Most Necessary Invention Ever: DIY Commodore 64 Bass Keytar

  • Share
  • Read Later
YouTube

Many moons ago, man invented the wheel. In 1875, Alexander Graham Bell invented the modern telephone. Now, in this year, 2012, electrical engineer Jeri Ellsworth has invented the next revolutionary piece of technology: the Commodore 64 bass keytar.

She premiered it last weekend — on roller skates no less — at Maker Faire Bay Area. Ellsworth is no stranger to awesome DIY projects; on her YouTube channel, she has videos of her making things like a homemade shooting gallery and a pinball machine.

Her latest invention consists of a stripped bass guitar slipped into a Commodore 64, which, incidentally, was the first computer she ever used. All of the strings are processed by the computer’s sound chip, meaning she can adjust what they sound like on the fly with the press of a button. She can also play different notes on the keyboard, all of which come out on a portable amplifier that she carries with her.

She might be just learning how to play the bass, but she’s already pretty good at putting things together. Watch her explain the project in more detail to a man with an extreme mustache here.

[via Laughing Squid]

MORE: College Freshman’s Automated Dorm Room Has Party and Study Settings