musical instruments

So this is gonna sound kind of dumb but I’ll be hitting the rails as a greenhorn soon here. I’ll be with some friends. They hop with really nice guitars and are able to maintain them, but they’ve been at it for a longggg time . I wanna bring my main banjo which is a nicer banjo I got back when I...

I have a lyre and i was wondering if there are makeshift strings i can string it with. i know cattle gut is the old timey string, but what else can i use in a bind? heh..

Been playing this thing for a year now. They are small and cheap (if you can actually find one) and have a great sound. I don't like how weak ukuleles sound but I wanted a small 3/4 string cheap easy instrument and these things are great. They look like this:

Just picked this beauty up, and after playing in a GDAE tuning vs. A EADGBE tuning, I have realized this instrument is going to be WAY easier to learn than guitar. 😍

I'm considering taking my guitar on my long journey this summer. On the one hand, I would have a means of making money along the way and some form of entertainment that would keep me busy for hours of waiting around. On the other hand, I would be a lot more limited with the rides (freight and...

I would like suggestions on packing a fiddle. I have a medium Alice pack with a frame although I generally don't use the frame...

Check this out: This is an Ibanez Piccolo guitar. It is a 1/3 scale guitar, tuned to A (capo 5th fret on a regular guitar) http://www.ibanez.com/products/ag_detail17.php?year=2017&area_id=2&cat_id=3&series_id=98&data_id=124&color=CL01 It sounds amazing, and is super light with steel...

I just picked up a little First Act acoustic guitar, and was wondering if anyone had any advice or suggestions for making it sound/play better or improving its longevity.

So anyone have any idea how to go about this without stealing shit? I'm kind of fucked off without my means of income. I'm a busker and couldn't spange to save my life.

Heyo folks :) So I just acquired a sweet little ¿dulcimer? ¿strumstick? thing via barter, but when turning to the internet for help with learning how to play the dang thing, I'm kinda stuck - I can't even figure out what the dang thing is commonly called, despite it having information written...

So just a general post. What are peoples preferences for traveling with an instrument. Pros and cons of a hard case vs a soft case? Different experiences fitting them on trains? (Mainly in terms of guitar/banjo) Sent from my LG-K373 using the Squat the Planet mobile app!

so as someone who wants to play fiddle online shopping is something almost all violinists recommend against, go to a luthier get a teacher etc. etc. well i both cant and dont want to do these things for multiple reasons so i was wondering what violin you guys have and if you recommend anything...

i want to learn how to play the banjo so Im looking for a cheap one on craigslist (under $300), but i dont know what i should be looking for. whats best for beginners ? 5 strings ? 6 strings ? if anyone has the time to check these out, let me know if any of these seem okay or not pleaseee :)...

Sometimes it's the most simple things that make the most heartfelt sounds. There has always been glass bottles around just waiting for air, and of course the harmonica is a pocket worthy instrument. I've come to find I'd miss my acoustic guitar, but wouldn't be up for carrying it.. maybe a banjo...

So I was walking down Ali'i Drive the other day and seen a group of travelers playing guitar and singing for some cash. They weren't bad, but played alot of songs i could of guessed. I was wondering if i set my laptop and bluetooth speaker up and played live mixes on the corner. Some stuff...

Pretty sure this hasn't been posted yet.... But.... anyone who's looked into getting a Martin backpacker's guitar for traveling with knows that although they are very lightweight, they don't resonate worth shit - so they aren't the best for busking, when you want to play loudly and be heard from...

Have any advice for traveling with a larger instrument? I play the harp, it's a half sized harp so it's only 26 strings and I can carry it easily on my back and it's great for busking but it's not nothing, it gets heavy and It's also hella expensive so I'm worried about breaking/getting it...

from time to time i see an accordion player, those things are expensive as shit even if used not to mention hard to find. was wondering how some people happen to come across them?

Anyone have, or know of a decent concertina for sale in the PNW? You'd think there would be more around with all the sea culture up here.

Well I am a percussion player and I am finally housed up so I want to buy a washboard. Should I buy one specifically designed for music (musical washboard) or just a regular one? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Primitive-Washboard-Crackle-Farmhouse-Decor-/310757279278?pt=Folk_Art&hash=item485a93c62e...

Me and my best friend plan on hopping in 2years and wanted to play music to make some cash while we are at it and she wanted to play a banjo as i play the ukulele. Well turns out the banjo costs way more than a uke so heres how to make one with under $50!

Anyone know where to get a good set of bones? i know it sounds like a dumb question, but not all bones sound the same

anyone have any opinions on which ones are best for sound, best for traveling? im thinking in particular of the Martin and Gibson. also, any suggestions on cheap fiddles?

I'm curious if you traveling guitar players bother trying to attach your gig bag to your pack or if you just carry it. Thanks!

Is there anyone around town who wants to help with that , i assume there must be someone with an extra pack of strings , a bridge and more knowledge and carefull eye that me to do the job , it would be so awesome if anyone could lend a hand , ive been known to do terrible things to banjers when...

Any of you play? I just started and having a hell of a hard time learning to play single notes, any advice helps! appreciated:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_9eMmxBSNY ok this seems to be a walkman the magnetic tape head is removed and a guitar jack put in its place. the headphone jack is replaced with a mono 1/8" jack and connected to a piezo disc buzzer like in an alarm clock. the piezo is glued to the tin can...

I'm not a musically inclined person at all however when I was living in my car, my 10 hole cheapie and my Johnny Hobo CD were my best friends. I only learned to play by memorization, I can't read a scale and my old harp is now deceased. I've got a chance to get a 40 hole but I figured I'd ask if...

Ive seen a couple of threads about taking guitars but none really pertained to what im looking for. So im hitting the road/rails soon but I feel like I got to have my guitar with me. What better way to spend my time in the woods waiting for the westbound then with a jam sesh. So recently I...

So I was thinking about making a djembe but goatskin is too damned expensive? I head xray film was good but I dunno if there'll be enough friction to make that work. anybody tried out Tyvek for drum heads?

So I alluded to this in the Appalachian/Old-time musicians thread a while back and I have finally started working on it this week. I'm extremely pleased with how it's turned out so far, and it is very close to being complete. My woodworking skills are nonexistent and my instrument-building...

Fenagle yourself an incredibow. One thing I've learned about traveling with a fiddle is you go through bows really quick. Since they can range from $30 to thousands of dollars (and price really makes a difference) it makes sense to make 'em last if you can. I personally HATE flying signs, so I...

[/URL] I give lessons :)

i'm gonna be getting a mandolin soon and wanted to know what brand/maker fellow mandolinists would suggest. also, if you know any good stores near the sf bay area that have quality mandolins, let me know! gratzi!

Any recommendations on good books, videos etc that will help me learn? Thanks!

i know they're things that go on your fingers, but where can i get some or is it somethign that you have to make?

Alright, so I think this may have been posted before, but the thread's been lost since, and I'm sure my case isn't the same. I want to see if I can take my Hardcase with my traveling, but of coarse it's big, bulky, and I don't want to lug around this behemoth in my hands all day. I wanted to...

OKOK, Riged up something to hold my banjo on my pack. Ended up only spending $0.75 on some strong thread. MATERIALS: -Suspenders, Elastic works great -Car seat buckle, Nice Adjustment system -2 D-clips I found that almost any thing can be straped on my OSPREY...

i never actually made this myself yet but i got the idea from watching a bill nye the science guy episode. one of the kids on the show took small peices of pvc plastic put it in boiling water. the plastic became.. well plastic, malliable like clay. he formed them into vampire teeth that he just...

what's the word on making it easier to carry a hardcase and a pack? ideas welcome! so far we have a belt on the handle, but if there is a better way, we'd love to know

That I could possibly pack with me. There's a smallish long pouch I have sewn into my bag that I usually keep my knife and some cardboard in (the shit comes in handy sometimes when you're stuck in the middle of no where) that I think I could probably fit a smallish one into. Any suggestions...

Anyone have any experience making cheap, nice sounding instruments? Recently (within the past year) I started experimenting with Native American Flutes. While it sounds like some hippy dippy shit, they're actually pretty fun and rewarding to make, and if built right, not that hard to play...

any of y'all currently doing this? do you just throw the heavy delicate instrument in your pack or carry its case separately? obviously its a pain in the ass, but its fairly important for me to have my instrument with me while travelling longterm, for general enjoyment and also for generating...

i still gotta find one to learn how to play, but does anyone know how to play a ukelele? is it much different than a guitar?

So I built one of these last month and I'm having some trouble getting used to it. I'm pretty determined to learn it so I'll get it eventually but are there any experienced players on the board that might be able to give me a couple useful tips? Or does anyone know of a zine or something? ps-...

Any tips? Sites, books, and/or suggestions.

Cool site on how to make the instruments from the above links! http://www.ehhs.cmich.edu/~dhavlena/