3D printed ukulele telescopes into a full-size electric guitar
Musician Mattias Krantz and engineer Adam Damato built an instrument that expands mid-performance
Musician and maker Mattias Krantz, working with mechanical engineer Adam Damato, has built a 3D printed ukulele that extends into a full-size electric guitar in seconds.
The project required the pair to solve several mechanical problems at once, from lengthening the neck to maintaining string tension through the transformation, as well as expanding the body without losing structural stability.
A telescoping neck under tension
The instrument’s neck extends roughly ten inches using a telescoping design, made up of nesting sections that lock into place once fully extended. An early folding-neck version failed under load.Â
The telescopic replacement worked once the team reinforced it with a steel core capable of withstanding 80 pounds of string tension.
Keeping the instrument in tune through that extension required custom-made strings, built to roughly double the standard length. A roller system feeds out slack as the neck extends and retracts it as the neck shortens, a mechanism developed after earlier prototypes failed to prevent the instrument from detuning during transformation.
Six panels reshape the body
The ukulele’s body expands into a full guitar silhouette through six panels that extend independently from the frame. Krantz and Damato replaced plastic body components with metal ones to allow the panels to move with the precision the transformation required, resolving stability and finish issues that had affected earlier versions of the design. Krantz confirmed he has successfully used the instrument in street performances.
