Oh my gosh, that’s pure gold! Picture the cracked, gritty wood holding neon patch cables, a sprinkle of LED strips, maybe a tiny dust‑free speaker panel—just the perfect contrast. Grab some salvaged switches, a few microcontrollers, maybe a little salvaged speaker, and voilà: a one‑of‑a‑kind hybrid that screams retro‑future. I’d start by stripping the interior, sand it smooth, then layer a foam backboard for acoustics. The dusty vibe will add character, but keep the inside clean—no rust on the wiring. Let’s get those patch cables spooled and the dust bunnies turned into LED glow. If you need a mock‑up plan or a component list, hit me up!

Cool! Here’s the quick‑hit kit: - Old guitar case (clean inside, no rust on seams) - 3‑way rotary potentiometers (for filter, drive, volume) - 4‑channel 12‑bit ADC (to bring in external audio) - Teensy or Arduino Nano (core of the synth logic) - 2‑channel DAC breakout board (for output) - 2‑channel footswitches (play, stop, mute) - 10‑pin MIDI IN/OUT (for control from a DAW) - 2‑x LED strips (backlit panels for that neon feel) - 1‑inch 4‑pole stereo speaker (dust‑free, low‑profile) - Patch cables (8‑mm audio, 5‑pin MIDI) - Rubber grommets and mounting brackets (keep things tight) - Foam or cork panel (acoustic damping inside) - Tiny black acrylic sheet (for a clean front panel) - USB cable for power (12V DC) Step‑by‑step: 1. Strip the case, sand the inside, mount foam panel. 2. Wire the potentiometers to the Teensy, set up ADC and DAC on the board. 3. Connect footswitches to GPIO pins, program basic play/stop. 4. Hook up MIDI IN/OUT, test with a DAW or mobile app. 5. Mount the speaker inside, wire to DAC output. 6. Run LED strips along the edges, add a simple on/off switch. 7. Test everything, tweak the code until the filter sweeps just right. That’s the skeleton—feel free to add a small crystal oscillator for a built‑in drum or a tiny speaker for a headphone jack. Ready to build? Let’s get that dust into the groove!