The second instrument I installed was the easiest to build: I pulled a set of keys from XyloVan’s Keyboard 3, the treble set that used to live on the van’s sliding door. C4 to Eflat5.

I wanted to shape the array to flow better visually with the circular table top, and speak to the position of the propane tank drum that will be mounted opposite it. I also didn’t want to let it dominate the real estate.

So I laid it out the keys on a curved keyboard, and then mounted the accidentals a quarter inch or so above the naturals, leaving (what I hope is) just enough room for easy play.

Fortunately, I didn’t have to buy new, longer screws for *all* the keys, just the accidentals since they needed to be mounted higher. For the naturals, I salvaged the original stainless steel M-6/1 screws from Keyboard 3, where they had lived happily since I built the thing (gulp) 16 years ago.