A Unique Vibrato Instrument Made With Tape Measures Mounted on a Piano Hinge

Sound artist Brian Day created a unique vibrato instrument made from folded yellow tape measures at different heights, attached by brackets mounted on a piece of wood with a piano hinge. Day updated the instrument with more efficient brackets to allow for a greater range of sound.

Tapewarp update. I recently remade the black brackets holding the measuring tapes to the front-facing rails to allow for greater unrestricted travel, so I can bend the tapes quite a bit more than in the previous version. Now the squeakiness of the piano hinge is pretty apparent, although it’s something I’d rather keep than fix.

Other Measuring Tape Instruments by Day

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.