Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions

Subject: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 12:56 PM

The best place to buy strings in Casper, WY is the local pawnshop. I stopped in to get some, yesterday, and asked if they had any unusual instruments. At first they said no, then one remembered a "hippie windchime-type thingy" in the back, but said corporate wouldn't let them sell it, so I wandered into the music room and looked around, instead.

First off I noticed they had a small xylophone, about 36" long with traveling case. Sounded really nice, clear, then I noticed their price tag, over $200.00 and decided I didn't need something to "chime" on.

Looking around a bit more, I found some cheapo, little guitars which I thought were baritone ukes until I noticed they had six-strings. They were really cute and didn't sound half-bad, to a non-guitar-trained ear. Nice size and so inexpensive ($39.00) I am thinking they might make great birthday pressies for the twin grandsons.

As I was looking, the manager came in and said sure they could sell the hippie thingy, so they went in back and dragged it out for me. Let's see if I can describe it well enough for some opinions. It looked like some art deco hanging lamp, with tubular bell-like tubes, flat-black in colour, encircled around a base tube. Each tube was capped and had a sound hole. Glued onto the front of each tube was a silver-plate, like a xylophone plate, but the pawnshop guys called them "tuning forks" but whadda they know!? Hate to see what they eat with, if they think those are forks! Anyway, there was also a small cloth-covered mallet with which to strike the metal plates. It sounded BEAUTIFUL. I wanted to bring it home. Only thing is they wanted $175.00 for it! I know, ya never pay what they ask, but I was thinking more like $25-50. I don't think I'd ever get them that low, although one of the employees did say they'd had it in back for a long time.

Anyway, my questions are what do you think of the prices on the xylophone and the hippie thing (what DO you call it?) and how hard would it be to make my own hippie thingy? I loved the tones of it!

Thanks!

kat

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: okthen
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 01:05 PM

Does tubular bells ring any.......?

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Bert
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 01:08 PM

Kat, you need to get a catalog from Lark In The Morning. They have all sorts of strange instruments at reasonable prices.

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Wesley S
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 01:11 PM

Kat - Go ahead and but it. Just think how it would look on the back of a CD - "Kat - Vocals, Vibes and Hippy Thingy"

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 01:17 PM

LMAO, thanks, Wesley!

Who said "ring," okthen? Did I say ring? Didn't I say "chime?" As in chime my bells, anytime?**BG**

Thanks, bertdarlin'...I will go look at their website. It's just fun to put my hands on something now and then, too, ya know and...size doesn't even matter!

kat

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 01:33 PM

Just guessing, really, but I think that I have a much simplified version. It has 6 tubular brass "bells" of different lengths and a central drop-shaped thingamabob with a circular flange near the top. Yours is more complex, with the sound holes, strike plates and probably differently positioned plugs inside each tube to alter the tones. What is the average tube length and overall size?
Mine is portable, with a pillar to hold it, and a small umbrella-shaped disk to which the tubes are attached by short thongs.
In the 19th C, a servant would carry one of these around hotel corridors or grounds and lobby, playing a tune to alert the guests to meals, tea, morning coffee, etc. I think the practice was most common in posh Asian hotels for foreigners, but the practice may have been more widespread.
I paid $10 for my very simple one years ago (impulse at an auction), but a dealer probably would ask $150 or so now.
About the xylophone. Some of these little portable buggars are downright expensive. Look at the label, then check prices at a dealer or on the internet music stores. Could be worth a lot more than $200.
I presume that the police check the shop for stolen stuff. Here, if you have doubts about an expensive instrument, the police will check it for you (if they don't have an arrangement with the shop owner already for regular checks).
Kat, Let me know more about it if I have twisted off onto the wrong gadget here.

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 01:55 PM

Dicho, that sounds about right, though there was no umbrella thingy, just a rope and hook coming up from the center. (Love your description!) It looked as though the caps on each tube were set just inside the rim, but each tube was a different length. I think there were 8, maybe 10 of them. The longest was probably about 1.5-2 feet, with the shorter a foot or so. Hell, I should take notes 'cause I never rememeber to look at the tech details of these things, I just listen!*bg*

Okay, just called them. There are 10 tubes. That is a fascinating story, Dicho. Would love to see a picture of yours. This one didn't look elegant, just kind of like someone's garage experiment that worked!

The xylo is made by Pearl and is only $150.00, so I will check on that some more.

The little "half-sized" guitars (that's what HE called them) are by "Coast" and are only $32! LOL

Thanks!

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: 53
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 07:44 PM

I had to pawn one of my guitars and I have never gotten over it, so I don't frequent pawn shops to often.

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 07:51 PM

Pearl makes some pretty good xylophones. I found some up to $4000, but I presume that these are larger, multi-octave instruments. I couldn't find the smaller portable ones you sometimes see in bands.

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: kendall
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 07:54 PM

I've never seen anything but plywood junk in pawn shops.

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 08:26 PM

Thanks for the further info on Pearl, Dicho.

Kendall, maybe you've been in the wrong pawnshops! If I remember correctly, that's where my dad found his Montana Silver Belle banjo, years ago.

My daughter found a ruby ring with diamonds. They told her it was a garnet and sold it to her for $70.

53, sorry to hear that.

kat

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Dicho (Frank Staplin)
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 11:23 PM

I have done very well with electronics in pawn shops. Seen some very good brass and woodwind instruments. Guitars are hard to get because so many are looking for them. A friend slipped a $10 to a pawn employee to get the date when he saw a decent one in back. On the day the ticket gave out he went there early and found someone else already at the door.

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Gypsy
Date: 04 Apr 02 - 11:28 PM

We have found only overpriced low quality stuff in our (semi) local pawn shops. I think the last "name" we saw was a lone star mando for something like 200.00. (going rate is about 75.00, and you need to TOTALLY set it up)

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 12:12 AM

The guys here also had a Martin electic mando listed at $575.

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: rangeroger
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 12:20 AM

Kat, I suppose by eclectic,you mean everything can be played on it?

rr

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 12:52 AM

Oh sure, rr, you bet! Aarrrgghhhh...eleCtRic...damn typos! **BG**

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Banjer
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 04:56 AM

Kat, look at that 'thingy with tubes' once more. Sounds like on of them there water pipes to me...course by the time the folks using them got through with them anything would have sounded good to them...(*BG*)

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Amos
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 10:22 AM

I fancy the notion it was used as dinner chimes at some incredibly posh ritzy retreat, or perhaps was specially designed to summons first seating on a Victorian luxury liner, eh? Or p'raps the Orient Express?

A

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: 53
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 07:10 PM

You can get some deals and some dogs.

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 08:05 PM

And how would you remember that, Banj?!**BG**

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: Banjer
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 08:11 PM

Remember???? Nooooooo!!! It was told to me by an old grey haired hippie...while I was still a youngster, of course!!! (I wish....*BG*)

Subject: RE: Pawnshop Musical Instruments - Questions
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Apr 02 - 08:23 PM

LMAO...and can the divine Ms Beamer confirm that for us?**BG**