I found this incredible old soul after I was heading back for the day and noticed it laying by the side of the road. It had fallen down a huge cliff, caught most likely in the recent crazy spring winds we have been experiencing. This is one of the oldest and thickest agaves that I have worked on. 95% of stalks wouldn’t make it to this stage. I am guessing the age at around 3-4 years baking in the desert sun, withstanding monsoons, and the cold we get on occasion in these higher desert areas. You can feel the age and wisdom in its drone right when you begin to play it. It is deep both in note and feeling. It has a delightfully calming drone with crystal clear overtones and vocals are so strong on this one. I have such a love for these ancient stalks and all the cracks and bug holes that give it so much character and style. There is some sweet turquoise inlays as well that accent these rugged features. In my traditional old soul style of making and in general I leave many of the cracks instead of filling them to be flush. Don’t worry as this stalk is a beast and none of the cracks will spread or go through. These are the strongest of all the agaves and so fun to play these ancient rare stalks. Great for the player who is using didge for more trance and meditative style of playing. Of course it can go as fast as you can play but this one tells the player to slow down and experience the calming vibrations.
This is one beast of a didge. This is one of the thickest, heaviest, most impressive agaves I have worked on. The thick dense wood tapers to medium thickness in the unusually long bell that acts almost like a resonator. This would be a great didge to reach other levels in playing and also would be great for a beginner. I love its response and the power it plays with. Lots of volume with the size and the vocals are extremely loud and clear. Overtones are bright and easy to reach once you find them in there. It is extremely rare to find agaves like this and might have to end up keeping it if it stays on here for a bit.
I have more C#’s than any other note in my collection. I have always loved the grounding feel you get playing and listening to the key. Noticing those feeling and what rhythms come to your mind with each note is so interesting. This one is a beast at 6′ in length and that big 7″ bell. It plays with an explosive ability with lots of volume and incredible response and resonation. With these longer didges I love how you can travel sounds down it to create such movement within the drone. Vocals are loud and clear and the overtones are a cinch with its length and taper. A great note to begin on and also one for those of you advanced players that want to add another to the collection!
This sweet little didge has a ton of spunk to it and wants to be heard! With its thin walls and bell it really projects volume nicely. Clear loud vocals sound great on it and the overtones are really easy with the thinner neck. These smaller, quick tapered didges are perfect for beginners as they just have such a great feel and play so effortlessly. I also loved the wood coloration especially at the bell. A great one to start on and advance quickly!
This is quite a beautiful sounding and looking stalk. These deep notes are always so fun to chill out and play and calm down in this hectic world we have created. I loved the wood tones in this and felt that the mouthpiece needed some color as well so found some really nice purpleheart and canary woods that look so nice together. This takes hardly any breath and this didge has a ton of power. It has a really nice bass in the drone and the vocals are so crisp up against that deep drone. Overtones are not my strength but this one has some really easy to hit deep toots. I was also taken aback by how responsive this one is to ever little manipulation. While recording it I realized how easy this one is to play and travel sounds and play with a ton of speed and percussion as well. I didn’t want to stop the recording, haha! A beauty for the eyes and ears!
Another one of my new smaller didges that has a really nice solid drone and a ton of capabilities. This was a huge agave and this stalk has all the flower branches at each curve trimmed back for added flare. I love how this one plays. I have always enjoyed these smaller straight agaves for the sweet drone they have and being closer the bell as a player is really nice as well. The overtones, vocals, and bass in the drone are all great on this one. Another one perfect for travel and around the home and also with its volume it plays much bigger. A steal for this little powerhouse!
This one has some beautiful curves and when you look down it while playing it looks a bit like a cork screw. This is quite a thin didge so it excels in the response and vocals erupt out the bell. Another one that I am crafting in the more affordable range. Its not the biggest agave but plays so nicely and is really great at fast styles of playing including beat boxing. With the long narrow neck overtones are quick and you can do a lot of really fun quick rhythms with ease as it takes hardly any breath. D# has always been one of my favorite notes for quick and explosive rhythms for some reason and this one is no exception. A great starter didge!
I love the key of F and if you have been playing for a while and haven’t tried a higher pitch didge you are in for a treat. It can open up new worlds in your playing and this one has so much energy and response. It loves to go fast with explosive abilities and vocals. It also know how to slow you down and pushes you to create amazing ambient landscapes with lots of diaphragm work. For its size this one also has a really nice bass tone to it that fits the drone beautifully. I would suggest the higher notes to those that are more comfortable playing as they take a bit more control. If you are there you should check out a higher pitch key and see where it takes you!
This beautifully tapered old soul will be great for the ultimate beginner to the most advanced. It is so easy to play and has so many capabilities. with the thinner neck and thicker wall thickness the overtones on this are reached effortlessly. The strong back pressure make circular breathing a cinch and for those still learning the process this would be a perfect one for you. Vocals are strong and loud and really project out the huge bell. This old soul was a big bug hangout spot and you can’t tell from the photos but there is a ton of turquoise inlaid on the top side near the middle of the stalk. The possibilities are endless with this one!
This didge was such a surprise to me as when I was working on it I assumed it would be in D or C#. I have started to craft a lot more of these smaller and more affordable didges and are loving how they are turning out and sounding. To craft an agave didge in B it is usually as tall as the player. This one at 56″ would be great for someone wanting to explore these deep notes without having a huge didge that is harder to travel with. This was an extremely old stalk and had so much bug activity that there is more turquoise inlaid in this than almost any didge I have worked on. you cant tell from the photos but there are over 50 inlays throughout. It is pretty striking to see it in person. It plays with such ease it feels like it practically plays it self. This has very strong back pressure and takes so little breath you might try to over blow it at first. Great for learning circular breathing! The overtones are so easy with its narrow bore and the drone has a quality that is hard to describe but feels so deep. B is a great note and this would be an awesome addition to someone looking for a deep meditative didge. This one just keeps wanting you to come back and play it and have really been enjoying it before it finds its new home.
