Actually, I think that arm really adds to the silhouette if the instrument! It’s got me thinking: if you softened the corners and/or added some leather padding it would probably be more comfortable, and if you painted the wood to look like tin or brass it would really lean in to the steampunk aesthetic. If you wanted to put more work in for extra credit, you could attach the rocks by hanging a sack on a chain instead of the tape and maybe put some rivet-looking bumps on visible faces.
How well will it travel? Do you need to add folding? Or a way to easily take the arm apart? Maybe not much of an issue if you don’t plan on using the instrument much, but it’s fun to think about!
Actually, I think that arm really adds to the silhouette if the instrument! It’s got me thinking: if you softened the corners and/or added some leather padding it would probably be more comfortable, and if you painted the wood to look like tin or brass it would really lean in to the steampunk aesthetic. If you wanted to put more work in for extra credit, you could attach the rocks by hanging a sack on a chain instead of the tape and maybe put some rivet-looking bumps on visible faces. How well will it travel? Do you need to add folding? Or a way to easily take the arm apart? Maybe not much of an issue if you don’t plan on using the instrument much, but it’s fun to think about!