Handmade Didgeridoos
Traditionally didgeridoos are made by Australia’s indigenous people who have played the instrument for thousands of years with skills passed down from generation to generation – traditional instruments played using traditional playing techniques. Clive Wilson makes no attempt to imitate Australian Aboriginal instruments. His didgeridoos are made specifically for western players, with western playing techniques, using western craft skills.
Instead of termite hollowed trees, Clive's didgeridoos are made using the split-stick method with wood from sustainable timbers mainly thinnings from his own trees. A branch is split lengthways, then hollowed-out to form the required exponential shape and joined back together again. Many further processes take place to create the subtleties of tone and enhance the visual look that is the unique make-up of each didgeridoo.
Clive tends to make his mouthpieces from epoxy rather than traditional beeswax. Epoxy mouthpieces are hardwearing, hygienic, keep their shape and will not need replacing like beeswax. While this increases the initial cost of a didge, it requires no maintenance apart from cleaning and is unlikely to ever need replacing.
Hear Clive Wilson on art, life and didgeridoos, interview by Clare Ashford for BBC Radio Shropshire - MP3 Download (4.7Mb)
Make your own Didgeridoo
Learn how to make your own Didgeridoo. Clive Wilson offers a weekend Didgeridoo-making course. Maximum three people.
Didgeridoo Gallery
