LEGO as a viable design material? YouTuber uses 2000 LEGO bricks to build a functioning bass guitar…





It would be an unfair characterization to call LEGO a child’s toy. Clearly, the product’s an incredibly engaging and interactive DIY system for adults too, and has been used for everything from scale-down models to art projects, to even the rare full-size LEGO supercar… but rarely has LEGO been used as an actual material to build a real, working product.

Trust wacky DIY YouTuber and musician Burls Art to take on a challenge though. The guy’s literally made guitars from the most absurd materials, including a skateboard, a shovel, and even 5000 coffee beans. His latest project? A bass guitar out of LEGO bricks… wait, let me be more specific, a fully functional electric bass guitar made from 2000 LEGO bricks.

Designer: Burls Art

In the video, Burls Art details how LEGO is a pretty great choice to make the guitar in the first place. The interlocking pieces are pretty robust and the fact that you’ve got LEGO bricks in different colors makes it pretty easy to design your own pattern on the guitar. To assemble the piece, Burls plugs the LEGO pieces together in sheets, before layering them one above another and pouring epoxy resin to really seal them in place (the last thing you want is to have a guitar falling apart when you play an exceptionally funky slapping bassline). The guitar also uses a maple-wood board on the inside to reinforce it like a spine, to counter the amount of pulling force the strings will have. The wood + epoxy fretboard’s made from scratch too, as well as the headstock, which again uses LEGO bricks.

Once the guitar’s main body is assembled and the epoxy’s set, Burls drew the profile of the guitar on it and went to down using a sanding machine to cut the shape out. Unfortunately, this meant that the guitar wouldn’t have the LEGO brick’s signature pixelated silhouette, but then again, that guitar wouldn’t really be comfortable to play either. You can, however, see the brick’s hollow underside along the edge of the guitar. Burls decided not to fill in those uneven gaps with epoxy because it would unnecessarily add to the weight of the instrument. The overall piece weighed around 7 pounds, which was ideal for an electric bass guitar.

Once assembled, Burls took his new instrument out for a spin. He started off by playing the iconic Seinfeld bassline (at the 10:18 mark), before finally creating a neat composition using a combination of his LEGO bass, and his color-pencil guitar.

The novelty of the project aside, it’s rather fun to see how the LEGO bricks are used as an actual design/prototyping tool. With a little epoxy resin and a sander machine, it’s pretty easy to create your own prototypes too. It’s arguably faster than a 3D printer if you do your homework beforehand, and you don’t need to worry about multiple-filament 3D prints to get a colored output… just use colored bricks!

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9 Best Shows To Binge Watch on Hulu

I’m back with more shows to binge watch this summer. Here are the 9 best shows to binge watch on Hulu! I hope you like my picks and find a great new show to watch!

My 600-lb Life


If you’ve read my other articles about binge-worthy shows, you’ve probably noticed my preference towards reality TV. Of all the reality TV shows I’ve talked about, I must say, My 600-lb Life is perhaps the one most worth watching. It’s informative, educational, and a cautionary tale showing what happens when a person gives up on their health and well-being. It showcases the many struggles that come with being severely obese, not just physical, but emotional as well. My 600-lb Life doesn’t refrain from showing the more disturbing aspects of being obese, such as perpetually open wounds and sores, and suicidal thoughts that the people in the show must deal with. From depression, to struggles getting out of bed or even going to the bathroom on their own, My 600-lb Life is sad and difficult to watch, yet it is necessary to watch, as no one wants to end up in the dire situations that the show’s subjects end up in. Thankfully, almost every story told in the show, is a success. Watch as people transform their lives and turn their situations around. The transformations are amazing to watch, as some people lose over four hundred pounds in the course of a year. Seasons 2 and 3 are available to watch on Hulu right now.

Burning Love


A parody of the popular show, The Bachelor, Burning Love is about a group of women competing for the love of one man. Unlike The Bachelor, however, this show is completely fictional, and meant to be as hilarious as possible. There’s an elderly woman, pregnant woman, and a homeless woman, among other, more ordinary (and less ordinary) contestants all competing on this show together for the love of a firefighter named Mark Orlando, a man who is clueless, naive, and very very ignorant, to put it nicely. Instead of earning roses, like in the Bachelor, the contestants on Burning Love win “hoses.” Yes, you read that correctly, they earn hoses as a token of Mark’s affection. All of the ensuing antics on this show are absurd and outrageous, yet also just plain funny. Some people watching this show might find it a bit too absurd for their tastes, but I’ve got to say it never failed to make me laugh at least once in each episode, and I like to think I have a pretty sophisticated sense of humor. Seasons 1 and 2 of Burning Love are available on Hulu. (Season 1 is far better than season 2, which a story for a different article.)

Saturday Night Live


Live from New York, it’s Saturday night! A staple of American television for over four decades now, Saturday Night Live is still managing to captivate audiences all over the country. As far as sketch comedies go, SNL is superior to any other. Many sketch comedy shows have appeared over the years, but none have managed to garner as much attention or critical acclaim as this one. Many celebrity careers began here, from Chevy Chase to Adam Sandler, to Will Ferrell, and Kristen Wiig, there are all kinds of household names who earned their fame during their duration on this show. All kinds of iconic sketches, such as “Van down by the River,” and “More cowbell,” are still making audiences laugh today. 18 seasons of SNL are available on Hulu today.

The Last Man on Earth


Taking place a world where almost everyone was wiped out by a virus, The Last Man on Earth tells the story of a small group of survivors doing their best to rebuild the world. When I saw the first episode of The Last Man on Earth, I wondered how it could possibly last. With only one character in the entire episode, it didn’t seem like it could last an entire season. Alas, the title of this show is deceiving. The Last Man on Earth is not actually the last man on Earth. Several more characters enter the show as the episodes and seasons go on, and every character is fantastic. The main character, Phil Miller, played by Will Forte, is a riot to watch. He’s often rude, annoying, and frankly idiotic, but he’s still so much fun to watch. There’s a layer of charm in the humor of this show that I haven’t found in any other show yet. It’s comedy gold. Seasons 1 through 3 are available on Hulu right now.

South Park


A long-running comedy series, South Park has pushed the limits and buttons of people everywhere. Rated MA for mature, South Park is not a cartoon for children. It’s definitely for adults, as it is full of sexual and politically incorrect humor. It tells the story of a few young boys at South Park Elementary School who get into trouble, crazy situations, and mischief whenever they possibly can. South Park has sparked controversy ever since it first began, but that hasn’t stopped it from airing some of the raciest television in history. Just don’t take anything personally, as every group in this show is mocked at some point. Take it for the comedy that it is, and you’ll be sure to enjoy it. Most seasons of South Park are available on Hulu.

Once Upon a Time


I remember when this show first began and I was blown away by all the appearances of classic beloved characters. I fell in love with this show almost immediately. It tells the story of a woman named Emma Swan who visits the town of Storybrooke, Maine. When she arrives, she realizes that it’s not just an ordinary town, but it’s a town full of fairytale characters who are real people. Many secrets are revealed and there are twists and turns in every episode. Action-packed, romance-packed, and drama-packed, Once Upon a Time has everything a fairytale lover could possibly want. Almost any character you can think of eventually makes an appearance, from Cinderella and Mulan, to Belle, Captain Hook, and Peter Pan. Also be prepared to watch the best villain on television, Rumplestiltskin. He is the highlight of the show and will keep you watching for as long as possible. Seasons 1 through 6 are available on Hulu now.

My Strange Addiction


My goodness, TLC never fails to give me amazing reality TV. My Strange Addiction is an addicting show. I watched an entire season in two days, and when I ran out of seasons to watch on Hulu, I was sad. There are only three seasons available on Hulu, and if you’re like me, you’ll go through all of them very quickly, as episodes are only 20 minutes long. My Strange Addiction showcases the strange addictions of various people all over the country, from a woman in love with a carnival ride, to a man who cannot stop pretending his pool inflatables are real people, there are all kinds of addictions shown. Some of the more gross ones, such as coffee enemas and sniffing pee-soaked diapers, are often hard to stomach, but nevertheless fascinating to watch. Rarely do people on this show actually overcome their addictions, even though they often visit doctors on the show who tell them to quit whatever they’re doing, so that aspect can be a bit disappointing, but overall, My Strange Addiction is mindless entertainment, a great show to watch while multi-tasking or if you’re bored.

Adventure Time


The kids show that adults everywhere fell in love with, Adventure Time is hilarious, fun, and packs ample amount of entertainment for audiences of all ages. Enter the world of Ooo, a magical land in a post-apocalyptic setting, inspired by role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons, and join Finn the Human and his best friend, Jake the Dog, on their many adventures. I love everything about this show, from its clever writing, to memorable and complex characters, to its beautiful art style. It’s so colorful, and that alone makes it stand out from many cartoons. It’s not a simple kids show, and in fact, it treats its targeted audience with a lot of respect, showing that children are capable of understanding and enjoying complex shows. So much creativity oozes into this show and its creators are incredibly talented. Seasons 1 through 7 are available on Hulu right now.

Seinfeld


Ask people what their favorite sitcom of all time is, and they’ll likely say one of two things: Seinfeld or Friends. Whether you’re a fan of one and not the other, or you love both, there’s no denying how popular these shows are and what a huge impact they made on culture. I personally prefer Seinfeld, because its characters feel easier to relate to. Who hasn’t felt like Jerry, George, Elaine, or even Kramer at some point? Seinfeld is a show about every day life and the struggles we all deal with. It’s a show that’s essentially about nothing, yet everything at the same time. Its lovable bunch of goofball characters made TV hilarious throughout the 90s, bringing us iconic lines like, “No soup for you,” and “Hello Newman,” as well as iconic moments such as the “double-dipping” scene. It’s shows like this that make me wish I lived in an apartment in a big city with neighbors who were all my friends. Wouldn’t it be so great to just pop over to your neighbor’s apartment and hang out whenever you felt like it? All seasons of Seinfeld are available on Hulu right now.

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