Just want to get more acquainted…
I play an F style mandolin.
~jayjay
Hi jayjay and welcome!
Nothing wrong with getting better acquainted. I play an F-style as my stage instrument, but I have several other mandolins that I enjoy as well. I also use tenor banjo and, of course, tin whistle and Irish flute in the act. For fun I like to fool around with the lap duclimer, guitar, and ukulele.
I have also have a tenor guitar I didn’t mention, tuned in fifths. … I was considering trading it in for a 'zouk or OM.
Mandolin is the only string instrument I play… besides that, whistle, and some flute, harmonica, and Scottish smallpipes, in descending order of skil.
I play Mandolin (a brand new flat-top A), Guitar, Double Bass, and Mountain Dulcimer (in that order).
Hi again jayjay,
I read somewhere else about your tenor guitar. Don’t trade it! Good tenor guitars are very hard to find, yet they often don’t get nearly the price they’re worth. Hold onto it and save up for a good octave mandolin. They are more easily found and you can find good deals by shopping around.
Seriously ? I liked the Martin to play my Bach cello suites, at bedtime, but other than that, its not easy for me to get to ring, especially around other instruments. It’s shy I guess…
Well, I’ll look into some inexpensive octave mandos around here, see what I can come up with , and keep the Martin. Thanks so much for the advice, I really needed to hear that.
~Jj
A great many tenor guitars are not ‘ringing’ instruments, but that does not diminish them at all. Many players look for the subdued nature of them. The tenor guitar was never designed to play in the Irish open session. That’s why the baz/OM is popular instead.
OM’s and baz are popular these days for lots of other reasons besides. Tenors are more rare. You’ll be glad one day that you kept it. It’s paid for and doesn’t eat anything. Keep the tenor, save for a good OM (don’t waste your money on the junk!) and play your bloody heart out!!!
I play a 26-string lever harp (I also play the whistle and sing…but not at the same time!)
Redwolf
Bass fiddle, guitar, whistle, 5 string banjo and hookey. I play around with the fiddle and the flute on occaision, but I don’t claim to play either one.
Welcome jayjay!
I play, in no particular order (I may have you beat, tim! 
):
- violin
- viola
- (some) cello
- mandolin + and other mando fmaily instruments
- tenor banjo
- guitar
- tin whistle + low whistle
- harmonica
- ocarina
- jaw (jews, ozark, whatever) harp
- bodhran
- spoons and bones
- highland pipes + Deger electric bagpipe
- uilleann pipes
- piano accordion
My current string collection (less cellos and a violin mentioned there I have finished) can be seen on the “pictures of your stringed instruments” thread. Post up yours!
listen to John Carty play tenor guitar. you may not want to get rid of it after that…
wooden whistle (Abell)
wooden flute (Reviol)
wooden piccolo (McGee)
National Reso-Phonic mandolin
10-string Irish bouzouki
10-string banjo-mandolin
5-string electric octave mandolin
6-string hurdy gurdy
5-string acoustic bass guitar
10-string electric bass guitar
Northumbrian smallpipes (G and D)
vocal chords
Roland GR-20 guitar synth (with the electric OM)
Banshee Talk Box (yes, like Frampton)
Jamman looping pedal
Bodhran
Hunter tippers
Bones
S.H.,
You’ve bested me in viola and cello. I bow to that, dear sir! (pun fully intended!)
But to your list I can add the great pipe organ. Indeed, I was a church organist for many years before finding the joys of Irish music and the pubs it’s played in.
So my life-list includes, just for the fun of it mind you!:
Mandolin
Octave mando (or whatever you want to call it!)
Piano accordion
Button accordion
Melodian
Autoharp
Lap Harp (very badly indeed!!!)
Lap ducimer
Guitar
Five string banjo
Tenor banjo
Plectrum (long neck tenor) banjo
Ukulele (in the four sizes, big deal)
Ocarina
Harmonica (badly)
Jaw harp (equally badly!)
Violin (again, you’ve certainly bested me good friend! I’m ashamed to list it because I’m so poor at it!)
Trombone
Trumpet
Clarinet
Saxophone
French Horn
English horn (but not the oboe, go figure)
Piano
Organ (surprisingly well, I must admit)
Fife
Irish flute
Whistle (all of them, just need a key after all)
A bunch of bamboo flutes with holes in them (you know what I mean)
Recorder (I know, I know! Don’t hit me)
Saz
Lute (just enough to shame myself in public!)
Bodhran
Bones
Spoons
Other percusions (do we really need to list them all? It gets silly after a while).
Marimba
Steel drum
I do have a set of Ulleann pipes, but I will not include them as an instrument I play. I’m too ashamed of my ability, which is nothing at all.
Since we’re in the string forum, I’ll start with strings:
Fiddle (for a couple years)
Tenor banjo (a few months)
Also:
Wooden flutes (five years)
Uilleann pipes (three years? Three and a half?)
Whistles (five years)
I used to play rcrd*r, classical and steel string guitars, and modern flute. No more.
Oh yeah, jewsharp. I “play” that, in that I can sound cool to anyone who doesn’t play, ha
But to your list I can add the great pipe organ. Indeed, I was a church organist for many years before finding the joys of Irish music and the pubs it’s played in.
Hey, you should bring one to session sometime, eh? 
Flute, primarily
Whistles when too many flute players show up
I am starting to play harp.
Tim- ye have my upmost respect… I know when I’m beat 
In fairness, you probably have a few years on me, too! (I just moved into my college dorm today!) But I’m majoring in music history, and I know we have acess to harpsicords, mineature organs, cellests, spinnets, and other forms of keyboard instruments… plus maybe a few other less seen instruments. Out of curiosity- where did you find a saz at? Been meaning to give one a whirl. Tuned in fifths, aren’t they?
Oh yeah, jewsharp. I “play” that, in that I can sound cool to anyone who doesn’t play, ha
AMEN BROTHER!!! I don’t usually talk about that instrument in public; when people hear it and discover it makes that spring-y sound, I never hear the end of it! Used to play a few ITM-ish tunes on it, but they all sounded like crap!
Flute, Pipes, Whistle. Learning to play guitar (DADGAD), but I’m too stupid.
Mainly Flute, but also Whistle, Mandolin, and Bouzouki.