Play drums anywhere.
Shuitars available now!

See the shuitar played.
Read the brochure on how to play.

A note from the maker:

The shuitar [/shuh tahr'/ or [/shwee' tahr/] or [/shoo' ih tahr/] or [/shih' tahr/], began as a percussion experiment in 1998. In the last 14 years, it has become an effective, highly portable alternative to the drum set creating a surprisingly wide palette of sounds.  

It fits just about anywhere. The shuitar keeps a tasteful, low profile in intimate / acoustic settings, and with as little as one mic on the hole, it can get huge, especially through a bass amp or PA. Best of all, now you can stand or walk while playing drums. Its range of sounds and remarkable drum kit / drum machine emulation make it every bit as effective as the cajon, djembe, suitcase drum kit, or cocktail drum.

It is used as the drum set behind singer/songwriters, in experimental jazz groups, in roots music, and on highly percussive latin music. I have played it in indie rock bands (Lambchop, Meadownoise), train beats with some of Nashville's best bluegrass players, on major label country records (Charlie Worsham), on kid's shows (Blues Clues), and augmented the drum set with percussion in many situations. Drummer Jano Rix has been playing and developing it on shows and recordings with The Wood Brothers and The Gabe Dixon Band. The shuitar has proven effective in large concerts, quiet clubs, and in the studio.

It is exceptionally easy to start playing with no limit to skill or musicality. If you can play a beat with your hands, you can play the shuitar. It is a great option for anyone wanting organic drum sounds without having to learn or carry a drum set. And, of course, experienced percussionists and drummers can dive right in and create sounds that are a departure from conventional drum sounds.

With the years of research and a lot of prototypes, I am now building shuitars in my small workshop. They are designed for sound, function, and aesthetics, in that order. The Type One design is completely standardized, yet each hand-assembled instrument has a subtle character of its own. I have the guitar bodies built in China to my specs optimized for percussion. Here, in Nashville, I augment them with over 40 additional pieces (including stainless steel hardware and wood parts I make from scratch). I ship them directly to musicians and handle customer service myself to keep the cost as low as possible. There is a 10-day return policy. Six percent of profits go to The Nature Conservancy and the Forestry Stewardship Council.

There is plenty of new ground to be broken and I invite anyone to help us take the instrument to new places.

Buy a shuitar of your own here.

Yours,
Matt Glassmeyer