I'm with Barry, judy, and Petra, my voice is my favorite. The only instrument I know that most people play in the shower. ooops... that came out a little double entendre, sorry, didn't entendre to. Well, my first instrument was the one on which I had the most years of lessons. When I was about two or three, my parents bought a used Gulbranson player piano that had old cracked rubber tubing in it so that the "player" action never worked. That was OK, because the piano itself was in great shape, and when I was older, I also figured out that I could reach inside with a rubber band and pull down a device that created a "honky tonk" sound. I still have that piano. Next comes a Yamaha classical guitar that I got in about 1968. I also have accumulated tin whistle, harmonica, Peruvian whistle and pan pipes, a black plastic whistle stamped with the words "song flute" (free), jews harp, kazoos, ukulele (fifty cents), autoharp, Italian concertina (free), my grandfather's fiddle, a bodhran (made my own tipper with bucksin on the ends, but prefer to play softly with thumb and pinkie), a small Yamaha keyboard that I found for $7.50 at the Salvation Army (just needed batteries), bongos (free) and most recently, a used 3/4 size China-made fiddle that my son plays in 5th grade orchestra. I am saving to buy a harmonium. I have my eye on a web site of instruments made in India that will give a 50% discount if you link to their page from your page.... now I just need to get the time to finish designing my web page... gee, if I only spent less time on the Mudcat forum...

I know a whistle/bodhran/bones player here who made a beautiful set of bones from elk ribs. He also made his bodhran, dying the head with onion skins, which created a really interesting mottled/tie dyed brown pattern. My next home-made project may be making bones. That clicking staccato sound really adds interesting spice in the appropriate places. When is the Mudcat jam? Alice in Montana