Ask me which weird musical instrument you should learn this summer

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me which weird musical instrument you should learn this summer

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

This thread is a terrible thing for me to read early in the morning on one of those days where it's already hazy and headed for swamp-rear end levels of heat and humidity. Now I really want to go put together a 3-string cigar box and just try and crank out something bluesy.

Any suggestions on where to get a decent deal on parts? I'm thinking of winding my own pickup, just for fun, but tuning machines and a jack that are properly cheap would be nice.

# ¿ May 27, 2012 15:00

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 04:37

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

To save cash, and in keeping with the DIY vibe, if you have any decent musical instrument stores in your area (ones that actually do repairs) odds are they have bins full of old scrap parts. If you drop by and ask nicely if you can buy a few scraps for a CBG, odds are they'll sell you three tuners for something like $3 or so. Plus that way you can get some cool vintage-looking ones, matching or deliberately non-matching as you like. You can also find other scrap parts like nuts, bridges, tailpieces, etc. if you're into that, and the jacks and such and any pickup parts you want to cannibalise. Just make sure the tuners you like turn smoothly and don't feel shoddy.

How are you looking to set yours up? Fretted or fretless? If you already have string background, I'd go fretless and play it with a finger slide for blues coolness.

- Fretless electric CBG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXlEmK7XAbw

I do know a really good luthier shop here, I'll try them. I don't have a great deal of string experience, but fretless slide sounds way too much fun, and I can always put frets on later!

# ¿ May 27, 2012 20:44

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

Damnit, TTFA. I used to play trombone in high school, and couldn't afford to buy one since.

# ¿ May 28, 2012 02:00

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

Ah, I was just going to say "dude they're like $5-10 on Amazon" but I see you're going cash-economy here. Broadly speaking, just google or yelp any of the following in your area:

- Irish, Scottish, or British gift-shops
- Musical instrument stores

Between those two kinds of shops (and honestly the gift shops are probably most likely), you're sure to find some. The main brands to get:

- Feadog (they make $20 ones but also cheaper ones)
- Soodlum (same)
- Walton (same, as low as $5)
- you might find various off-brand ones, just google the brand to see if it's worth $10 before buying
- if you get a Clarke, don't get the "Original" with the wooden block in the head, they're better for more experienced players, but the plastic-headed Sweetone or Meg are fine
- Generation aren't bad at all (and are the classic) but the other brands have upped their game and are better buys in D

Note, you absolutely want one in Key of D for a beginner (and the stores should mostly carry D with maybe some Cs), since all the learning materials online are in D. It should be marked on the instrument/package. Don't pay extra for a book/CD set, unnecessary since free stuff is all over the internet. Just call a couple gift shops, ask if they have an "Irish tinwhistle or pennywhistle" and go to whatever one is close to your house that sells whistles without a book/CD package. Easy done.

FAKEEDIT: tinwhistle is one of the few instruments I'd tell someone to buy regardless of financial situation; they're so dang cheap that if you're really hard up you can just go sit outside with a hat out and play it for an hour and make as much as you paid for it.

No worries, they're nothing fancy but durable and play smooth; I have one of those and one Sounds We Make (if I haven't given it away, idk still gotta unpack) and I'm going to send one of them to a Canadian surfer guy I worked with in Liberia who's back in Vancouver for a couple months. I figure it'll make a great beach instrument he doesn't have to worry about ruining on the shore, can kick back and zone out with a joint and play it while waiting for the tide to turn on some West African beach.

What would you suggest Amazon-wise? I'm going to be ordering some books this week, and love Irish traditional music, so this seems like something I could thow a couple bucks at to meet shipping minimums.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2016 09:46

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

TapTheForwardAssist posted:

I'd go Walton or Feadog; the Walton Little Black is like literally :5bux: if you're just trying to edge over shipping, otherwise models by these two are give or take a few.

I was $15 off free shipping so I went with both.

# ¿ Jun 29, 2016 23:58

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# ¿ May 2, 2024 04:37

Liquid Communism: Mar 9, 2004; Out here, everything hurts.

This thread needs bumped. It got me to spend a summer teaching myself to be not utterly terrible on tinwhistle.

# ¿ Jul 11, 2017 10:34

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me which weird musical instrument you should learn this summer