008)--galvanized "chick feeder" found in abandoned hardware store; all woods are from scrap: neck from plywood laminated to a core of heart pine flooring; Jotoba flooring fingerboard and bridge; cork flooring chin rest, antique poplar fine tuners. Stock hardware tuners and spoon tail piece.
Internal decoration includes found mirror shards and Mardi Gras beads. Four of the holes are open, the rest have plexiglas covers applied from the inside.
This angle shows neck and headstock detail.
Here is the chick feeder's original price tag!
"Azalea Resonator Guitar" (2011). This guitar's top is made from old panelling with a subtle spray paint sunburst. Note the bottle opener tail piece.
Watch and listen here.
"The vintage "Azalea" cookie tin is the heart of the instrument and create a Dobro- or National Steel-like sound.
The hand made neck is locally sawn Cherry with a strip of antique Walnut.
"Natty Boh Resonator Guitar" (2007)--6 National Bohemian Beer can resonators; salvaged 2X4 neck; unknown tropical hardwoods from woodworkers' scrap for headplate, bridge plate, and fretboard; salvaged luan plywood top and back; spray paint sunburst, oven knobs and automobile nameplate.
Detail of fretboard tail, hand-carved bridge, and resonators.
"Foster's Cello" (2007) Spine: salvaged 1X6 lumber. Fingerboard and bridge: reject Jotoba flooring. Bouts: left over plexiglas, aluminum flashing, fake fur, beverage can resonators. Tuners are bike quick releases, dice are fine tuners.
The tailpiece is cheese slicer, peg is a paint roller extension handle; miscellaneous scrabble pieces, yardsticks, chopsticks, mardi gras beads, glitter paint, etc.
"Fretless Walnut Banjo" (2007)--The wood for this piece came from a damaged piece of antique furniture believed to have been used for church ceremonies. Note the unusual rectilinear engravings in the neck and head. The delaminating walnut burl veneer and the original routing profiles can be seen in the photos below.
"Walnut Banjo 2" (2009). A traditional-style walnut banjo commissioned in the likeness of the earlier piece from 2007. The wood for this instrument came from the same damaged piece of antique furniture, which was thought to have been from a church. The buyer requested this instrument be fretted, however.Click here to see and hear this banjo played.
The two Walnut Banjos together.
"Purple and Orange Jumbo 5-String Ukulele" (2009).
All recycled and salvaged woods. Beautiful vintage cookie tin resonator.
Another perspective.
"Prince Albert Guitar" (2009). Cookie tin resonator, 2X4 neck, salvaged Luan plywood top and back, tobacco can head plate, spray paint sunburst. Home Depot "construction grade" maple for the fretboard.
The Prince Albert's neck extends a little behind the nut to make slide playing easier.
