The Bulbul

Indian manufactured instrument:  the bulbul.  A low cost instrument that is appealing at face value.  A 6 stringed, dulcimer-like box that uses typewriter key buttons to be pressed to fret the strings at a particular spot to generate a note.  The strings can be tuned any of several ways but two strings are generally tuned the same and generate a drone.  A pick or fingerpicking may be used to pluck the strings.  The problem I had was tuning the strings.  The tuning pegs are a little hard to manipulate.  The sound generated by this instrument was also less than pleasing to me.  Sold it on eBay for about $50.00. 

Electro Harmonix Drum Sequencer

Had this Electro Harmonix thing for a little while.  Used it as a crude 8-note sequencer.  Sold it.  Underutilized and misunderstood.  For a better understanding of what this device was designed for, please follow this link and let the wise people explain:

http://www.dron.de/gear/gear34.html

Acrylic Panpipes

There was a time when I was enthusiastically snapping up divergent musical instruments fully confident that I could master playing each and every one.  I think the striking appearance of these acrylic panpipes is what attracted me to them.  I never did master playing them.  They were actually quite difficult to produce tones through but my approach was probably all wrong.

Dean 12 String Bass Guitar

Dean 12 String MONSTER!



I owned this Dean 12 string bass for about a year.  I found it simply too difficult to play and sold it on eBay.  It is otherwise a noise monster.  This instrument is thoroughly capable of creating walls of sound and suitably dense sonic textures.  I do miss it and have often thought of getting another.  But probably won't.    

My son and his first guitar.  This was actually my second 12 string bass. 

The first one was actually stolen and insurance paid for this replacement.
The Dean was actually a better instrument.