In case you missed it...

[Charlie Schultz]

Birthday contest- post photos/stories of instruments with an MIMF connection (e.g. inspired by or completed largely due to the MIMF). Optionally, build an MIMF-connected instrument. Top 3 entries (voted by staff) get an MIMF t-shirt or sweatshirt. Contest ends at midnight server time on the MIMF's birthday, July 5th, 2017.

[Eric Knapp]

Now that's motivation! I was hoping to get my first full build done by then but this is going to make me put it on the calendar and aim for it.

-Eric

[Gordon Bellerose]

I'm just getting ready to take some pictures of the last couple of guitars I've built.
They are indeed inspired by this forum. I have previously posted some of the build threads.

[Bryan Bear]

I won't bore you with pictures (partially because I don't think I have any) but the instrument in my avatar is definitely MIMF inspired. There may be a thread here somewhere but is suspect it was in that time when old discussions ended up in limbo. Back when it was made I had secret dreams of making guitars but didn't have the confidence to do it. I made other instruments of my own design that were not "typical" instruments. Long necked dulcimers, that sort of thing. I was learning woodworking from scratch at the time too. In my head, it was easy to make instruments that didn't really come with any preconceived notions of what it should sound like. I guess I felt like nobody would think it was a lousy sounding whatever because there were no expectations of what the "ideal" sound was.

I had this idea kicking around in my head of a wood top banjo that sounded clearly banjoish but less harsh and not quite so loud. I had borrowed a resonator banjo to try to learn on; I was quickly kicked out of my house <G>. I had some ideas of how I should make it to achieve the sound I wanted but didn't have the confidence to get started. I opened a discussion here about the project. That may have been my first post here after lurking for a long long time. I got some really great help that more or less confirmed the direction I thought I should be headed. Then one of the old $100 challenges started up. I took that as the kick in the pants to get started. I didn't finish in time but eventually did finish it. I had a banjo player at a local music shop give it a test run. It sounded (pretty much) just like the tone I had in my head when I started making it.

That really was the kick starter that got me thinking that I could stop "pretending" and just make the instruments I wanted. Without the help I got in my first thread and the MIMF build challenge pulling me in to making that instrument, I probably would not have started taking my work seriously for a good long while.

I still can't play banjo

[Chuck Tweedy]

... and the instrument needs to be started after April 24 (date of Charlie's post) ?

I could potentially build an instrument entirely from materials I have won from MIMF auctions...
aw dang that is tempting

Who's going to build a hammered dulcimer in honor of Deb? Now THAT would be an MIMF theme instrument.

[Charlie Schultz]

Technically it could've been started back in January, sorry for not making it clear way back then...