On this page are the current publicized 3d printed instruments. They are subdivided in three main categories:
- Experimental instruments: Where there is an instrument that has no traditional equivalent
- Enhanced instruments: Where traditional instruments get (musical) benefit of 3d printing
- Replications of existing instruments: Where 3d printing is just used as an alternative manufacturing method
At this point, we've not listed 3d printed cases of electronic instruments as the 3d printing doesn't effect the resulting sound.
Table of Contents
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Experimental instruments
Multi Horn Trumpet by Amit Zoran
- Description
A concept design from MIT Media Lab, to illustrate the possibilities with 3d printing. Not yet manufactured.
- Image

Shaker MikeBattaglia
- Description
A simple sealed box with small balls inside. Easy and seems to work like a charm.
- Image

- Material
An unspecified polymer
- Method
Not specified
Dual mouthpiece by Krrrl
- Description
A mouthpiece+adapter for playing two reed instruments at the same time. Sadly, it didn't work.
- Image

- Material
An unspecified polymer
- Method
Not specified
Spiral panpipes by ranjit
- Description
An experimental spiral panpipes. Due to small size constraints, not a real playable instrument.
- Image

- Material
Unspecified
- Method
Unspecified
Enhanced instruments
Violin by ranjit
- Description
A violin made of purely laser-cut parts. A stylized design, perfectly in line with the manufacturing process. Works quite well as you can see in the video below.
- Video
- Material
Wood and plywood
- Method
laser cut
Mechanical Synthesiser by Ranjit
- Description
A simple noisy gadget which uses a method known since the 19th century to generate the notes of a scale: the number of teeth on each gear corresponds to the frequency of a note, so when you let something buzz against each gear, you'll hear the corresponding note. Made from laser cut wood, an electric motor and several other parts.
- Video
- Material
Plywood
- Method
Laser cutting
Ocarina by ranjit
- Description
An abstract ocarina design made of wood. Simple but effective.
- Video
- Material
Wood
- Method
Laser cutting
Ocarina by phaux
- Description
A classic ocarina shape, to be 3d-printed. Was split into pieces due to support constrains. 'moc.loa|dhpkcire#moc.loa|dhpkcire' notes that he has printed it in one piece and that it works pretty well
- Image

- Material
Unspecified polymer
- Method
Unspecified
Zoybar TOR by Bård S D
- Description
3d printed parts for the open hardware guitar Zoybar. Does nothing for the sound of the instrument, but demonstrates the use of 3d printing for instrument parts.
- Video
- Material
Unspecified polymer, looks like Polyamide
- Method
Unspecified
Guitar by Odd
- Description
A whole body 3d printed, though all functional parts are manufactured traditionally.
- Image

- Material
Polymide or Alumide
- Method
SLS
Trumpet at Loughborough University
There have been experiments at Loughborough University, but sadly, none seem to be published online
Saxophone mouthpiece by TuDelft Students
- Description
Replication and enhancement of a Meyer mouthpiece. Experiments in different materials. This experiment proves that professional mouthpieces already can be printed. And there is a lot of room for new experiments, like internal wings.
- Video
- Material
Nylon, Titanium
- Method
Object, SLS
Alto sax mouthpiece by Allanrps
- Description
An alto sax mouthpiece replica, highly functional.
- Image

- Material
Unspecified polymer
- Method
3D systems V-Flash
Croaking Frog by ranjit
- Description
A functional model of a croaking frog, actually croaks!
- Video
- Material
Unspecified polymer
- Method
Thing-o-matic
Rattle by tjhowse
- Description
A rattle with printed peas which you have to break of manually after printing.
- Image

- Material
Unspecified
- Method
Unspecified
Replications of existing instruments
Trombone by Pieter Bos
- Description
The PrintBone, a printable trombone. The design is customizable in OpenSCAD to create all kinds of different trombones.
The bell sounds very much like a trombone. A carbon fiber outer slide was made and sounds very good, inner slide is still the original brass.
The PVC slide sounds a lot less good and works less good, but is very cheap to manufacture. And it's still a playable trombone.
- Image
- Material
bell is PLA, slide is PLA with PVC or carbon fiber tubes
- Method
Printed on an Original Prusa i3 MK2
Mouth harp/Dan moi by jprodgers
- Description
Modeled it off of a brass bass Dan Moi, yet the sound is much closer to a bamboo one.
- Video
- Material
Unspecified polymer
- Method
Unspecified
Flute by Amit Zoran
- Description
A multi material replica of a flute. Made at MIT media lab. In depth article here.
- Video
- Material
Unspecified polymer
- Method
Objet
Recorder by cymon
- Description
Simple recorder replication, works nicely, tuned et al. Had to sharpen the lamel before it started making acceptable sounds.
- Video
- Material
Unspecified polymer
- Method
Printed on a Fablicator
Great Bass Recorder by ssngai
- Description
Great bass recorder (range starts at C below middle C). Because of the great size of the instrument (4 feet in length), 3-D printing was reserved for certain crucial parts, including the fipple cap, hinges, and two keys.
- Video
Note: model in video was an early version with suboptimal tuning. This was corrected in a subsequent iteration.
- Material
PVC and Shapeways "White Strong and Flexible" plastic
- Method
Parts printed by Shapeways.com
Violin by Digitalforming
- Description
A stradivarious has been copied and printed to an apparent success!
- Video
- Material
Unspecified polymer
- Method
SLS
Shakuhachi Flute by Shelia Munro
- Description
An ancient bamboo instrument, replicated one on one in stainless steel by shapeways.
- Video
- Material
'Antique Bronze Glossy' Stainless steel
- Method
Unspecified
Musette (oboe) by Whystler
- Description
A "musette" is the smallest member of the shawm family. Shawms were the renaissance/early baroque version of the oboe. This musical instrument has been created to exacting dimensions to play in the key of F (like a sopranino recorder). It has been designed to use a standard oboe reed. The dimensions are taken from a historical model. The decoration, including the greenman face, twisted flutes, and turning, are his own addition.
- Image

- Material
Unspecified polymer
- Method
Unspecified
Kazoo by elk
- Description
A simple kazoo, made so it can be printed without supports. Some assembly required.
- Image

- Material
Clear PLA
- Method
Unspecified
Whistle by Zaggo
- Description
A simple whistle. Lots of derivations can be found on the site.
- Image

- Material
Polymer, steel
- Method
Unspecified