Custom Musical Instruments
Hand-Crafted in Carlisle, MA
Build Your Tone From the Start
If you have a dream instrument, we can build it.
Possum Hall Instruments offers custom stringed musical instrument design/build, from concept to reality. Going beyond guitars and basses, we offer some unique hybrid instruments from a variety of musical traditions, including electric ouds, bouzoukis, Ecuadorian bandolins, and more.
A hand-crafted custom-built instrument is a treasure, a family heirloom that gets passed down for generations, and these instruments are cherished by the musicians who play them.
We provide design assistance with all aspects of instrument conceptualization:
- Shape and style
- Neck design and fret choice
- Wood combinations
- Electronics/pickups
- Hardware
Possum Hall Original Designs
Curves and Lines
“Form follows function” is a rule in all forms of architecture and design; musical instruments are no exception. If an instrument is visually fascinating but essentially unplayable due to its size or shape, weight or lack of regard for the laws of physics, then it’s not a “musical instrument”.
Functional musical instruments are optimized to interface with the player (generally a human with fingers and arms and a body and whatnot); this is not a limitation, rather a challenge and opportunity to explore form and function, as pertains to sound and music.
Through creative design, we can move through – and beyond – function and explore the edges of form, the place from which exceptional art emerges.
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A Multitude of Possibilities
The options are nearly endless when designing an instrument – and yet the goal is still clear: to make the finest stringed instrument we can imagine and develop.
Generally one begins with a vision for an instrument: how does it feel? Balance? Weight? What wood colors? What do you want it to sound like? From those questions, one can start to visualize an instrument that meets those criteria, all guided by the laws of physics, vibrating strings, and fine craftsmanship.
One must first dream the dream before the dream can manifest.
Wood becomes sound, sound becomes music.