Unusual Civil War instruments?

Subject: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: GUEST,buck
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 09:14 PM

Other than the popular instruments such as the fiddle, harmonica, banjo, what other instruments existed at the time of the civil war?

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Deckman
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 09:45 PM

Add jews harp and guitar.

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Sorcha
Date: 16 Mar 01 - 10:08 PM

Lots of different brass instruments, and fifes. See photo here, and if you click on the Graese Gallery clickie below the photo, there is another one.

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Les B
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 12:12 AM

Triangles, bones, tamborines, some early form of harmonica, pianos.

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Deckman
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 01:04 AM

GOOD GRIEF! What's the matter with us .... DRUMS!

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 01:15 AM

Don't forget the humble harmonium. I almost got one from the early 1900s last month, but had to run home to get the hundred bucks......went back to the garage sale 20 minutes later and it was gone!!

Rick

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Deckman
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 01:30 AM

I HATE those 20 minute delays ... I remember a blonde once ... oh, never mind! CHEERS

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: GUEST,ed
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 08:49 AM

Jawbone, bones, and spoons!

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: GUEST,ed
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 08:52 AM

and tin whistles and accordians too!

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 08:56 AM

Why are drums unusual ???

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: MMario
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 09:43 AM

Sarah- though the title says "unusual" the first posting sorta changed the emphasis of the thread

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Sarah the flute
Date: 17 Mar 01 - 09:50 AM

Sorry I was trying out some drummer joke irony!

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: GUEST,Ole Bull
Date: 22 Mar 01 - 01:26 PM

I have found no reference to spoons as musical instrumenthas during the Civil War period, nor Jew's Harps. I have found triangle, fire tongs, bones, jawbone, accordian, guitar, drums, banjo, melodian, tambourine, pianoforte, flute, fiddle, fife, saxhorns.

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: GUEST,ed
Date: 04 Apr 01 - 10:34 PM

The Gettysburg's Museum had a square concertina on display.

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 08:41 AM

G'day GuestEd,

I have seen a circa 1845 instruction book for the German Concertina - a German crossbreed from their accordion (aka melodion) and the first Wheatstone system concertinas. This new tuning was then picked up by English makers who subsequently made them in the standard English hexagonal shape.

I have seen one square "Anglo-German" by an English maker, but with improved German style reeds and keywork ... before Lachenal, Wheatstone's former toolmaker, revolutionised the design and brought in a combined cottage out-work / factory production in the 1850s. Some of Wheatstone's 1830s prototypes were square too, but this was when he was just feeling his way. The Germans, mostly went to hexagonal ... except for Arnold's "Bandoneon", which remains a square design to this day.

Regards,

Bob Bolton (all of whose concertinas are hexagonal or octagonal)

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Whistle Stop
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:36 AM

Jews harps existed in colonial America (they are mentioned in "blue laws" dating from colonial times), so they certainly must have existed during the Civil War as well.

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:49 AM

Are the war instruments unusually civil? Is the Civil war unusual? What sort of instruments? Musical or of destruction and mayhem? (mind you - bagpipes fit the bill in both cases...;-))

Arrggghhh - I got one of them Winston Churchill moments again! This is something up with which I will not put...

Don't mind me. Feeling decidedly ropey and needing cheering up.

Dave the Gnome

What! Is this thing called love?

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:52 AM

PS - I always thought the term 'Civil War' was an oxymoron anyway! How can you keep civil if someone's bombing you....

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Melani
Date: 05 Apr 01 - 11:21 PM

Abraham Lincoln played the Jew's harp. As far as I know, it was his only musical accomplishment.

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: GUEST,Ole Bull
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 04:05 PM

Does any one know what these colonial and Lincoln Jew's harps were? Are they the same as what is now called Jaw Harp? Where did the name Jew's Harp come from. Do we want or has there been a Jew's Harp thread?

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 08:43 PM

Oh there has, Ole Bull, there certainly has! Not too long ago...

Subject: RE: Unusual Civil War instruments?
From: Noreen
Date: 06 Apr 01 - 08:48 PM

Help: Jew's Harp question!