Author Topic: Readers' Instruments  (Read 164532 times)

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #50 on: 10 May, 2014, 01:52:22 pm »
Here are my bagpipes


PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #51 on: 10 May, 2014, 06:06:37 pm »
My mandolin:



Although I'd describe myself as an owner rather than a player ???

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #52 on: 10 May, 2014, 08:54:24 pm »
Here are the ones I can be bothered to take pics of...

My main violin: sadly underused these days (I seem to spend my free time riding bikes instead...). French, c.1840.



My spare violin: Romanian student instrument from the 1990s. Hasn't been played in a long time.



Main viola: this is the only one that sees any action at the moment, in a local amateur orchestra. It's a Gliga from 2004, and I've owned it from new.



Spare viola (yes, this n+1 thing applies to more than bikes :-[): Czech, c.1930.



Flute: basic Yamaha student model. Shiny.



Clarinet: Boosey & Hawkes Edgware. Wooden.



Alto sax: Another Yamaha student model. Very shiny. I think it's shinier than the flute, but it might just look that way because it's bigger.



The latest acquisition: a Cort T34 bass. Bought this recently because it is sparkly and I didn't have a bass.



Can't really photograph the sparkles, but it looks really lovely when the sunlight hits it - there are rainbow flecks in the paintwork. I'd like a bike frame in this colour.


hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #53 on: 10 May, 2014, 09:41:49 pm »
Boosey & Hawkes clarinets were made in a factory near my school. One of my classmates' mothers worked there as did one of my colleagues at Edgware Hospital and a lady I sometimes see at Edgware CTC.
Site of the factory is now a residential development named 'Symphony Court'.
The musical instrument collection was rehoused in the Horniman Museum.

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #54 on: 10 May, 2014, 09:53:06 pm »
Ooh, I'd love to live in an old instrument factory! :D

Thanks for the info on the Horniman Museum: a quick Google led me to this list of serial numbers. Turns out my clarinet's a 1972 model.

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #55 on: 11 May, 2014, 12:06:01 am »
Has anyone ever seen a Martin Horn before?

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #56 on: 11 May, 2014, 12:07:52 am »
Symphony Court is all new build. The old factory was demolished.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #57 on: 11 May, 2014, 12:09:23 am »
Ooh, I'd love to live in an old instrument factory! :D

Thanks for the info on the Horniman Museum: a quick Google led me to this list of serial numbers. Turns out my clarinet's a 1972 model.

That's when my schoolmate's Mum worked there...

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #58 on: 11 May, 2014, 12:43:38 am »
Mine is 1957 if I remember correctly. Wooden Regent. The later ones were plastic, but the old ones sound nice and mellow.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #59 on: 11 May, 2014, 10:59:10 am »
We had someone from the factory speak to us about the clarinets which were made from 'African Blackwood' (ie ebony). Would have been around 1970.

David Martin

  • Thats Dr Oi You thankyouverymuch
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #60 on: 11 May, 2014, 03:19:48 pm »
Thats the ones.
"By creating we think. By living we learn" - Patrick Geddes

billplumtree

  • Plumbing the well of gitness
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #61 on: 11 May, 2014, 03:48:28 pm »
I used to play in a brass band...


Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #62 on: 11 May, 2014, 05:11:36 pm »
African Blackwood is African Blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon), not ebony which is a few species from the Diospyros genus, and in the same genus as Brazilian Rosewood (Dalbergia nigra)

Woofage

  • Tofu-eating Wokerati
  • Ain't no hooves on my bike.
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #63 on: 12 May, 2014, 09:01:08 am »
Mrs W has a clarinet somewhere. I'll have to dig it out and post the details.
Pen Pusher

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #64 on: 15 May, 2014, 11:58:31 am »
Bandura - 'Chernihiv' style


Bandura - 'Poltava/Kharkiv' style


I also have a 3/4 size 'Poltavka' for teaching children, but that's with my parents, which is also where my hammered dulcimer resides.
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

Andrij

  • Андрій
  • Ερασιτεχνικός μισάνθρωπος
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #65 on: 15 May, 2014, 12:17:18 pm »
Andrij, the pictures are not displaying for the rest of us. I think you mean these two:

{snip}

Thanks, now fixed (I hope!)
;D  Andrij.  I pronounce you Complete and Utter GIT   :thumbsup:

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #66 on: 15 May, 2014, 03:40:26 pm »
Is that thing loaded?
Getting there...

Vince

  • Can't climb; won't climb
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #67 on: 19 May, 2014, 03:04:37 am »
For your amusement, I present the Crapocaster



The neck is from an Eko acoustic, free from a car boot sale. The body from a 2by4 and the hardware from Ebay.

I also have a Fender Telecaster and a Washburn acoustic, but they are less interesting, though more predictable to play!
216km from Marsh Gibbon

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #68 on: 16 December, 2016, 04:26:00 pm »
My latest guitar:



I built it myself  :)

I have over 400 captioned photos of the build process. I know many of you have seen them on Facebook, but even if you don't have a Facebook account you should be able to view them all here

Edit: Non Facebook version: here
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #69 on: 16 December, 2016, 04:33:30 pm »
That looks lovely, bobb - all those tools yours? (They're lovely too)

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #70 on: 16 December, 2016, 04:39:25 pm »
Yup. I spent a fortune on tools. I could have phoned the Fender custom shop and asked them to build me a one off Tele and it would have cost less  ;D

But I have them now. I will start another build in the new year  :)
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Dibdib

  • Fat'n'slow
Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #71 on: 16 December, 2016, 05:24:29 pm »
Bloody hell Bobb, that's [string of expletives deleted --ed] fantastic. Unbelievable craftsmanship.

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #72 on: 16 December, 2016, 05:57:10 pm »
Unbelievable craftsmanship.

I'm not sure I'd go that far!

Sometimes my tendency to be obsessive can be a curse, but for something like this, it's extremely useful!
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!

Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #73 on: 16 December, 2016, 06:35:18 pm »
Make this one next, I double dare you...


Re: Reader's Instruments
« Reply #74 on: 16 December, 2016, 07:05:01 pm »
I can't believe I actually spent a couple of minutes thinking about how I would construct that monstrosity!  ;D
Those wonderful norks are never far from my thoughts, oh yeah!