At the start of the '60's folk revival, my mom informed my dad that she'd always wanted a guitar. So he got her a cheap one that he thought would look good hanging on the wall, and ahe astonished him by taking lessons. He then began wondering why cheap guitars sound bad and are hard to play, so he got her a better guitar and himself a book called "How to be a Luthier", and proceeded to become one.(He was always an amateur woodworker.) He ripped the top off the Sears Silvertone and replaced it with white spruce (I think it was solid maple), and the tone improved about 100 per cent. Soon the house was full of guitars, and one was mine. He also did banjos and one mountain dulcimer, which is also mine, though I can just barely play it. Then I discovered pennywhistles are cheap and highly portable, not to mention pretty indestructable. Also real easy to play on a basic level. Then I bought a bamboo flute at the Renaissance Faire, and immediately saw an ad for lessons from a guy who lived 5 minutes from me. Now flutes and whistles do indeed call to me from music stores, though I try to stick my fingers in my ears. But now there's this flute I just met last week...