Thanks for sharing your trial and error findings. I paid for plans back in 2015 and the guy I bought it from showed all the tricks. You are 95% the way there. The only thing you're not doing in the addition he did to the middle. He glues and additional piece 3" wide x 5/8 directly in the middle before cutting the tongues. gives the big ones extra mass and a better ring. Working on a bass unit right now myself. Got a extra tricks for tuning the inside sides if you ever want to compare notes.😀
I did not go over installing the bottom after tuning is complete. I use a 1/4”/6mm bottom. My view is that the bottom of a tongue drum is performing the same task as the top of an acoustic guitar. Think of the tongues as the strings, they create vibration and the only thing below them that will vibrate like an acoustic guitar top is the bottom, so to amplify that vibration a thinner bottom will move more than a thick one. I have not experimented with a thinner bottom, mainly because by the time you’ve done all the rest I don’t want to chance making a mistake. A thinner than 6mm bottom might give you more volume but it also might make it sound muddy. As it it there is plenty of volume with 6”D x 8”W x 18”L box. In a living room with other acoustic instruments it will have no problem being heard. If anyone has experimented with bottom thickness I would love to hear your results.
Hi heyokahousemedia, I do sell them, I’m having to move my shop so I’m not taking special orders at this time but I do have a couple different tunings in stock that are for sale. Drop me an email jeffmartin4443@sbcglobal.net
