O.S.M. Ind. Biscuit Tin and Broom Pole Slide Bass.

I have more time than money on my hands at the moment so, riding on the back of the success of the 2 Rubber Band Box, I decided to have another foray into the world of musical instrument building.

I've long wanted to try my hand at making a jingle-pole but where's the craftsmanship in that?
No, my ambition is greater.
I want an instrument I can play tunes on.
Oh, yes.

I have several biscuit and sweet tins lying about in the attic doing nothing in particular.
I took the first one that came to hand and escorted it outside for a re-spray:

 I could've left it in it's original 'Winter Time Biscuit Assortment' livery but I'd have to wait for at least 50 years before it became 'retro' and, therefore, 'cool'.
(Not that that sort of thing matters to me in the slightest you understand.)

I removed a machine-head from a beat up old guitar Mystic Roger gave me and cobbled together a mounting from a bit of aluminium angle, a piece of copper pipe and a washer:

I used an elaborate brass coat-hook to anchor the string to at the other end (a screw-in eyelet would've been completely adequate):

Positioning this was the tricky bit.
I rotated the machine-head hole until I could sight along the pole to approximately where the anchor should be then hit and hope.
I got it nearly right but next time I'll draw a pencil line along the pole to make sure everything lines up properly.

When the biscuit tin had dried, I fastened it to the broom pole with two hefty screws and large flange washers then put the lid back on.
For the bridge I chose to use an old guitar bridge I just happened to have and can't for the life of me remember where it came from. Eventually I may replace it with another piece of aluminium angle which, to me, would seem more in keeping with the build ethos:

 Tuned it up to 'C' and 'Bob's y'live in lover':

A bit of decoration for the head-stock:

Now, at the risk of exposing even more of my musical incompetence, here's my first attempt (yes, it really is) at getting a tune out of it:

Shame I can't find my proper glass bottle-neck (I'm using a disposable lighter in the vid) and I'm sure my accuracy will improve with practice.

Having said that, when I played my uke along with the movie I was certainly playing in 'F' for some of the time.

The true advantage to this instrument of course, is that there's only one string to tune.

Hoorah for me!