Hugh Davies Shozyg I

Photograph of Hugh Davies' ShoZyg I as taken by Fiorenzo Palermo.

Hugh Davies (1943-2005), a pioneer in the field and creator of over a hundred instruments, has inspired The Hugh Davies Project led by Dr James Mooney of the University of Leeds, UK, which broadly encourages composers to think about the creation of their own instruments, using Davies as a source of inspiration, whilst reflecting on his work. He is perhaps the best documented of the British composer-inventors but sadly even this is underdeveloped.
Perhaps Davies’ most famous instrument is the 1968 Shozyg I (named after the encyclopaedia it was mounted in, which covered topics from SHO to ZYG). This instrument consisted of three fret-saw blades, a ball bearing mounted furniture castor and a small metal spring, all amplified using piezo-electric microphones through loudspeakers.