What's in your Toybox?

World/Folk Flutes & Winds
1

So, what’s hanging around the house? It’s brag time for those of us who dabble (or really master) wind instruments in the ‘other’ category.

Pics are nice, too.

I’ll get the ball rolling:

Recorders: Yamaha sopranino, pearwood soprano, Yamaha tenor

Bansi: 1 nice one in F (bell note)

Chalmeau: Homemade, but with an Otto Link mouthpiece

Ocarinas: 1 decent soprano, 1 that was dug up in Columbia (still works)

Xiao, 3, 2 of which are modified fingering

Macedonian whistle, pearwood, in D, no beak. What are these called? Gottit: Duduce.

Quena, homemade, but quite playable

Shak, Ta Hei student 1.8 cast bore, D bell note. I won this in a bet: Pat said I could have it if I could play God Save the Queen inside of 5 minutes of first trying it. He shoulda known: I can play anything badly! Edit: I just looked up the price on these. Ouch!!!

Can’t think of anything else right now; I had to give back the tarogato I was borrowing, and the sheng is sold. I’ve got a bucket of ‘tourist class’ tooters, but those don’t really count.

Pics to follow, when I can collect the herd together.

Who’s next?

2

:blush: (Siiiiiiigh)

My WhOA took a weird twist in that I gathered mostly folk winds as functional folk art along with a couple pennywhistles–but due to budget constraints (We’re living on one income with me as a full time student + with 2 teens at home…+ I’m naturally stingy–love a bargain!) I just couldn’t justify the expense of high quality instruments while still in the learning stage. So almost all of mine are ‘tourist crap’ gathered at bargain prices, tho’ I find them quite enjoyable to dabble with and—albeit quite slowly–learn on.

European:
1 carved wooden Zholomiga (twin pipes with 3 holes/4holes), C/C, {eBay, $10}
1 carved wooden Kosa Duduk (single pipe 6-hole version of the above), C, {eBay, $5}
1 Dvoyanka, C/D (drone), {eBay, $2}
1 plastic Yama-dog recorder, C, {inherited from daughter after 6th grade}
1 plastic Conn Song Flute, C, {garage sale, $0.50}
1 wooden mini recorder, E {gift from Mom}
1 ceramic Langely style Pendant ocarina, Low D, {Lark in the Morning, $15}

Polynesian:
1 bamboo hawaiian nose flute, C {eBay, for all of a penny!}
2 carved wooden sulings from Bali (one in the shape of a dragon), C {new from eBay, $25 for the pair}

South American :
1 bamboo quena, C {eBay, came with a roncadora, $2.50 for the pair}
1 bamboo roncadora (One 6-hole + a thumbhole, with a half-drone attached), C/high F
1 ceramic turtle ocarina, C {from an antique shop for $1, startled/delighted the grandmother behind the desk when I tooted it; retuned to English style with a rat-tail file}
1 unique ceramic Chilean double ocarina—a 6-hole frog in D over high D (highest note of my D Clark) on the back of a finless fish(?) with 6 fingerholes and 2 thumbholes in D {eBay, $1.26}

North American:
1 cedar 5-hole Native American Flute, G, {eBay, $5}


Next?

3

Great to see this forum, glad to know world flutes are making a presence. My arsenal is pretty sad in that all I seem to spend my money on is flutes, at the moment I have…

75 or so various bansuri
1 Jeonak Daegum
1 Sanjo Daegum
1 Sogum
1 Tanso
2 1.8 Shaks, both from the 30’s
20 Ney
14 NAF, most made by yours truly
60+ Quena, most made by me
50ish Zampona, most made by me again
1 1830’s boxwood Irish flute(Awaiting a casey burns, and caride)
1 Bulgarian Kaval

At the moment, I am debating getting a 2.8 or larger shak, and another sanjo daegum, the later would probably see more use. If anyone is interested I have a profile up at http://www.myspace.com/naadbrahma Recently my ICM focus has been on rudra veena more than bansuri, so my main flute at the moment is daegum, but my most gigged flute is quena as I play in a few Latin American folk music groups. I think the most frusterating thing with having these flutes is taking care of them in the winter. I found the best method is sticking all the flute in a sealed closest with a humidifier…works quite well, never had a flute crack yet since I have tried this method.

4

I play Bulgarian kaval primarily. It is an “end-blown” flute. I have kavals in Re, Do, and La (D, C, A). The A is quite a challenge to play, especially the “kaba” sound (low and middle registers combined – nice). The “D” is the “standard”.

I also have a couple of tin whistles and a Ralph Sweet “D” simple-system flute. I am just beginning to play some Irish music.

…john

5

Man, and get crap for having six harps!!!
Although flutes are usually easier to conceal! Setting the chordphones aside, and looking in various bins and cases for a moment I see:

6 bansuri ( my good Whitter died after many galant adventures…)
Many whistles of all sizes and keys including one in the glove box of my car.
A cool “pungi” like reed pipe made by a local Hmong musician.
A set of uilleann pipes (cobbled together, but they sound nice)
Two Irish flutes, an 1830(?) four key that needs yet more work and a Delrin M&E 6 key that is a really delight.
A shenai, probably the “Benares tourist” model
A GHB practice chanter, circa 1900.
An old abused Klarino (Greek Clarinet) in C (?), formerly my grandpa’s.
A bad Arabic folk ney that really annoys my dog.
A PVC ney
A SSAT set of Yamaha Recorders

Yep…my wife is right. I have a problem.

6

My list is sad next to some of you guys.
Quite a few NAF flutes I have made wood , bamboo & rivercane
A copy of a Eric flute with a tuning that sounds like middle eastern scale{my wife actually made this one, he first and last build}
Shak from rivercane
Bamboo whistles & recorders made by myself
A old china made kids flute from about 1968- only 3 holes but plays good{ I recently found it in my Moms attic.
A Slovak dual flute from e-bay that hardly makes sound
clay ocarinas I make in pentatonic tuning,couple of major swetpotatoes I made
minor scale G from Eric
Susato low d
freman tweaked Shaw d
3or 4 self tweaked orig. clarkes
B flat susato whistle
Gill alto Recordr{ first thing my wife bought me}
Feadod D , I stickytacked
Mid east cane G-- surprisingly good
Self mad bamboo transverse flutes , many keys, most recently Low d for de Irish
Only thing I cant find is the little 2.00 cane whistle that got me into this stuff 10 yrs. ago
I need more!!
I like making as much as playing almost.

7

I must have another crack at making a quena. I made one with a bad sort of pipe. It plays, but not nicely. It must be possible to do better.
One proper Chinese bamboo flute in D.
One non-Chinese Bamboo Flute in D.
Several Ocarinas. I used to have a really nice one, but I fear it got smashed. It disappeared. I have kids. What can I say.
I am promised one from Mr Gray in Florence, S.C.
A four-foot low D whistle in red plastic. (Smoke Detector Pipe). It has a rubber foot so it can be used as a walking stick.
At least three sets of pan-pipes.
Various odd whistle-like instruments that people have got for me. Nothing non-touristy, and probably nothing worth more than £5($10).
A Black plastic Willow-flute.
And of course the old Didgeridoo.

8

WOODWINDS & BRASS

BASSOON

Schreiber & Sohne Bassoon – Serial # 56XX

Schreiber & Sohne Bassoon – Serial # 86XX

CLARINET

Bundy Soprano Clarinet (Resonite) – Serial # 11674XX

Leblanc Alto Clarinet – Serial # 58XX

Leblanc Bass Clarinet – Serial # 40XX

Leblanc Paperclip Contrabass Clarinet – Serial # 8XX

Leblanc Soprano L7 Clarinet – Serial # 302XX

Noblet Alto Clarinet – Serial # 21XX US Patent – RE. 23.725

Noblet Alto Clarinet – Serial # 37XX

Noblet Bass Clarinet – Serial # 65XX (bottom) # 80XX (top)

Normandy 4 Soprano Clarinet – Serial # 950XX

Paul Dupre Conservatoire Soprano Clarinet - Serial # 973XX

OBOE

King Marigaux Oboe – Serial # 47XX

SAXOPHONE

Bundy Special Tenor Saxophone (Germany- Keilwerth) – Serial # 525XX

King Cleveland 615 Tenor Saxophone – Serial # 6795XX

King Zephyr Baritone Saxophone – Serial # 4847XX

Martin Magna Tenor Saxophone – Serial # 2140XX

Vito Tenor Saxophone (Japan-Yamaha) – Serial # 0113XX

TROMBONE

Blessing Super Artist Trombone– Serial # 736XX

Conn Connstellation 48H Trombone – Serial # 9648XX

King 3-B Concert Trombone – Serial # 3427XX

King 606 Trombone – Serial # 6046XX

King Super Tempo 1506 Trombone – Serial # 9980XX

Olds Ambassador Trombone – Serial # 4219XX

9

I haven’t checked into this forum for a while, and I have to say: Wow. Get all of us together we could have quite an odd session. :slight_smile:

I just got a Yamaha 642S euphonium. I’ve posted pics of it in at least two other forums, so I will exercise restraint. But it’s mighty purdy! Besides lots (and lots and lots) of whistles, I also play an early 80’s Ibanez dreadnought and Martin Backpacker geetars, a Spirit Song G bamboo flute, a Fred Halpin bodhran, and a field snare.

Have fun!

Tom

10

In comparison, my collection is little and fairly simple but here we go…

Whistles:

  • Clarke Original D
  • Generation Bb Nickel (on its way)
  • Walton Lil Black D

Harmonicas:

  • Hohner Special 20 diatonic - Key of C
  • Hohner Special 20 diatonic - Key of A

Recorders:

  • Yamaha Soprano

Melodicas:

  • Hohner HM Piano 32 Melodica

Ocarinas:

  • 5-hole cherry and rosewood Susato Ocarina (on its way)
  • Susato Mountain Ocarina poly-carbonate (on its way)
11

Hi Guys - I’m new hereabouts and Oh wow - I don’t really compete -
I have the usual:

Set of Generation and a couple of Clarks.

Two or three Honner proharps.

The interesting ones [for me] are recent.

I went to a “Walking Thunder” [Google him] na flute course where Grisly gave me a flute made of conduit.
Since then I’ve developed my own 25mm version which isn’t quite N/A but is pentatonic in a wide range of scales. I play them pentatonic and diatonic and have made one with a split bottom hole to aid this.
I find making almost as relaxing as playing and as it takes 20 mins max and 6 mins, record to make one I’ve made a shedload.
They have a beautifully clear tone. Its wonderful what you can get from 60p [Just over a dollar] of material.
I must have made about 40 of them as my design developed.

Oh and dozens of home made bamboo pipes and flutes.

I’m wondering whether to admit that I got an Empire Brass flute for Xmas - No I didn’t come here for sympathy and no - I didn’t read the bloody posting on the flute forum soon enough! Ho Hum Just as well I’m self satisfied about my conduit pipes.

12

Listing only my personal instruments is easy as I do not have so many as my hubby, here we go

Drums and noisy stuff
big headed Djembe from Burkina Faso
Eckermann double skin bodhran, 42cm
refurbished and painted blue old bodhran, originally from Roundstone workshops Ireland
some egg shakers and one rainmaker as well as some weird calimba like thingies
2 marrokan drums, clay look a little like darbukas but do not sound like them
2 singing bowls

Whistles
Alto G sb in gold anodised made by Colin

Mouthharps
1 scandinavian but not a lot different in look than the jewish ones
2 jewish in D and G
5 or so indonesian (vietnamese?) ones, find them much easier to play and they do not knock against the crowns all the time :slight_smile:

Flute
plum wood D, Pratten style made with some assistence by meself
crystal flute in G made by James Hall

Didges
1 blood wood in A
1 tunable one from plastic E to D
3 glass didges made by James Hall, different patterns incl. dot painting
1 cherry wood, tunable made by Walter Strasser
at least 6 bamboo ones usually around the key of D, self made as well as some cardbox ones selfmade

Brigitte

13

Wow !! What a forum.. great find !!

Me ? Here ? The Thirteenth Earl of Wimbledon ? Here on ‘Chiff & Fipple’ !! ??

Well here goes..

Ney : about 30 Turkish, Egyptian, one Persian

Kaval : 6 Bulgarian, 2 Turkish

Duduk : 7 Armenian

Blul : 3 Armenian

Arghul : 1 Egyptian

Bansuri : 20 Indian

Mizmar / Zurna : 8 Moroccan , 2 Armenian

Sipsi : 3 Turkish

Other flutes/Whistles about 50 quenas / bansuri / Chinese / Irish / World

I’ve played Ney for 23 years, love kavals and most ‘fipples’. Used to front an Instrumental ‘space-rock’ band called ‘Ozric Tentacles’ for 18 years, now play with ‘Dream Machine’, a dance-music outfit called Zubzub and have my own ‘Champignon’ band playing comedy/folk musings.

Learning Bulgarian Tamboura by transposing all my irish-whistle repertoire at the moment and also the Persian Nay, a remarkable instrument with a very different blowing technique to its Turkish/Egyptian counterparts. Am also learning oud and cumbus.. keeping busy !!

14

Ozric Tentacles!! How cool is that – I used to listen a lot to a couple of your albums years ago (Pungent mostly, but also Arborescence), but then I kind of lost track as my tastes went in other directions.

Welcome to the forum, good to have you here!

15

I have Bulgarian kavals in Re, Do, and La (D, C, A). What keys are yours in?

The list-serve on eefc.org would be able to help if you wanted to learn Bulgarian tambura by playing Bulgarian music. It is an active mailing-list type of forum which specializes in East European folk music, dance, and culture.

Best wishes,

John

16

My Whoa factor has spread to my wife catching my obsession from me as well.

  1. Irish Flute by Desi Seri
  2. Irish Flute by Casey Burns
  3. D Whistle (fedog)
  4. C Whistle (Harper)
  5. Bb Whislte (Generation)
  6. C Whistle (Generation)
  7. Bass Recorder (Yamaha)
  8. Tenor Recorder (Yamaha)
  9. Alto Recorder (Zen on)
  10. Soprano Recorder (Zen on)
  11. Sopranino Recorder (Yamaha)
  12. Bb fife (Sweet)
  13. C fife (Cooperman)
  14. Soprano Recorder (
  15. Chinese Xaio
  16. Chinese Taipei Xaio
  17. Thai Dizi
  18. Thai Khlui Kruat
  19. Cambodian Khloy C
  20. Cambodian Khloy D
  21. Vietnamese Sao Truc’ G
  22. Javanes Bass Suling G
  23. South Indian Venu C
  24. Northern Indian Bansuri G
  25. Nepali Whistle D
  26. Japanese Shakuhachi
  27. Japanese Hocchiku
  28. Japanese Shinobue Bb
  29. Japanese Shinobue D
  30. Hawaiian Nose Flute - Ohe Hanu Ihu (Anthony Natividad)
  31. Tongan Fangu Fangu
  32. High Am Native American Plains Flute (Mockingbird Flutes)
  33. High Em Native American Plains Flute (Coyote Old Man)
  34. Am Native American Plains Flute
  35. Gm Native American Plains Flute (Butch Hall)
  36. F#m Native American Plains Flute
  37. Fm Double Native American Plains Flute
  38. Dm Bass Native American Plains Flute
  39. Hopi Flute (Coyote Old Man)
  40. Yuma Flute
  41. Glastonbury Pipe (Early music kit double reed)
  42. Alto Cortol
  43. Chinese Ba-Wu
  44. Bulgarian Kaval
  45. Bulgarian Dvoyanka A
  46. Egyptian Ney
  47. Norwegian Willow Flute
  48. Anasazi Flute A (Coyote Old Man) my wife’s
  49. Mohavi Flute - my wife’s
  50. Bm Native American Plains Flute - my wife’s
  51. English one key Fife in B

We own a lot of whistles that I haven’t listed. I’ve learned to make flutes as a means to satisfy my Whoa.

David Spalding Sharp

17

For a band of mostly string and percussion players, I realized our studio space is filled with wind instruments. So here is a list of what we have for our band.

HuLuSi: Originally an ethnic Thai instrument but played in some parts of modern China. It is a gourd flute with internal reeds with three shafts, one main with the play holes, and two that join in as harmony tones when opened. Magical and lovely instrument.

Turkish Ney: My favorite wind instrument and maybe the most difficult thing I have ever tried to play. I can get one clean octive out of it on a good day. But if you listen to traditional Persian music or modern material like Mercan DeDe you may fall in love with this one.

Douduk: This one is from Turkey, double large reed instrument with 8 holes on front one on back. Feels like your brain will explode when you first start trying to play. But slowing getting there. If you love a clarinet like tone with a far more exotic sound these are amazing. Ours is from a shop we visited in Istanbul.

Shakuhachi: Second most difficult. Love the sound if I could get more stable playing out it. Maybe in a few years.

Indian Whistle: G whistle we picked up at a festival. Lovely sound and dead on tuning.

Clarinet: Gypsie tones from a lovely instrument.

Irish Whistles

Susato Low D: Lovely breathy sound and great for making tribal sounding native wind instrument melodies.
Domnal Na Gruen: Just got this in the mail this week. Pure clear sound. Soft and not very loud but fantastic clear tone when you want notes that sound pure.
Goldie Low D: Just on the way. Can’t wait for this one.

Misc. C and D whistles picked up over the years. You may be surprised to find out that we use these to imitate Japanese festival flutes and Chinese whistles. They are wonderful for this purpose and can play a festival piece as well as some Japanese small flutes.

Now if we only had more time to spend mastering these. Sadly only the HuLuSi is played by one of our members very seriously now. She’s a wonderful player and we hope to have this on more tracks for the second CD.

The Low whistles have found a dedicated player in me and I hope to use them more and more going forward too.

Best wishes to all