The 10 weirdest and wildest musical instruments of 2026
It’s that time of year again. No, not the Super Bowl or the Oscars: it’s time to announce the finalists for the 28th Annual Guthman Musical Instrument Competition. From March 13-14, creators from around the world will gather at Georgia Tech in Atlanta to showcase their unique, innovative, and often bizarre musical contraptions.
The top ten selections include entries from Australia, Poland, India and the United Kingdom, but all of this year’s instruments push the boundaries of musicality, performance and artistry in new and unexpected ways. This year’s participants include the synthesis of a seven-foot-tall double bass and the classic Indian instrument known as the rudraveena, a “cyborg woodwind,” as well as a device that converts invisible electromagnetic waves all around us into a “science session.”
Last year’s first place winner, the Chromaphone, was a collaborative project that used a simple, flat surface to generate synthesizer sounds. It remains to be seen who will take home first place and a $10,000 prize in March, but it will be hard to top last year’s Dinosaur Choir.
Take a look at this year’s contestants below. (Click to enlarge images in full screen.)
Amphibian modules
This modular synthesizer replaces patch cables with a saltwater pool. Its engineering forces components to communicate via liquid, creating a “liquid circuit” where chemical currents and ripples shape the signal. The result is an evolving organic sound that behaves more like a living organism than a machine.
The demon’s box
A device that transforms the invisible electromagnetic world into a “scientific session” instrument. Using a grid of 33 inductors, it captures frequencies from everyday electronic devices, like phones and drills, and converts them into 3-channel audio, MIDI and control voltages. Its triphonic design allows artists to “tilt” or “hit” the signals of the modern world to sculpt everything from melismatic drones to synesthetic visuals.
VE
It’s not just an electric violin; it’s a computer disguised as fine violin making. Built with a curly maple body and four built-in Bela Mini computers (one per string), it uses infrared mics to analyze every nuance of a bowshot. The result is a seamless fusion of acoustic warmth and digital synthesis that responds instantly to the player’s touch.
Violin-Henge
An imposing robotic sculpture that mounts four green violins around a bass drum. Instead of human hands, a motorized rotating disk acts as an “infinite arc,” while servos tilt the instruments to change strings. It mixes 3D printed technology with ancient automata, generating everything from jerky mechanical rhythms to endless meditative drones.
Gajveena
Standing nearly seven feet tall, this “bass-veena” hybrid fuses a double bass with classic Indian design. Its hollow neck acts as a sound conduit, channeling audio to a second resonator right next to the player’s ear. Designed with curved brass frets, it allows for massive, microtonal string bends previously impossible on a bass.
Kaliptera
A “winged” hybrid that evolves the kalimba into a semi-autonomous digital instrument. Its dual sound boxes are connected by an articulated hub, mapping the opening and closing movement of the “wings” to complex sound processing. Using real-time spectral analysis inspired by that of George Lewis Travelerthe instrument generates its own musical responses to create a non-hierarchical duet between the physical gestures of the performer and the digital brain of the machine.
Lethelium
Built around a bicycle wheel rim, this 24-string instrument resembles an alien artifact. It spins on a cymbal stand, allowing musicians to strike, pluck or tilt its “spokes” to create sounds ranging from harp to steel drum. It is a recycled industrial sound machine that transforms scrap metal into a chromatic orchestra.
The masterpiece
Shaped like a puzzle piece, this open source synthesizer prioritizes accessibility without sacrificing power. It uses pressure sensors rather than touch, allowing play with any object or assistive device. Users change sounds by dragging RFID-tagged fabric samples, helping disabled players make auditory-tactile connections while creating complex polyphonic loops.
Post-digital sax
A cyborg woodwind that fuses a real vibrating reed with a digital brain. Instead of tone holes, electromagnets manipulate the reed to change pitch, allowing for impossible notes and infinite bass. It combines the raw, acoustic feel of a saxophone with a joystick-controlled loop and digital manipulation.
BACK
Imagine a Hammond organ playing with “The Force”. You wear magnetic microphones on your fingertips and place them on rotating tone wheels to generate sound. This purely analog instrument transforms proximity into volume and pitch, allowing you to sculpt electricity directly with a simple wave of your hand, with no physical contact required.
The 28th annual Guthman Musical Instrument Competition will be held March 13-14 at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta.
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