Most Unusual Instrument Used?
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Topic: Most Unusual Instrument Used?
Posted By: Terra Australis
Subject: Most Unusual Instrument Used?
Date Posted: January 02 2007 at 05:26
A lot of people would think that the Mellotron is a very unusual
musical instrument. Perhaps not people who frequent this web site, we
are too enlightened for that. We know it is the music that counts not
the instruments. The weirder the better (if it sounds good). Steve
Hackett is more than a great musician, he is an inovator when it comes
to composition, so when I read that he played the Optigan on his latest
CD, I had to check it out. There is a great web site dedicated to what
can only be called the poor man's mellotron. http://www.optigan.com/  It's worth checking out. So here is the point of the thread, is this the weirdest instrument used in Prog? Or maybe someone has used that thing with a stylus that Rolf Harris played... (Can't remember the name). Or is it the THEREMIN? ------------- Allomerus. Music with progressive intent. http://allomerus.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - http://allomerus.bandcamp.com |
Replies:
Posted By: JayDee
Date Posted: January 02 2007 at 08:25
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This guy, called Artis the Spoonman,a street performer from Santa Cruz California and later in Seattle, played music with a set of spoons. He was recruited by Soungarden and was featured in a song entitled Spoonman.The final version of the song featured him playing his spoons as part of the song's instrumental. ------------- 
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Posted By: N Ellingworth
Date Posted: January 02 2007 at 08:42
| The theremin is wonderfully weird particularly when used with effects. |
Posted By: Philéas
Date Posted: January 02 2007 at 16:21
| Contrabass saxophone. |
Posted By: ClemofNazareth
Date Posted: January 02 2007 at 19:32
Amazing Blondel's twin 7-string Rubio guitar-lutes:
The history of which is written http://www.amazingblondel.com/history_contentpop.asp?hid=3 - here . ------------- "Peace is the only battle worth waging." Albert Camus |
Posted By: stonebeard
Date Posted: January 02 2007 at 19:39
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That acoustic thing that Gildenlow played on BE ("Imago," mostly) It's a one-of-a-kind instrument made by someone he knew. I forget who, exactly, but his uncle or a similar relation seems to ring a bell. ------------- http://soundcloud.com/drewagler" rel="nofollow - My soundcloud. Please give feedback if you want! |
Posted By: progadicto
Date Posted: January 03 2007 at 03:41
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Mexican band Cabezas de Cera use in their albums (and concerts) an extense set of string and wind instruments made by luthiers... I have the names on the Cd's but right now I'm not at home... BTW and remembering the "spoonman" here in Antofagasta (Chile) we got a guy known as "chico de las conchas". Basically is a guy who plays with clam shells following the music that sounds in his radio... The guy plays just crap but have a lot of amazing movements and is such a character round here... Sadly the image that I found of him is very bad, but, there he is EL CHICO DE LAS CONCHAS....  ------------- ... E N E L B U N K E R... |
Posted By: Terra Australis
Date Posted: January 03 2007 at 05:44
Good get MM! New Zealand Act 'Split Enz' where intitially very progressive and weird in the 70s. They had a permanent member of the band (Noel Crombie) who played the spoons.
That reminds me. I remember in the 70s I saw a group of 4 musicians, who had never met each other, improvise together. One of them had an old cello which had about 40 additional strings all over it. ------------- Allomerus. Music with progressive intent. http://allomerus.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - http://allomerus.bandcamp.com |
Majestic_Mayhem wrote:Posted By: Terra Australis
Date Posted: January 03 2007 at 05:49
It sounds great, especially in those 50s B grade Science Fiction movies. And of course Led Zeppelin. ------------- Allomerus. Music with progressive intent. http://allomerus.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - http://allomerus.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: ClemofNazareth
Date Posted: January 03 2007 at 07:27
And sounded great with Spirit, whose guitarist Randy California taught Page how to use a theremin. ------------- "Peace is the only battle worth waging." Albert Camus |
Posted By: cuncuna
Date Posted: January 03 2007 at 12:15
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¿Used for what purpose?. I guess I could use an Oboe or a Harp to feed my cat. That would be unusual. I think those Guitar synthesizers are very weird, but somehow I like them.
------------- ¡Beware of the Bee! |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 02:29
Accordion, used by Kebnekaise & Samla Mammas Manna...
 Electric Mandolin, used by Led Zeppelin (Going To California, That's the Way)
 Contrabass, Used by Led Zeppelin (Bron Y Aur Stomp)
 Doubleneck Bass/guitar used by Genesis
Balalaika, used somewhere i think
 Sitar, used by a couple of bands
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Posted By: Dalezilla
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 02:31
I think it was his grandfather.
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 02:42
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What about the Claghorn? The half flute, half saxaphone, half child's toy trumpet? As far as I know, it was only used once before it fell apart, under the strain of the duct tape. Or something like that. ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: Abstrakt
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 02:47
Keyharp, not used in Prog as far as i know. But common in swedish folk-music.
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Posted By: KoS
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 02:51
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Didgeridoo in Ayreon's THE Day 16: Loser |
Posted By: JayDee
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 03:01
Don't forget Indukti also used the didgeridoo.  -------------
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Posted By: Alucard
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 10:46
The "Gaffophone" was created by Franquin for his hero Gaston Lagaffe, a popular French comic character. It's a kind of harp connecyted to a overssized bongo.The playing of the instrument is always a desaster and provokes earthquakes, avalanches etc. BTW a great and funny read
 ------------- Tadpoles keep screaming in my ear "Hey there! Rotter's Club! Explain the meaning of this song and share it" |
Posted By: Alucard
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 10:52
not bad too....------------- Tadpoles keep screaming in my ear "Hey there! Rotter's Club! Explain the meaning of this song and share it" |
Posted By: chamberry
Date Posted: January 04 2007 at 18:20
I think it's called Mandola. I once saw a rock band using a guitar!  True story.------------- 
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Posted By: scaife
Date Posted: January 05 2007 at 09:21
| Keith Emerson used a zoukra during The Endless Enigma. Apparently, it's some sort of Arabian wind instrument. |
Posted By: N Ellingworth
Date Posted: January 05 2007 at 09:29
If it is a Mandola it's quite a common instrument. |
Posted By: Terra Australis
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 07:27
I have a guitar synthesiser. It shines when simulating intruments which have a natural ability to bend notes. e.g. saxophones. Because I bend a string (not turn a wheel like poor keyboard players have to do) it actually sounds like a real saxophone!!!  It's harder to play some other sounds (e.g. piano and organ) so keyboard players do not worry, we still need you. The triggering of a synthesized note is still not perfect but it's pretty good compared to other guitar synths I have played or owned.  ------------- Allomerus. Music with progressive intent. http://allomerus.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - http://allomerus.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: Terra Australis
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 07:31
I have a DVD of Steve Vai with a triple necked Guitar. I remember seeing someone playing a guitar with 6 necks, three on each side so the player could tap with both hands...  ------------- Allomerus. Music with progressive intent. http://allomerus.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - http://allomerus.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: Terra Australis
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 07:34
I had a jam with a Didgeridoo player once and we played to an audience! Electric guitar and Didgeridoo. It was great fun but the key changes were an issue. ------------- Allomerus. Music with progressive intent. http://allomerus.bandcamp.com" rel="nofollow - http://allomerus.bandcamp.com |
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 07:54
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john paul jones, one of my favourite musicians. what is that instrument?  as you can see, one can ROCK even with the electric mandolin... the spirit and the music is what's required.  ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!" 
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Posted By: Atkingani
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 08:11
As long as I know, the "3-arm" guitar was first used in 1970 or 1971 by O Terço and they called it "tritarra". Sergio Hinds or Jorge Amiden, O Terço guitarists, used also a violin arch to play it.  ------------- Guigo ~~~~~~ |
Posted By: scaife
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 10:46
| Didn't Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick use a 5 necked guitar as a joke on occasion? |
Posted By: ClemofNazareth
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 10:48
Anybody know what this thing is?
 ------------- "Peace is the only battle worth waging." Albert Camus |
Posted By: kazansky
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 10:52
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a modified closet ? ------------- The devil we blame our atrocities on is really just each one of us. |
Posted By: Mascodagama
Date Posted: January 06 2007 at 11:06
It was the stylophone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stylophone - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stylophone
One could argue that Rolf was prog of course...but probably not with a straight face.
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Posted By: Jay440
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 02:19
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Here is this from a review of Dun's "Eros" that can be found here: http://www.chez.com/soleilzeuhlrecords/eng/dun-gb.html - http://www.chez.com/soleilzeuhlrecords/eng/dun-gb.html " On stage, Pascal (Vandenbulcke) played a totally new and original instrument, the gruyèrophone, also known as swisscheesophone, which he used to describe to the audience as "a wind instrument belonging to the hunting horn family, with a tuba mouthpiece and a square-shaped bell into which small bits of swiss cheese are introduced. The technique is not unlike that of the bagpipe. When the player is tired of blowing the instrument, the small holes in the swiss cheese then burst, taking over from the performer and allowing him to catch his breath".  |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 02:43
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Donkey Jawbone.
Plain and simple. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: JayDee
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 02:54
Incidentaly, Samson ( you know the very powerful guy with really long hair in the Bible's Old Testament? ) used that as a weapon against the Amonites (if my memory serves me well). He killed well over 10k of them.  -------------
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 03:07
Sampson? That dude coulda killed you ten times with a wet newspaper... ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 03:12
 ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: JayDee
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 03:25
Incidentaly, the wet newspaper can also be used as a substitute for the snare guitar, and for swatting flies. -------------
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Posted By: The Whistler
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 03:35
The flyswatter was, incidentally, used to great effect by muscians in the movie "Mystery Train." ------------- "There seem to be quite a large percentage of young American boys out there tonight. A long way from home, eh? Well so are we... Gotta stick together." -I. Anderson |
Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 03:53
 Nice. Musical instruments have a varity of uses. Good to know. ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: Frasse
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 05:37
He has also played with Mats & Morgan Band, whish just have been added to PA.
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Posted By: Frasse
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 05:43
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Posted By: andu
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 05:49
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@frasse, i posted above a picture of john paul jones using one of his favourite instrument - the double-neck bass, which he used also while in led zeppelin, but i can't figure if it's an electric or an acoustic one. ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!"
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Posted By: Frasse
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 05:52
Garmarna uses this if I'm not wrong. They are in PA so I suppose someone thinks they are prog, though I have never seen them as such.
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Posted By: toolis
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 06:03
i don't know... fartophone????  ------------- -music is like pornography... sometimes amateurs turn us on, even more... -sometimes you are the pigeon and sometimes you are the statue... |
Posted By: toolis
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 06:05
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while The Tea Party were touring once, they collected traditional indtruments from every country they played in and used them for their next LP and so became one of the best albums ever: THE EDGES OF TWILIGHT ------------- -music is like pornography... sometimes amateurs turn us on, even more... -sometimes you are the pigeon and sometimes you are the statue... |
Posted By: andu
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 06:17
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one of the most versatile rock musicians ever, john paul jones also uses the Koto ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koto_%28musical_instrument%29 - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koto_%28musical_instrument%29 ) in his solo albums (for atmospheres and also for playing some zeppelin songs just as good as page did), the bass lap stell guitar ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lap_steel_guitar - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lap_steel_guitar an acoustic one i guess) - he used it with zepp on Bron-Y-Aur Stomp, and the auto-harp ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoharp - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autoharp ) - for the solo albums i guess. ------------- "PA's own GI Joe!"
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Posted By: eddietrooper
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 11:29
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The musical saw. It produces a ghosty sound. For example, you can hear it on the main chorus of Hide In Your Shell (Supertramp). They used a street musician. |
Posted By: progismylife
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 11:31
| I've "played" an autoharp. IT is really cool/weird. |
Posted By: Witchwoodhermit
Date Posted: January 09 2007 at 17:26
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I've got 'em all beat. The Nose Flute, used by Jefferson Airplane on "Lather". ------------- Here I'm shadowed by a dragon fig tree's fan ringed by ants and musing over man. |
Posted By: clarke2001
Date Posted: January 14 2007 at 10:20
 Intonarumori, 1913.  Trautonium, 1930. ------------- |
Posted By: Raff
Date Posted: January 14 2007 at 10:29
| On Caravan's second album, "If I Could Do It All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You", Richard Sinclair plays hedge clippers (!) as a percussion instrument in the marvellous song "Hello Hello". |