MOTH Instruments:
hand-made/modified or otherwise crafted primitive and unusual musical instruments - all creations and modifications by Timothy Renner, unless otherwise noted. We will attempt to keep here a complete record of all Moth Instruments. All instruments are signed and numbered functional primitive outsider art. All instruments are one of a kind.
Before officially starting Moth Instruments, Timothy built/modified many instruments including: sitar-guitars, dulcimers, dulcitars, bass dulcimers, guimbri-banjos, glasstambouras, and more. Any of these items are available for custom order.
Timothy won the instrument builders award at the 3rd Annual Cigar Box Guitar Extravaganza in Huntsville, Alabama with a tamboura-lute creation of his own design. This may be considered MOTH Instruments #0. Though it is not for sale, we can build others on this design. (pictured below, Timothy performing with the tamboura-lyre).
MOTH #01: The Red Dragon
A cigar-box guitar with 4 strings. The high strings are a double course, to add volume and the ability to use modal dulcimer tunings. The neck was a gift from Shane Speal, the King of the Cigar Box Guitar.Timothy then added the pyrography (woodburning) design of the Chinese dragon. Modified custom tailpiece and bridge; nut carved from bone. Gold sun on headstock. As with all MOTH instruments, burnt moth designs visable through soundholes.
MOTH #02: The Mojo Snake Fiddle
A 2-string stick fiddle made from a blue/black cigar box, walnut neck, and ebony fingerboard. Hand-made walnut bridge and carved bone nut. This fiddle even has a pickup installed to electrify the sounds if desired. The pickup wouldn't necessarily be needed as this fiddle is plenty loud when played acoustically.
Snake design winds up and around the neck with moth designs visable through sound holes. Inside the fiddle, for extra mojo, is a rattlesnake rattle. There are many old folk legends from Appalachia and the delta about rattlesnake rattles making instruments (especially fiddles) sound or resonate better - but some musicians added the rattles just for the vibe.
