G'day Mike, My mouth is open.....

Thanks for those fantastic links - especially the saw/theremin one - I tried to build one of those electronic thing-a-me-bobs (from Populat Mechanics plans) back in the late 50s. Couldn't get the right valves - but did get a few sounds out of it...

I never realised how many "specialist" musical saws were built - still got some browsing to do too...

Celtaddict - 'twere no TIC in my original post - musical saws were quite common in NZ when I was a kid. I haven't heard one played properly in decades. About ten years back I shocked hell out of a bloke climbing on the ferry, when I looked at the canvas case he was carrying and "That's a Musical Saw!" ('Twas the skinny pocket for the fiddle bow that gave it away). Alas, by the4 time he was on-board and had the saw out, the ferry was departing, so I only heard a couple of notes...:(

Watch out for washboards/tubs and lagerphones - plus maybe some others...

Cheers - Sam