What if you could turn a few pieces of standard 3/4-inch PVC pipe into a playable Native American style drone flute in just minutes? With the BBF Drone Tone Box, you can supply your own PVC or choose a kit with predrilled PVC tubes for building several different drone flute configurations.

The BBF Drone Tone Box is a 3D-printed mouthpiece and two-chamber sound mechanism that I designed specifically for standard 3/4-inch PVC tubing. It provides the sound-producing portion of both chambers, giving beginners, makers, and experimenters an accessible way to build playable PVC drone flutes without specialized flute-making tools or years of experience.

Please note: The Drone Tone Box itself is not a completed playable flute. Choose the option below that best matches what you want to build.

Choose Your Kit

Drone Tone Box + Block – 2 Pieces (No PVC)
Includes one BBF Drone Tone Box and matching block. PVC tubing is not included. This option is for builders who want to supply, prepare, drill, and tune their own standard 3/4-inch PVC tubing.

Standard Drone Full Kit – Tone Box + Block + 10 Predrilled PVC Tubes
Includes the BBF Drone Tone Box and block plus 10 predrilled PVC tubes for building five different Native American style drone flutes. Each key includes two matching chambers—one fingered melody chamber and one drone chamber:

Mid A
Mid G
Mid F#
Low E
Low D

This option provides the Tone Box and complete set of predrilled PVC bodies for all five standard drone flute keys.

4th & 5th Drone Kit – Tone Box + Block + 4 Predrilled PVC Tubes
Includes the BBF Drone Tone Box and block plus four predrilled PVC tubes for building two harmony-based drone configurations:

4th – Mayan Temple Drone: High B / Mid F#, with the bottom three finger holes on each chamber
5th – Aztec Temple Drone: High B / Low E, with the bottom three finger holes on each chamber

Two tubes are included for each configuration, for a total of four predrilled tubes. Unlike a standard drone with matching chambers, these configurations create distinctive 4th and 5th harmonic relationships.

How the BBF Drone Tone Box Works

The Drone Tone Box snaps directly onto two pieces of standard 3/4-inch PVC tubing and provides the mouthpiece and sound mechanism needed to produce both voices.

By changing PVC tube lengths, finger-hole configurations, and tuning, the same Drone Tone Box can create multiple drone flute keys and harmonic combinations.

The BBF Drone Tone Box is designed to:

Snap directly onto standard 3/4-inch PVC pipe
Provide a sound mechanism for both chambers
Work with multiple flute lengths and tunings
Make Native American style drone flute building easier for beginners
Reduce the specialized tools needed to build a playable drone flute
Give experienced makers a platform for experimenting with PVC drone designs

Watch the demonstration video on the demo page to see the BBF Drone Tone Box in action and learn how it can be used to create your own PVC drone flute.

The goal is simple: make drone flute building more accessible, affordable, educational, and fun.

Standard, 4th & 5th Drone Possibilities

The standard kit creates matching-chamber drone flutes in Mid A, Mid G, Mid F#, Low E, and Low D.

For something different, the 4th & 5th Drone Kit explores harmony between differently tuned chambers. These use the same combinations as my handcrafted 4th and 5th drones: B/F# for the Mayan Temple 4th Drone and B/E for the Aztec Temple 5th Drone.

The Mayan Temple Drone uses a 4th relationship, while the Aztec Temple Drone uses a 5th relationship, giving each configuration its own harmonic character.

Made for Makers, Musicians & Experimenters

The BBF Drone Tone Box is designed for anyone interested in Native American style drone flute making, PVC drone flute construction, DIY musical instruments, acoustic experimentation, harmony, and beginner flute building.

Whether you're building your first drone flute or experimenting with different keys and harmonies, the Drone Tone Box provides an accessible starting point.

Construction

BBF Drone Tone Boxes are 3D printed from PETG (Polyethylene Terephthalate Glycol), selected for its durability, dimensional stability, moisture resistance, and greater heat resistance than PLA.

Because each Drone Tone Box is 3D printed, a subtle surface texture may be visible. This is a normal characteristic of the printing process and does not affect its operation or sound.

Learn & Explore

Additional demonstrations, playing tips, flute-making information, tuning guidance, and musical examples are available through Blue Bear Flutes and the Blue Bear Flutes YouTube channel.

Already Have a Drone Tone Box?

Both PVC tube sets are available separately for builders who already own a BBF Drone Tone Box.

The 10-Piece Standard Drone PVC Tube Kit provides the predrilled tubes for Mid A, Mid G, Mid F#, Low E, and Low D.

The 4-Piece 4th & 5th Drone PVC Tube Kit provides the B/F# and B/E tube combinations for building the Mayan Temple 4th and Aztec Temple 5th configurations.

These tube-only options do not include the Drone Tone Box or block.

Shipping

Free shipping is available within the USA and its territories, with affordable international shipping available worldwide. See our Shipping page for complete details.

Start Building

Choose the Drone Tone Box + Block to supply and prepare your own PVC, the Standard Drone Full Kit for the Tone Box and all 10 standard tubes, or the 4th & 5th Drone Kit for the Tone Box and four B/F# and B/E harmony tubes.

If you already own the Drone Tone Box, choose either PVC tube set separately.

Experiment with different keys, harmonies, and sounds—and most importantly, make music.

BBF Drone Tone Box – DIY Native American Style PVC Drone Flute Kit

Name: BBF Drone Tone Box – DIY Native American Style PVC Drone Flute Kit
Brand: Blue Bear Flutes
Price: 55 USD
Availability: InStock

From

$65.00

$55.00

Style

Quantity

Additional Information

What You’ll Need

To complete your drone flute, you’ll need:

Standard 3/4 inch PVC pipe

A drill and drill bits

The supplied finger hole measurements

Sandpaper or basic finishing tools (optional)

That’s it. No specialized flute-making equipment is required.

Designed for Experimentation

One of the biggest advantages of the Tone Box system is flexibility. Because the sound mechanism remains consistent, you can experiment with:

different flute lengths

alternate tunings

custom hole spacing

ergonomic layouts

decorative finishes

travel or compact flute designs

This makes the project ideal for hobbyists, educators, makerspaces, classrooms, and anyone interested in acoustic experimentation.

Beginner Friendly

Traditional flute making can require years of experience to consistently produce a clean, stable sound mechanism. The Drone Tone Box removes much of that complexity, allowing beginners to focus on learning tuning, spacing, airflow, and musical playability without first mastering the most difficult part of flute construction.

Open Source Philosophy

This project was created to encourage creativity and accessibility in flute making. The free downloadable STL file allows makers around the world to print, experiment with, and learn from the design while developing their own instruments and ideas.

About PVC Flutes

PVC has become a popular material among flute makers and experimental instrument builders because it is:

inexpensive

lightweight

weather resistant

easy to work with

acoustically consistent

When properly tuned and designed, PVC drone flutes can produce a surprisingly warm and expressive sound while remaining extremely affordable and durable.

Compatibility

The Drone Tone Box is specifically designed for standard 3/4 inch PVC tubing. Performance may vary with different pipe dimensions or manufacturers, though standard Schedule 40 PVC generally works very well.

Handmade Design Origins

Although this project uses modern materials and 3D printing technology, the underlying voicing, tuning concepts, and sound mechanism geometry come directly from decades of flute-making experience and development through Blue Bear Flutes.