Do you collect instruments?

[Dave2002]

I didn't set out to collect instruments, but I've gradually built up a collection of flutes, recorders and other whistly things, as well as some percussion - such as drums from Africa, and Cuban instruments.

Have others acquired an instrument collection?

[muzzer]

On the basis I don’t play the ones I own nearly enough, I fear they constitute a collection.

[johnb]

I've suffered from CGAS (Classical Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) in the past but it's in remission at the moment.

It's partly that each instrument has its own unique character and balance of qualities (sometimes they suit particular types of guitar music, e.g. baroque or Spanish, etc). The instrument gradually reveals its secrets to you.

But it is also the search for the mythical ideal instrument. In my case only to realise just how special is the instrument the instrument I have had for the last 50 years (Hermanos Conde, 1968).

It's about time I sold most of them.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I've bought and sold many instruments, but have never had the urge to collect them - far too expensive to go there. Instruments are there to be played, not displayed.


Instruments still owned in bold font

Piano:-
Marston - horrible reconditioned monster, but I learnt to play on it
Weimar - secondhand but very good to play
Waldmeyer (I think) - bought cheaply from Llandudno when a student
Yamaha Clavinova CLP100 - my first electric piano, now owned by my son
Yamaha M1G upright - a big mistake: very brittle sound
Steinway Model K - a dream to play, but very expensive (now sold)
Yamaha P115 digital piano
Yamaha Avant Grand Nx3

Oboe:-
Selmer Console
Cabart
Pollard
Boosey & Hawkes Imperial
Rigoutat Expression (probably the best instrument I've ever owned)

Flute:-
Yamaha (model not recorded)
Sapphire (very old and not very good)
Yamaha 211s
Pearl Elegante


Recorders - too many to remember

[Richard Barrett]

I have a number of recorders, ocarinas and electronic keyboards, a flute, a nose flute, a tenor saxophone, a Bb clarinet, an Indian banjo, a Thai mouth-organ, a Viennese zither, a classical guitar, an electric bass guitar (no electric 6-string guitar at the moment, that will have to be corrected soon). My wife has a concert harp, an electric harp, an upright piano, another kind of zither (Violinzither), an 'ud, a Ukrainian bandura, several mbiras and a lot of percussion. I think that's about all.

[ardcarp]

an electric harp,

In my ignorance, I've never heard of an electric harp, and can't imagine how one might be played! Does one wave one's hands around hopefully as with a theramin? But I'm being facetious. I'd love to know what it looks like and how it works...and maybe have a pic?

Our own household reflects the instruments played by us, children and grandchildren and includes a piano (rather posh grand ) a cello, three violins, clarinets (B flat and A) and a flute. Oh and a ukelele which my father taught me to play when I was a nipper. The E flat tuba and the electronic 2 manual+pedal electronic organ went some time ago when I ceased to practise...in both senses.

[Joseph K]

(no electric 6-string guitar at the moment, that will have to be corrected soon). .

What sort of electric six string guitar do you reckon you'll get?

I have a Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin, a classical guitar (can't remember what type) a steel string acoustic guitar, some sort of Peruvian pan pipes type of thing and bongos.

I need to get round to buying a keyboard. I also want a Fender Mustang since it's the guitar John McLaughlin played on the album Devotion and most albums with Miles Davis.

[gradus]

No not intentionally, but we have 4 pianos, one John Brinsmead upright at a daughter's, one Boyd upright waiting to be collected from us, a Bluthner grand and to replace the piano that's going, a Lipp grand. None are remotely modern - both grands are 114 years old but still sound fine.

[MrGongGong]

Erm


A piano (my wife's)
2 flugelhorns
Double french horn
Baritone horn
Post horn
Sideblown cows horn


Duduk
Romanian flute (forgotten the name)
Several recorders / penny whistles
Quena
Cimpoi chanter
a few other homemade flutes

A few boxes of small percussion (Anklung, bells, triangles, chimes, shakers etc etc )
A drum kit
Lots of cymbals
Several hand drums / talking drums etc
Bells made from large oxygen bottles
Rainmakers


About 30 or so gongs (a mix of Chinese ones, some homemade ones and others )

5 accordions
Several melodicas

Sequential circuits synth
Akai polysynth
Bass guitar

Lots of organ pipes of different sizes and types

Several homemade electronic instruments and electronic controllers/processing gear, mixing desks etc etc

Probably more if I dig in the sheds a bit (I used to make instruments so lots of bits and pieces)

[Richard Barrett]

What sort of electric six string guitar do you reckon you'll get?

A friend of mine was selling a very nice Ibanez semi-acoustic last year which was exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, a feeling that was confirmed when I spent a while playing it, but I couldn't make up my mind because I wasn't very flush and I didn't need a guitar; eventually my wife got fed up with me talking about it all the time and said I should just buy it, so I called my friend and said I was ready to part with the cash, but he had sold it to someone else a few days previously.

[Dave2002]

I forgot about the pianos (2) and keyboards - also two - in the opening post. There are a few other instruments - gourds and things like that.
There's a violin here also, but nobody can play that - or will own up to it. I certainly can't. No guitars of any sort.

[ardcarp]

...and I forgot I still have a Morley small harpsichord...not what a purist would approve of, but useful for shoving in the back of an estate car and doing continuo work. (I sold my lovely Flemish copy 'proper' harpsichord with hand-painted soundboard some years ago.)