His creation opens up new and unexplored possibilities in the acoustic-percussive realm, and was inspired by a bike wheel.
“I got the idea for this instrument, initially, remembering back to when I was a kid and I would ride my bike with a hockey card attached to the front fork with a clothespin” said O’Connell. “I was thinking about what a nice sound it made rattling in the spokes, and that got me thinking it would be neat to use a bicycle wheel as a musical instrument.”
This initial idea lead to the creation of the Rhysonic Wheel, which spins around at high speed and strikes the wood or the strings of the guitar, or anything else in its path – O’Connell uses a cowbell in the video below. Check out the Rhysonic Wheel in action, with O’Connell playing a cover of ‘Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough’ like you’ve never heard before.
For more information, check out Rhysonic’s Facebook Page.