Musical instruments you used to own.

I had a Maestro Woodwind System (manufactured by Gibson) in college, circa' 1973.  The Maestro is probably best known as having been used by the late saxophonist Chris Wood on assorted Traffic albums, particularly on "John Barleycorn Must Die" and also by Ian Underwood on Zappa's "Uncle Meat" and "Hots Rats" albums...the cartoonish sounding saxes on "Peaches En Regalia" are a great example.  It basically worked like a guitar effects device - you'd run a mic'd sax/flute/clarinet/etc. through it, and it would transform the sound like other winds such a bassoon/clarinet or guitar/violin.  Like most synths and equipment from that vintage era, "sounds like" was used rather loosely, to say the least - but the device still sounded cool!  Nonetheless, it was stolen in a burglary a few years after I got it, and I was never able to find one again for sale in music stores or used in "Recycler"-type ad-mags.

Then eBay came along!  I lost a snipe-war over one of these units THAT WAS NEW IN THE BOX!   Talk about "the one that got away"...a 35 year-old device SEALED in its original packaging!  I did end up winning another one, paid something like $300.00 for it - and when I got it, it turned out not to work and smelled as if someone had blew about 100 cartons of cigarettes onto it!  It's been sitting in the closet for about 4-5 years, but I've put it on my to-do list to take it down to Advanced Musical Electronics here in LA (they're famous for restoring old gear), and get that bad-boy fixed.

Here's a classic shot of jazz great Eddie Harris with his Woodwind System

Three guitars I wish I still had: (manufacture dates are approximate but close)

1965 Gretsch Chet Atkins model (orange with the black circular snap-on pad on the back)  Traded it in on the 1972 limited edition re-issue of the original "black beauty" Les Paul which I still have.

1969 Rickenbacher blonde wood electric 12-string.  Lost it in a van fire.

1967 Gibson 335 sunburst.  Stolen from my house in 1970. 

I still have a Moog Memorymoog (pre MIDI) that sadly, no longer works. It will produce a whining tone but the oscillators are so far gone that tuning is hopeless.

I suppose I should get rid of it. Getting it repaired would probably cost more than I paid for it.

I still have a minimoog that is on pretty good shape considering its age.

Empathy wrote: Chicapah wrote: 1967 Gibson 335 sunburst.  Stolen from my house in 1970.  OOF. That had to hurt, man.

Actually, not as bad as watching the Rick 12 string burn to ashes.  It was a great guitar.