The Von Slatt guitar amp

Music

Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.

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May 21st, 2009 2

At last year’s Maker Faire Bay Area, Nathan Johnstone of Abney Park debuted a violin at the Saturday night show modded by artisan (and MAKE contributor) Molly Friedrich. Later in the year, at the Steampowered convention, Nathan debuted the Von Slatt Strat, a guitar modded by MAKE, Volume 17 cover maker Jake von Slatt. This year, Nathan returns to the Faire with a free-form group of amazing Seattle musicians, as part of Carnivale Mechanique, a steampunk encampment (with a lot of the folks who created last year’s Contraptors’ Lounge and some exciting new additions). At this year’s event, the Von Slatt Strat will be joined by a worthy amplifier, this radio-cabinet special, again crafted by Von Slatt.

Nathan’s New Amp

Nathan’s violin by Molly Friedrich