My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Little Hawk
Date: 11 Aug 00 - 12:59 PM

I think you have a point there.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Escamillo
Date: 11 Aug 00 - 01:36 PM

Tonight I'll look for an English page of Les Luthiers. What Carlos is holding is a LATIN or VIOLIN DE LATA = can-made violin. And he really plays it, there are sound samples in the page.

Er.. Spaw ! No, no, ..sorry .. don't enter that site - Those who Enter That Site are Told to Leave Any Hope !

Un abrazo - Andrés

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Escamillo
Date: 12 Aug 00 - 12:23 AM

Sorry, could not find a page in English, but will keep searching. Meanwhile, with a very little Spanish you may enjoy comments, photos and sound samples in these two sites:

http://www.geocities.com/lefotos/otras.htm

http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Stage/8317/

Un abrazo - Andrés

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: P05139
Date: 12 Aug 00 - 11:50 PM

I know you've told us what it is but if the head was bent over it would be a lute!

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: P05139
Date: 12 Aug 00 - 11:51 PM

Mind you, it could be a lyre. GCSE Music y'see!

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Bernard
Date: 13 Aug 00 - 12:20 AM

How could it be a lyre? It can't even talk, never mind be untruthful...

As to the theory of bunging bits together to see what it sounds like - most 'accepted' instruments were invented that way! It's sort of the Folk Tradition, but for instruments.

Stefan Sobell of Newcastle upon Tyne invented a ten-stringed instrument he called a cittern - nowadays lots of people play them. He admits he pinched the name from a medieval instrument. If you're reading this, Stefan, I've got an Appalachian dulcimer you made in 1973 - it needs mending!

Adolf Sax tried to make a clarinet out of metal, but failed. The result was the Saxophone...

I tried to make music with a comb and paper. The result was a gobful of soggy tissue...

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Auxiris
Date: 13 Aug 00 - 04:58 AM

The instrument in the photo looks remarkably like the wooden banjo I've got, though it's considerably more modern, having been built in 1971. Bob, just out of curiosity, is the top of the instrument spruce or cedar?

cheers,

Aux

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Downeast Bob
Date: 13 Aug 00 - 12:07 PM

To tell you the truth, I don't know. I've seldom owned any guitars, so I'm not practiced at identifying what they are made of. I do know that the instrument feels surprisingly light. If cedar is ligher in weight than spruce, that's probably what it is. Yours is probably an August Pollmann reproduction. In spite of Spaw's dismissive but good-natured remarks about bastardaharps, luthiers have continued to make Pollman copies from time to time.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: P05139
Date: 13 Aug 00 - 12:32 PM

Yes, v.funny Bernard! Not liar, lyre!

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: GUEST,Jason Sobell
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 10:48 AM

> If you're reading this, Stefan, I've got an Appalachian dulcimer you made in 1973 - it needs mending!

Not much chance of him reading this, he's a bit of a technophobe, and out in the wilds of Hexhamshire they are lucky to have telephones, never mind broadband internet links :) Email him at [e-mail]

Cheers, Jason

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 11:40 AM

When I made something similar in 1980-odd, I based the banjo neck dimensions on a Barnes & Mullins Zither Banjo which belonged to my Great Grandad. The body is more circular, and about the size of a mandola or Sobell type cittern.
In my case the naming process was a cut-and-paste process from the different instrument names. So it became the Bandola; or the MandJo; or the BanCit. A friend of mine always asks for a tune on the Banjaxed. Mostly if asked what it is called I answer ERIC!.
That said, the tone is sweet. It sounds similar to an Appalachian Dulcimer, but is more versatile as I can play anything which I play on banjo. It is handy for accompanying songs which are too quiet to suit a banjo, or for playing on Paltalk sessions late in the evening, so as not to disturb the neighbours' sleep.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 23 Sep 01 - 08:11 PM

The "Irish Bouzouki" is another case in point of a new instrument pinching an existing name, since it's really got very little to do with the Greek Bouzouki.

I don't believe that all the worthwhile instruments have yet been invented.

For example I'd like to see someone experimenting with variations on the hurdy gurdy system - with the strings sounded by a turning wheel, I mean.

I can imagine a variant in which there was a fretboard like a mountain dulcimer, rather than the sort of keyboard hurdy gurdies have. It might work pretty well.

Or possibly not... I'd like to see it done I said -I'm not too sure I'd like to hear it, at least until the bugs had bee en well and truly ironed out.

I suppose you could call it a hurdimer gurdimer.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Sep 01 - 11:04 AM

Of course, if you are intersted in weird and wonderful instruments made of out of plumbing and so forth, Gerard Hoffnung was the man.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Charley Noble
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 11:55 AM

Refresh for those interested in banjo-madolin hydrids.

Charley Noble

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Leadfingers
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 01:01 PM

I've said it before and I will say it again. Its a Banjola and Goldtone do one for twice what I paid for my Ozark labelled version.Check out the Goldtone website for Banjola. They are a fun instrument and sound a bit like a Bazouki if you strum chords rather than picking.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Jeep man
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 09:44 PM

It's a Banjolin. I have one. Jim

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: LadyJean
Date: 06 Mar 04 - 10:43 PM

I am suddenly reminded of Bertie Wooster and Jeeves. They parted company for a while because Jeeves objected to Bertie playing the banjolele. Of course it ended with Bertie abandoning his hybrid.
With regards to lyres, I know a lady in the SCA who is a hetaera, and plays the lyre. She sings, very beautifully, in ancient Greek. I'm not sure what she sings about. But she sings.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: matai
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 03:37 AM

I must say this is a very good way to get a lot of people to look at your photograph, Bob. Congratulations.
Nice cut and paste job on the instrument too!
Like to hear how it sounds but. Or is it cardboard?
Cheers,
Matai

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: John Hardly
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 10:24 AM

still available

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: clansfolk
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 10:47 AM

Banjola

I prefer "Banjola" as it describes the instrument better, half banjo half Mandola.

I have 2 one is and Ozark (same as the Goldtone but cheaper) the other was hand made in the 60's.


Great fun.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Peace
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 04:49 PM

If you think of it as female, try Zelda.

If you think of it as male, try Percival.

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: clansfolk
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 07:41 PM

Dojo just finished a pint and hiding under the table!!


Ian and meself caught mid song - doh!!

N.B. The emply glass is the "Dojos" that's why it's under the table, Pi..... again the Dojo that is!

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: DonD
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 08:11 PM

I'm working on strings across a toilet bowl -- I call it a 'cistern' and I can't play it for shit!

Subject: RE: My pic. Can you name what I'm holding?
From: Peace
Date: 07 Mar 04 - 08:14 PM

What the heck are you using to strum it with?