No Strings Attached

A Brooklyn artist creates instruments out of old shovels, whiskey bottles and other forgotten curiosities.

I am always looking for stories beyond the guitar for my storytelling site, Guitarkadia. When I discovered Ken Butler and his work, I knew I found a gem. His Brooklyn studio is filled with hundreds of his “hybrid instruments” created from discarded objects. Butler’s philosophy of function versus non-function moves beyond the conceits of art and music—proof that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. “No Strings Attached” draws upon material from the upcoming documentary on Butler that I’m producing for Guitarkadia.