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Origami Expert Creates Folding Ukulele Kits

November 15, 2011 / compact, cute, folding, fun, glue, good job, good lookin', hawaii, i am impress, instruments, laser-cut, making music, making things with your own two hands, transformer, travel, want, why do i get the feeling half my kit is gonna wind up glued to my crotch?, wood is good

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Brian Chen, best know as the origami expert who created these Batman, Iron Man andWall-E models, is back at, this time WITH FOLDABLE UKULELE KITS OF HIS OWN DESIGN. This soprano-sized kit, which takes "about half a day" to construct will set you back around $85, or you can get a "supermini" version for $75. Good lookin', Brian. I used to have a guitar that you could remove the neck from for travel but I ended up losing the body. Now I just have a stick. That's the problem with a lot of stringed instruments -- their necks are so long it makes them hard to transport. Unfortunately, same goes for flamingos. Really wish I'd thought of that. *sadly hanging 'CLOSED FOR BUSINESS' sign in the window of GW's Flamingo Import/Export*

Hit the jump for a bunch more shots of the finished products, a short video of Brian explaining the design, and a link to the sale page.

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Product Site

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There are Comments

  • During the 1980s a number of folders started systematically studying the
    mathematical properties of folded forms, which led to a steady increase
    in the complexity of origami models, which continued well into the
    1990s, after which some designers started returning to simpler forms.

  • Is it possible to get the cut files for those of us with access to a laser cutter?

  • Adam Talbot

    GW used to be funny right?
    does anyone else remember that.

  • This is a really amazing idea! Unfortunately, at least based on the video provided, it sounds about as good as the  20 ukuleles you can buy at Zellers. For $375 for a completed model you could just buy a REALLY NICE soprano ukulele or a decent tenor or baritone ukulele and you would still not really have to worry about transporting. 

    There's no way that thing stays in tune well at all nor can the intonation be good. 

    Still, it looks amazing!

  • Now I wish I could play the ukulele.

  • Neko Gray

     It takes about 15 minutes to learn how to play the ukulele. That is one of the things that makes it so fantastic.

  • origami and ukulele? hipster level 90!

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