Looking for silent practice instrument at low budget.

Buco

This might sound silly but I wonder what kind of effect would blown balloon inside the box have...then it'd be easy to pop it and pull out whenever you want.

Willie

"Up, up and away in my beautiful balloon ..."

Funny idea, will try it as soon as possible!

Lango-Django

Ok, Willie, maybe you could try this… very quiet…

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/8832/travelling-practice-guitar-fits-in-yr-suitcase

Willie

@Lango-Django Good and very practicable idea!

I just come back from talking to my luthier, Karsten Schnoor. As the goal is practising rest stroke technique without disturbing neighbours we discussed the following arguments:

• foaming ruins the instrument, and a lot of those industrial foams can cause cancer
• stuffing dangerous for the contact microphones inside
• dampening the strings leaves the guitar rather loud no matter what material
• unplugged electric guitar still too loud
• silent guitars without ribs no correct arm position possible
• silent guitars with ribs low volume of tone but probably still loud attack, especially with steel strings

-> So our final conclusion was: I keep my guitar as it is and change the practising room. I take my gypsy guitar to school and practise whenever I have some time off, there will always be a room not in use.

billyshakes

I once met a pro saxophonist who lived in an apartment complex in Istanbul. He built a sound isolated room within one of the rooms of his apartment. Basically a box within a box like Russian nesting dolls. Lots of sound damping material in between. You could sit in his adjacent living room and really not hear a thing (or much more than a stereo on low volume).

But then again, that isn't really the cost-effective solution you were looking for. If you are practicing at school, perhaps you can have the added benefit of playing on a stage or in a room with good acoustics!

Willie

Yes, our music room has a small stage and fine acoustics, I always go there when I want to record something. And the lobby is almost sounding like a church.

This box-within-a-box thing is fantastic, a violin playing friend of mine had this built in his flat. Rather expensive and complex because every nail or screw will be a sound bridge.

constantine

cant agree more with @Ben Dallow

Snap Dragon guitars also fold to the smallest length so you can travel with them

rudolfochrist

I wonder if someone has tried one of these to practice the rest stroke silently?

https://www.thomann.de/de/harley_benton_santos_series_fingertrainer.htm

Willie

@rudolfochrist I thought of trying this tool, but I'I'm afraid that ribs are essential for a relaxed arm position -> proper right hand -> correct rest stroke.

juanderer

https://www.djangobooks.com/forum/discussion/comment/109723#Comment_109723

I just hope that if they do so on a plane (like the first example in the video) they don't cover themselves with a blanket. 😣

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL8kk6gzPNQ