Making an electric ancient Greek guitar

I made this ancient hellenic lyra out of 9mm birch plywood. I used plexiglass for the bridge and nut, a humbucker and regular guitar tuning pegs. Ancient Greeks used to call similar instruments by the name "κιθάρα". That word is a close relative to the word "guitar" we use today.
Tools and materials I propose:
Circular saw: amzn.to/2pJu9Hf
Bandsaw: amzn.to/2pHj49v
Trim router: amzn.to/2ISEo4y
Rotary tool: amzn.to/2IKdUSS
Nail gun: amzn.to/2pH69UY
Electric guitar strings: amzn.to/2C5hNRe
Silver hum bucker pickup: amzn.to/2Cblvsh
Guitar tuning pegs: amzn.to/2zYxiJ3
Volume pot: amzn.to/2QK4nhq
Output jack: amzn.to/2IRrzaF
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, that at no cost to you, I get a small commission if you click through and make a purchase.
For more information about this project, go here:
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[@limaluishenrique]

Dude, you really have fun making these instruments. Keep going! Nice work!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you!

[@6sentient]

definitely djents. jokes aside,beautiful craftsmanship.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol thank you

[@oldtimetinfoilhatwearer]

+Curtis Newton stop

[@tasospatriwtis396]

Curtis Newton...IF YOU DON'T LIKE HIM...WHY YOU WATCHING HIM????

[@RichardCranium69420]

It's not really beautiful craftsmanship though. Creative yes maybe but not beautiful craftsmanship

[@leonruvalcaba1549]

@Curtis Newton totally right dude. Im tired of seeing those pathetic "does it djent" comments over and over . Its so lame, try hard and not funny at all.

[@sapelesteve]

Now that was a freaking cool build & it sounds amazing. Way to go...........

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@BrassLock]

You are very inspirational because you can make beautiful instruments and play them too! Thanks for another easy-to-watch instructional video.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

I thank you my friend

[@romanbouchouiev]

Pleasure to watch & to listen to :)

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@romeo209]

You are so talented! Amazing!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you very much

[@user11000]

Μου αρεσει πολυ οταν βλεπω τετοια projects...Να σαι καλα φιλε μου.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Ευχαριστώ Δημητρη

[@johnkelley9877]

Not only does it look great but it sounds great too!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you

[@marcusfridh8489]

He is both Hermes and Apollon in one single person

[@HeathKnuckles_Tasty_Timber]

Love it! Sweet project brother! 🤘👊

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thanks Heath

[@Luxalis-]

“Guitar”... I disagree with that statement, but it’s an amazing project, nice work

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you. It was actually called that way in GreeK "κιθάρα"!

[@aWildJosh213]

So, this is my 100th time watching this, and it’s so cool!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@didpen]

magnifique et super outillé !

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@markgoode4109]

Excellent project. Very interesting and looks great. Best wishes

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you my friend!

[@klausrhodes6969]

Great work from the foundation of Europe 👍🏼

[@capnskustomworks]

Excellent work, brethren!!!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you

[@TheWoodYogi]

Superb instrument again :) You will need to arrange a mini orchestra to play them all before too long :) ॐ

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@JosephCenter]

Sweet! Probably hard to reach, but I wonder if you could play that with a slide so you're not limited to only those 5 notes.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thanks! I guess you can but with certain difficulties!

[@CrankyBonesGaming]

I wanted to hear the Stairway to heaven guitar intro on this

[@MarkMcCluney]

Fantastic Dimitris! But you beat me again!! I've been thinking of making a modal lyre for a while but I'm too slow to keep up with you. Brilliant vid, really enjoyable. I suppose you're going to make Mr Spock's harp next - I've been musing that one for years! Thanks for sharing mate.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol! Thanks Mark, glad you liked it as always!

[@andrewscott2090]

Cool project thank you for shareing

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you

[@CarlosGlatzos976]

Troubardix would have liked this as much as I do. Great Sound. Cheers!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you

[@mihumus]

Awesome work man, very nice!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thanks man

[@VivikaVika]

Αρπα-ζω την ευκαιρία και σε συγχαίρω για ένα ακόμα άψογο μουσικό project.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

χαχα, ευχαριστώ Βιβή!

[@alfiebright1384]

Vivika Vika wutwut was the way I was just a great time to get you to do it for me me to be happy 😆 I am not happy 😃 I have my first one ☝️ was my day I love ❤️ it for a day to get my first day done before my first time in a update and now it has been great to have it all in the game is

[@Allan-et5ig]

WOW!

[@alexross5274]

awesome

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@worldofhighlights2422]

Great job from great channel, you are a genius man! #Keep carving 🔨

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you my friend

[@doctorzoidberg1715]

Can you make a Harp?Or that russian guitar the balalaika?

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Perhaps in future

[@justindoss8917]

You should do a video of a band demoing all of the instruments You've built in one awesome diy orchestra, please.

[@clickpond7825]

awesome!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@clickpond7825]

yeah, it's really cool seeing someone make an ancient instrument into something more modern, i just think what you do is really cool. ive been watching for a long time, you're the one who got me into building instruments. keep making awesome content man!

[@Lemongrasspicker]

Nice work sir, very cool!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@photokorinos]

Πολυ καλη δουλεια!!!

[@radiosilence6947]

Thats so awesome!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@georgevatsos]

Μια λέξη έχω να πω....Τέλειο !!!

[@mygyel0526]

great building video

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@cmappouras]

Ρε φίλε σε βλέπω πόσο καιρό αλλά τώρα θα το πω.. Τι βρωμόχερο έχεις!! Πραγματικά κανείς θαύματα.. Μπράβο σου!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Σε ευχαριστώ αδερφέ, να'σαι καλά

[@spencerkenney1038]

This is exactly how they did it in those times

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol

[@ΚΑΤΕΡΙΝΑΠΙΤΣΙΟΥ]

Μετα την καρύδα δεν έχω λόγια πάλι τα ιδια θα λέω ..... Απίστευτο !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Ευχαριστώ πολύ! :)

[@FSWoodworking]

Ωραίο Δημήτρη. Πρωτότυπο και θα μπορουσες να παιξεις και με slide.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Ευχαριστώ Βασίλη. Slide θα μπορούσε αλλά δύσκολα θα ακουγόταν κουρδισμένο σε τόσο μικρό μήκος χορδής.

[@nikosstr7908]

Οι Αρχαίοι Έλληνες χρησιμοποιούσαν και κάτι που έμοιαζε με πιρούνι για πένα, ξέρεις πώς φτιάχνεται? Επίσης οι κιθάρες είχαν επτά χορδές συνήθως. Εξαιρετικό βίντεο

[@nikosstr7908]

Scrap wood City Ευχαριστώ.

[@TheAmazingCobalt]

You should make a sitar next

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Perhaps one day

[@하건-n2l]

Good

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you

[@aWildJosh213]

This is what the modern day Apollo (Greek god of the sun and music) would play 😂 I do like it though

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you

[@egeoeris]

Amazing, but that open wire caught me off guard, do you planning on making any plate cover etc? I think you can make a back plate held by the pickup's poking screws, it should be a tight fit after bending the grounding pole and inbedding the cable a little.

[@StamosTee]

Wow !!l!! Nothing more....

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@harrygrewa4209]

Μπράβο σου φίλαρακι

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Σε ευχαριστώ πολύ

[@redwood1957]

How is that tune? Nice job thank you

[@lightsleepr]

it was extremely satisfying to keep skipping forward

[@badas666]

rocking with zeus

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol

[@yourdoseofmemes9960]

Wow man you used Greek product proud of you being Greek prob

[@deathandhershadows]

What the hell type of marker did you use, that's gorgeous

[@kostastsipolitis9697]

This is not guitar. This is apollonio (the name comes by the mythical god Apollo) or ancient creek lyra.

[@chromaticprogress7513]

"Κιθάρα" is still the modern Greek word for an actual guitar. That's more like a lyre ("λύρα"), but very cool nonetheless. :)

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Η αρχαία κιθάρα είναι εξελιγμένη μορφής της λύρας! Οπότε ναι, το πήγα λίγο μακριά αλλά η έρευνα αυτό αποδεικνύει! Η αρχαία λυρο-κιθάρα έιχε μέχρι και μηχανισμό για βιμπράτο! Γκούγκλεψε το "κιθάρα απόλλωνα" και πιστεύω θα συμφωνήσουμε λίγο πολύ! ;)

[@chromaticprogress7513]

Δεν διαφωνώ - λέγομαι Ερμής οπότε ξέρω αρκετά για την λύρα λόγω του...συνονόματου ;) Αυτός την έφτιαξε για τον Απόλλωνα, εξ άλλου.

[@hotgamerboy6240]

But does it djent?

[@JohnMadeit]

ancient Greek rock star :)

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol, thanks

[@PanDacayou]

Can you make a kantele / gusli ?

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Perhaps someday

[@PanDacayou]

Scrap wood City Yes would be nice !

[@tkzsfen]

Orpheus could have rocked that lyra! too bad, they haven't invented the Marshall JCM back then :D

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol, I guess they definitely had some kind of natural amplification system!

[@hellNo116]

But does it djent ??? Συγγνώμη Δημήτρη αλλά έπρεπε. Τα βίντεο σου με ηρεμούν τόσο πολύ

[@ScrapwoodCity]

χαχα, ευχαριστώ

[@merontfeelta2557]

Arpheus would be glad.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you

[@ΔημητρηςΚαστραντας]

Τελειο

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Ευχαριστώ

[@punman5392]

So ... a lyre?

[@stheicyteixeira9736]

Caramba!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol

[@aatroww3379]

But does it Djent ?

[@materiagrezza9331]

0:38 do you have a dog?

[@behabolomzeresenai3837]

Can you make fo me please

[@albertusdenkers5077]

Anyone else annoyed by the fact that the last mechanism is the other way around?

[@ScrapwoodCity]

true, unfortunately those were the only tuning pegs I had! :)

[@kiwi7111]

where whanmmmy

[@anastasiocatalan416]

Guitar? That looks more like a mini harp 😅

[@0megaPi]

The word guitar used to describe that kind of instrument in ancient Greece (κιθάρα). Since he's Greek it's logical for him to use the word that way.

[@josefprinc2939]

That's a lira

[@ahadbhngar1634]

beeg

[@mulekickhandmadeguitars8465]

You're nuthin' but a dang bad influence on me. NOW I gotta make this dern thing! Fine! Just fine! Hope yer happy.

[@bukatasv]

Great job! This musical instrument sounds good!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you

[@ikhsanputra9632]

Video Link Guitar Competition kzbin.info/www/bejne/norFmJiKl7GgnKM

[@Mikhandmaker]

Wow Man!! Nice sound!!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@lanceshaker5807]

+Scrap wood City Why don't you make a video about how to make a Politiki Lyra. The video about Pontic Lyra wad great. Cheers!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

that's a cool idea but the thing is that politiki lyra is played with the nails and I can't do that! But perhaps in future I will!

[@lanceshaker5807]

Scrap wood City keep doing great job

[@Efthimiadis19]

Τι ξύλο είναι αυτό που έβαλες;

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Κόντρα πκακε

[@Efthimiadis19]

@@ScrapwoodCity ευχαριστώ

[@ItaloLima]

Nice

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@Jackofallthetrades]

How do you like using plexiglass as a nut and saddle? Do you get a decent tone from it?

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Well plexi does not have the tone of a bone. But it's a DIY solution

[@jessicamaldonado3417]

4:14

[@bagoston325]

I am soo going to build this! It's so weird and cool at the same time that I can't really resist building one.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Awesome to hear that! :)

[@daraencreations2041]

What tuning did you use for that wonderful lyre?

[@ScrapwoodCity]

I am not sure, I kind of found an nice sounding arpeggio by ear. Doing a little digging on my guitar I think it was somekind of m7add13. My original thoughts were that it could be tuned on arpeggios or penatatonic scales. This also depends on how the string tension feels to your hand. So the possibilities are many but not endless.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thanks for the nice words :)

[@daraencreations2041]

@@ScrapwoodCity thank you for your answer. I was curious about it, because I made a lyre myself and i found your tuning interesting (mine is a 10 stringed tuned CDEF#Gabcde that way i can play many different things ) i plan to make another one, 6 stringed, and look for a tuning that could work

[@evanwilliams8908]

Could have just tuned a guitar to an open chord and it would have had 1 extra string. I don't see the purpose of this. The average acoustic guitar would have been far superior in resonance with a raised saddle and nut.

[@adonisranesis7480]

Apollo would be proud:)

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol, ευχαριστώ

[@adonisranesis7480]

Scrap wood City What does it mean dude? I'm not greek :p

[@sgsax]

Sure, why not? :) Sound has a lot more ring to it than I'd expect without a resonating body. Maybe that's just your amp settings. It's fun, anyway. Thanks for sharing!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you. My amp is pretty good indeed it is a fender blues junior! The body kind of the instrument also resonates nicely which kind of surprised me too!

[@bigindian5457]

What about an electric Irish harp?

[@user-vr2qp2hi8z]

Wow! It's so cool. I'd like to somehow get one of these!

[@Fidozo15]

4:14 he Cupid

[@mygyel0526]

hi

[@johnbhumphrey]

Too cool my friend! Greetings from Southern Kentucky. Spring is on it's way here.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you my friend, Greetings from Greece

[@KostasAnnikasDeftereos]

Εντελώς τρελό χαχαχχαχ ! Στις γέφυρες βάζεις κόκαλο η πλαστικό??? Μ'άρεσε στο τέλος το τρέμουλο χαχαχαχαχ απίστευτος!!!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

χαχα, αν έχω κόκαλο βάζω, αλλιώς plexi!

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

Nice work on the Greek guitar friend! Thanks for sharing the video with us.😎👍JP

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you my friend

[@IEnjoyCreatingVideos]

You're very welcome friend! 😎

[@tobylarge6146]

Not a guitar tho

[@uranusmoon40gaming77]

It's a harp

[@mini-botco.4364]

It sounds like it has a place in a movie soundtrack. Great Work!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Nice to hear that

[@CFGPGFF]

I’m no professional, but the higher strings sounds crackly. Wonder if its because of your recording equipment or because it wasn’t well built.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Don't know what you mean, the nut and bridge bones need some fine tuning though! I am not a professional either! ;)

[@priscillathomson1851]

How do you make these videos so satisfying?

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you very much. I try my best!

[@FromTheHeartWoodMK]

That was cool, how about a dulcimer next?

[@ScrapwoodCity]

I want to make one someday!

[@badkluster]

Awesome!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@rancidkilljoy9960]

Damn, that is amazing!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

thank you

[@LordHugorion]

oh wow you havn´t got a psychedelic-Rock band, coincidentally for those magnicifant sounds ?

[@LuciFernato]

First?

[@ScrapwoodCity]

lol

[@WoodworkingBarcelona]

Once again, you nail it man. Good job.

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Thank you my friend