3D Printed Musical Instruments and Accessories

The intersection of 3D printing and music is more practical than most people realize. I am not talking about printing a concert violin (though people have tried). I am talking about the dozens of accessories, tools, mounts, and functional instruments that musicians actually need and that 3D printing delivers better and cheaper than commercial alternatives.

I play guitar and have a modest home studio setup, and my 3D printer has produced everything from custom cable organizers to guitar slides to microphone shock mounts. Some of these prints replaced $20-50 commercial products. Others solved problems that no commercial product addresses at all.

Functional 3D Printed Instruments

Ocarinas and Whistles

These are the most successful fully-printed instruments. An ocarina is essentially a tuned air chamber, and 3D printing can produce the geometry with sufficient accuracy to produce musical notes.

Printed ocarinas in PLA sound surprisingly good — not professional quality, but absolutely playable and fun. The 12-hole ocarina designs on Printables produce recognizable melodies and make great gifts or educational tools.

Print settings for ocarinas:

• 0.12mm layer height for smooth airflow
• 100% infill (the walls need to be airtight)
• 3+ walls
• Print slowly (30-40mm/s) for dimensional accuracy on the finger holes

Recorders and Simple Flutes

Functional recorders have been 3D printed with proper tuning. The key challenge is getting the tone holes precisely sized and positioned. Print at fine layer heights (0.1mm) and expect to tune by slightly enlarging holes with a small drill bit.

Percussion: Shakers, Guiros, Cajons

Percussion instruments translate well to 3D printing:

• Shakers: Print a hollow shell, fill with rice or beads, seal with a cap
• Guiros: A textured cylinder that produces sound when scraped with a stick
• Drum practice pads: Printed shell with a rubber pad on top

Kalimbas (Thumb Pianos)

The body/resonator of a kalimba can be 3D printed, though the tines need to be metal. Print the body in PLA or wood PLA for a natural look, then install metal kalimba tines. The acoustic properties are not identical to wood but are surprisingly pleasant.

According to Make Magazine's guide to 3D printed instruments, the most successful printed instruments are those where the body serves as a resonator or structure, while the sound-producing element (string, reed, tine) is a traditional material.

Guitar Accessories

This is where 3D printing really shines for musicians. Guitarists are constantly looking for accessories, and many of them are perfect printing candidates.

Custom Picks

3D printed guitar picks in standard PLA are too rigid and have too much friction against strings. But print them in Nylon or certain blends, and they play surprisingly well. The surface texture of FDM layer lines actually provides a controlled grip on the strings.

Experiment with:

• Thickness: 0.6mm (thin) to 1.5mm (heavy)
• Shape: Standard, jazz, triangle
• Material: Nylon for flexibility, PETG for a medium feel

Capos

A functional capo can be printed with a spring mechanism or elastic band closure. It is not going to replace a Kyser or Shubb capo for stage use, but for practice and casual playing, printed capos work fine.

Guitar Stands and Wall Mounts

This is one of the best practical prints for any guitarist. A wall-mounted guitar hanger saves floor space and displays your instruments beautifully. Print the contact surfaces in TPU or line them with felt to protect the guitar finish.

Guitar stands that hold the instrument by the body (not the neck) are also excellent prints. Use PETG for structural strength.

Slide Guitar Slides

Custom guitar slides in various sizes and profiles. PLA slides produce a brighter, more defined tone than glass or metal — different, not necessarily worse. Print at 100% infill for maximum density and smooth the exterior for clean slide action.

Pedal Board Mounts and Cable Management

Custom pedal risers, Velcro-compatible mounting plates, patch cable organizers, and power supply brackets. If you have a pedalboard, you know the pain of organizing everything neatly. 3D printing solves this with custom-fit solutions.

Pick Holders

Attach to a mic stand, stick to your guitar, or mount on your amp. Custom pick holders in exactly the right size for your preferred pick thickness are simple to design and print.

Studio and Recording Accessories

Microphone Shock Mounts

Commercial shock mounts cost $20-50 and often only fit specific microphone diameters. A 3D printed shock mount customized to your exact microphone is more practical and costs $1-2 in material.

Print the frame in PETG for durability and use rubber bands for the suspension element. Designs that use standard rubber bands are easy to maintain — just swap the bands when they lose tension.

Pop Filters

A 3D printed pop filter frame with stretched fabric (pantyhose or proper pop filter fabric) works identically to commercial options. Print a gooseneck-compatible mount to attach to any boom arm.

Cable Organizers

Studio cable management is an eternal struggle. Print custom cable clips, cable channels, and organizer racks sized for your specific cables — XLR, 1/4-inch, USB, power. Label each slot for quick identification.

Headphone Hangers

Under-desk or wall-mounted headphone hangers keep your studio headphones safe and accessible. Print with a padded or TPU-lined contact surface to avoid marring the headband.

Acoustic Panel Mounting Hardware

If you have treated your studio with acoustic panels, the mounting hardware is often overpriced. Print custom panel clips, French cleat systems, and corner mounts for a fraction of commercial hardware costs.

According to Sound on Sound magazine, DIY acoustic treatment (including 3D printed mounting solutions) can achieve professional-grade room treatment at 20-30% of the cost of commercial systems.

Monitor Stands and Speaker Risers

Desktop monitor speaker stands that angle your studio monitors toward ear level. These are functional acoustic tools — proper speaker positioning dramatically improves what you hear. Print them solid or with high infill for stability, and add rubber feet to decouple from the desk.

Band and Performance Accessories

Setlist Holders

Clip-on setlist holders for mic stands, keyboard stands, or music stands. Print in black for a low-profile stage appearance. Add a small LED clip holder for dark stages.

Drum Accessories

• Drum key holders that clip to a stand
• Stick holders mounted to a drum or cymbal stand
• Practice pad stands for desktop drumming
• Cymbal stackers and effect mounts

Keyboard and Synth Stands

Custom brackets, risers, and adapters for multi-keyboard setups. Commercial keyboard rack adapters are absurdly expensive for what they are — simple brackets that hold a keyboard at a specific angle. Print your own for pennies.

In-Ear Monitor Cable Winders

Custom cable winders for IEM cables prevent tangling and extend cable life. Simple, small, and extremely practical.

Music Education Tools

Chord Charts and Finger Position Guides

3D printed fretboard models with raised dots showing chord fingerings. Tactile learning aids for beginners, especially useful for teaching children or visually impaired students.

Rhythm Training Blocks

Blocks of different sizes representing whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, and eighth notes. Arrange them physically to compose rhythms — a tangible music theory teaching tool.

Mouthpiece Trainers

For brass and woodwind students, 3D printed mouthpiece training aids that help develop embouchure. These are not replacements for real mouthpieces but useful practice tools.

The National Association for Music Education has highlighted 3D printing as an emerging tool for music education, particularly for creating custom learning aids and adaptive instruments for students with disabilities.

Material Selection Guide

| Application | Material | Why | |---|---|---| | Decorative/display items | PLA | Easy to print, wide colors, looks great | | Structural mounts and stands | PETG | Strong, impact resistant, moderate heat tolerance | | Contact surfaces (guitar hangers) | TPU | Soft, protects finishes, non-slip | | Outdoor/stage use | ASA | UV resistant, weatherproof | | Instrument bodies | Wood PLA | Natural appearance, pleasant resonance | | Picks and small accessories | Nylon | Flexible, durable, smooth surface |

Print Settings for Musical Applications

Acoustic instruments and accessories often require specific print settings:

• Airtight parts (ocarinas, whistles): 100% infill, 4+ walls, slow speed, fine layers
• Structural parts (stands, mounts): 30-50% infill, 3-4 walls, PETG or ASA
• Contact surfaces: Print in TPU or add TPU pads to PLA/PETG parts
• Aesthetic parts: 0.12mm layers, slow speed, quality over speed

Where to Find Music-Related Designs

Search 3DSearch for your specific instrument or accessory type. The search understands queries like "guitar wall mount" or "microphone shock mount" and pulls results from across major model repositories.

Community resources:

• Printables music category
• Thingiverse music instrument tag
• r/3Dprinting music projects

Cost Comparison

| Item | Commercial Price | 3D Printed Cost | |---|---|---| | Guitar wall mount | $10-25 | $0.50-1.50 | | Microphone shock mount | $20-50 | $1-3 | | Cable organizer set | $15-30 | $2-4 | | Pick holder | $5-10 | $0.10-0.30 | | Headphone hanger | $10-20 | $0.50-1.00 | | Monitor speaker stands (pair) | $30-60 | $3-6 |

Final Thoughts

3D printing will not replace traditional instrument craftsmanship, and a printed guitar will never sound like a Gibson. But for the hundreds of accessories, mounts, organizers, and tools that musicians need around their instruments and studios, 3D printing is a game-changer.

Start with something simple — a pick holder, a cable organizer, a headphone hanger. Once you see how perfectly a custom-fit solution works compared to the generic commercial option, you will start looking at every piece of your music setup and thinking "I could print something better."