Student's coiled bamboo guitars are music to PM's ears

By The Nation

 

 

BANGKOK: -- A university student's coiled bamboo guitars caught the eye of Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha at a recent exhibition.

 

So much so that he bought two Bt40,000 guitars that were made by a Khon Kaen University graduate student.

 

The exhibition hosted research and innovative products from four universities, namely Kasetsart, Mahidol, Prince of Songkla and Khon Kaen, which could be developed further for commercial or practical purposes.

 

Pichrawee Suraareekul, an architect graduate student, said that the handcrafted guitars are part of her undergraduate thesis at Khon Kaen University.

 

She said the objectives are to develop local materials with innovation, resulting in value-added modern instruments.

 

The process started from choosing bamboo woods, sun-drying them, boiling them in sulfur water, and coating the surface.

Her guitars also go through studio sound testing, Pichrawee added.

 

“My customers usually test the guitars before making decisions. The PM is one among a very few that decided to buy them at first sight,” she said. “Perhaps he liked the blends of local and modern wisdom in the guitars.”

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/politics/30321943

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-07-27

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

“My customers usually test the guitars before making decisions. The PM is one among a very few that decided to buy them at first sight,” she said.

Ah, similar to the submarine purchases. 

No wonder he had to let Yingluck's bank accounts be seized in a hurry. Man needs instruments to further his fledgling music career in case his political one doesn't work out in the long term. Brace yourself, Thailand!

I fear there is a match making in conductor's hell on the horizon. Be prepared the next Friday prime time prayer may turn into a musical.      

20 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

I fear there is a match making in conductor's hell on the horizon. Be prepared the next Friday prime time prayer may turn into a musical.      

Seemingly over the years since the coup the PM has developed a dual personality. His first persona is a hard nosed disciplinarian who takes no nonsense from anyone and personally decides the big issues like beach chairs, twerking standards, bicycle tracks, footpaths and the like.

His other and more consuming persona is one of the court jester who sings songs and reads his own poetry on TV, writes odes to rice farmers and now has a yearning to play the guitar. The people of Thailand are indeed fortunate to have such an entertaining leader.

1 hour ago, Cadbury said:

Seemingly over the years since the coup the PM has developed a dual personality. His first persona is a hard nosed disciplinarian who takes no nonsense from anyone and personally decides the big issues like beach chairs, twerking standards, bicycle tracks, footpaths and the like.

His other and more consuming persona is one of the court jester who sings songs and reads his own poetry on TV, writes odes to rice farmers and now has a yearning to play the guitar. The people of Thailand are indeed fortunate to have such an entertaining leader.

Is this just a polite way of saying there is a clown in charge

The guy is an accomplished musician himself with a couple of number one hits on his hands, both still at 1 and 2 on the charts after 3 years

2 hours ago, gwynt said:

Is this just a polite way of saying there is a clown in charge

Let's not get too personal, maybe court jester is more like it... 

They look pretty cool though, I wish they had a better picture.

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

They look pretty cool though, I wish they had a better picture.

They don't show the front of the guitar so I presume only the back is bamboo as the sides and neck aren't and I don't think glued together bamboo will make a very good soundboard. But maybe there is a market for the bamboo equivalent of paper pulp guitars where they used compressed paper pulp like chipboard for the soundboard and they also made solid body equivalents,   I think the Gibson Sonex springs to mind. 

KK University has the best musical faculty in the country

3 hours ago, canuckamuck said:

They look pretty cool though, I wish they had a better picture.

buy 1 now and get the general to sign it, pay for retirement?

9 hours ago, Misterwhisper said:

No wonder he had to let Yingluck's bank accounts be seized in a hurry. Man needs instruments to further his fledgling music career in case his political one doesn't work out in the long term. Brace yourself, Thailand!

Instruments of mass distraction?

19 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Ah, similar to the submarine purchases. 

..don't fret.