BobCAD-CAM in the Music Industry

Overview

From the hobbyist to professional musical instrument manufacturers, CAD/CAM software opens the door for the creation, design and cnc manufacturing of musical instruments and component parts. Throughout the years BobCAD-CAM has helped many individuals and companies automate their workflow, become more efficient and enable them to innovate and make amazing musical instruments through using our cnc software along with the BobART add-on. Here are a few of those success testimonials.

Featured Music Success Story

Lame Horse Guitars

Lame Horse Instruments is a dedicated project for Chris & Jeremy Jenkins, a father and son duo. They use BobCAD-CAM V25 CAD, Mill, Nesting, and the BobART software add-on. “We are a small shop, 2 people, and BobCAD gives us a 3rd hardworking employee!. We use BobCAD-CAM to design and machine guitar parts. It is especially useful for the more complex parts such as necks and bridges,” explained Chris. “I have been using CNC only for about 1 year, and it has been a steep learning curve. I attended a BobCAD-CAM training class in Dallas last summer which helped me a lot. I am a better designer than I am a craftsman. Therefore, designing with a CAD program which makes it easier for me to create the things I can imagine, has been a huge step forward for the instruments that my son, Jeremy and I build together,” says Chris. “We build a small guitar called the Saddle Pal. It has always been a great sounding guitar. However, since we introduced CAD into our process, we have been able to take it to a new level visually. “This has attracted many new admirers for the Saddle Pal. This month Acoustic Guitar Magazine named it one of 8 custom guitars “to die for” and in fact choose it for the cover of the March issue which featured the article… The rosette (area around the sound holes on the top of the guitar) on this guitar was one of the first we created and cut with the help of computer aided design. “We are looking forward to using BobCAD in the future to create many things that we were only able to imagine in the past.” Chris Jenkins | Lame Horse Instruments

More Music Industry Success Stories

First Guitars

We first started using BobCAD software primarily for the price. Once I got familiar with the program, I realized how powerful this software really was and started drawing and machining guitars in 3D. V24 has a great visual interface that was thoughtfully laid out to make design and programming efficient. BobCAD allows me to get to the machining process quicker through the use of solid modeling. I can see what my instruments will look like in a 3D solid form and allows me to eliminate problems with parts and make corrections before ever putting a tool to any material. This also helps reduce costs by not scrapping parts due to design errors. When we upgraded to a new release of BobCAD it definitely has sped up the process of going from concept to a finished product. BobCAD is user friendly, very easy to learn and start using. Training Professor & Video Series DVD set are also available to make the learning experience much more pleasant. Plus if you get stumped on something Bobcad has a tech department to help you get through it. BobCAD doesn’t put a limit on what you can do with it. Franklin First | First Guitars

MacLellan Bagpipes

Anyone who buys a bagpipe is buying a link to an ancient way of life. Your blood already pulses to the music of the great Celtic Soul. Let the calls of the Clans from days past blow into the present with bagpipes hand crafted by silversmith and bagpipe maker Roderick MacLellan. Attention to detail & dedication to the highest standards of quality, guarantee a bagpipe of unique appearance. However, this style and intense craftsmanship takes time and until now, has really only been a “hands-on” craft. Master craftsman, Roderick MacLellan manufacturers his bagpipes from the finest materials, using traditional skills and techniques learned in Scotland. His research has enabled his company to stay true to turn of the century techniques which ensure a warm, broad, mellow tone, producing an instrument that is stable and easy to tune. This is essential to the solo performer & competition piper of today. Not that long ago, Roderick made the jump to CNC manufacturing. He had been looking into this for quite a while. The introduction of CNC technology meant that he would be able to mass produce parts for his pipes, increase production and allow him to provide his customer requests for his bagpipes faster. However, the question was if this change would affect the quality of the final product. A high standard in bagpipe manufacturing for only the highest quality final products was the most important factor. Mr. MacLellan continued his research for Computer Aided Design & Manufacturing software to allow him the freedom to create the parts he needed and then machine them without compromising in quality. His search brought him to BobCAD-CAM. After integrating BobCAD-CAM CNC programming software into his shop and learning the ropes he began making the components that he needed in a fraction of the time it took him before CAD-CAM. “What used to take me a week, now takes me an hour,” MacLellan reported. “The BobCAD system has brought me time and allowed me to maintain the quality that I wanted and make improvements as well.” MacLellans”™ bagpipes are thoroughly tested and played by expert players in the U.S. & Scotland, most notably Roderick MacLeod & the late P.M. Angus MacDonald of the Piping Centre in Glasgow. You can visit Roderick MacLellans”™ website at www.highland-pipemaker.com for a catalog of his bagpipes and custom pipe creations.