Most memorable instruments you've played?

[nobodysprefect]

Got the idea for the thread whilst replying to the thread where I'm selling my F-Bass... The point was that some instruments do 'functional pieces of art' thing really well, and I was reminded of some GREAT instruments I've played which ALSO were very aesthetically pleasing.

I'd have to put on the first spot a Steinway and Sons grand piano I didn't get to play lots but which blew me away in the moments I had it to myself.
If you ever have the chance get one for your drawing room! Absolutely fantastic pianos. The Yamaha grand (C6 or C9, can't remember which) was a very, very nice one too. (in an over-the-top build quality and tone you won't be ashamed of anywhere period) Not very modern artsy, but very pleasing!

A friend's PRS Custom 24 from way back when PRS wasn't a CNC-operating, incorporated monstrosity but a small boutique and the guitars were hand made. NICE one. And such fabulous looks! Tone for weeks!

Dingwall Prima Artist. Damn.

NSD CR5M EUB. Lovely in a weird futuristic way.

Spector NS US-series basses - lovely basses (but the upper horn is too short for me!) which Warwick has really made well-known. Err, scratch that, they don't give Ned ANY credit for the 'streamer' series. Nice blokes. No, really!

Rob Allen MB-2. Now, if you don't play or don't want to schlep an upright then THIS is the bass with *the tone*.

What instruments have you played that really hit your aesthetic nerve? Were they great instruments as well as aesthetically pleasing?

Part man, part bunny slippers, all groovy.

Edited March 7, 2008 by nobody's prefect

[Bilbo]

I kinda of know where you are coming from but, being brutally frank, I have never been that emotionally effected by an instrument! I am trying to think of one that has got me that excited but I can't find one (even owned by others I know). I have a lovely 1986 Wal bass and a Gibson ES175 that I love the sound of but art? Can't say I feel it, sorry. They are just tools - very effective tools but just tools.

[Kiwi]

Good topic! Haven't had this one before - hope it doesn't cover just basses tho coz here's mine

Chinese harp. A bit like this one:


They have sympathetic metal rods tuned to the same frequency as the strings, so that reverb effect you always hear them with isn't added with a delay unit. I found the sound of playing one in the flesh was mesmerising.

Also, a keyboardist we nearly hired for our band turned up with one of these and it was literally love at first listen.


It absolutely nailed all those classic blaxploitation hammond and rhodes sounds, plus he was a very very good player. Knew exactly how much to play and when to leave space. We were all gutted when he backed out to go travelling because his playing made the rest of us play so much better.

I own examples of all the bass guitars that have been memorable for me, so I won't list them. Pete.young's Jap p-bass through my Burman was extremely nice though, I swear they were making big sexy time with each other.

Oh and definitely an NS CR5 after it had been set up for me properly. I estimate it would take about 6 months of practice for me to get the hang of it though - gorgeous amounts of mwah and a deep, solid, thunderous amount of bass from that 41" scale.

[Ray]

A friend of a friend's '76 Fender Jazz. The guy who owns it lent it to my friend and moved to Australia! I think he's forgotten about it.

Our keyboard player's 1962 Hammond C3 organ is pretty special. Especially as it's autographed by Jimmy Smith, Brian Auger, Jimmy McGriff and Rueben Wilson among others.

We did a Radio 2 session at Maida Vale last year and there was a Steinway grand piano just sitting there in amongst some plastic chairs and tables. I'm not much of pianist but did manage to play "Lick My Love Pump" by Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap much to Mark Lamaar's amusement. D minor is the saddest key...

[beerdragon]

I used to play one of these in a band a while ago ,, bugger to move around, but what a sound it makes in a band invironment.

[url="http://imageshack.us"][/url]

[wotnwhy]

for me it'd be a friends '78 blonde all original jazz bass. truly gorgeous and plays like warm butter i've never liked any fenders, but LOVED one

another one that might count is a bass surgery (is that right?), you know the £15,000 super sculpted things. truly beautiful creations and so light, thin and ergonomicaly shaped that it doesn't feel like your holding anything at all! a very interesting experience i must say!

[Rayman]

Ibanez AS120 semi (335 like) guitar. I had one for a while and it was just so beautiful to play. Like the numpty I am of course I sold it searching for a Les Paul, once I'd got one, I realized the Ibanez was so much better.

The other was a Spector 5 string bass that niceguyhomer had a handful of years back, stunning bass that was. Also a Marcus Miller 5 that Gary from Bassworld had, just an amazing instument that one.

But to be honest, the basses I have all make me happy when I play them, particularly the Stingray, which felt just perfect the first time I picked it up.

[BigRedX]

[bnt]

Like the OP, mine are not basses, either:
- the bagpipes I played, in a pipe band in South Africa in 1990-1. You don't learn on full pipes, but on a "practice chanter" (similar to a recorder), so by the time I got around to trying the full pipes, my fingers were ready... but my lungs were not. On one memorable occasion, we flew from Pretoria (on the Highveld), down to Cape Town (sea level), which had an unfortunate effect on the reeds: I was one of several people who developed nosebleeds, trying to get the bloody thing to work.
- I'm not much of a keyboardist, but at a music show a few years ago I fell in love with a Yamaha Motif 6. The sounds were great, but the emotion came in largely because of its responsiveness and keyboard action. For a few minutes I found myself thinking I could really make a go of keyboards as a second instrument. The way Geddy successfully integrated them in to Rush's sound has been an inspiration to me for years.

[clauster]

Mine IS a bass....

'twas a late 80s Warwick Thumb and it virtually pulled the notes from my fingers. It was effortlessly easy to play and it just wouldn't let me play a duff note. Fantastic stuff and I'm still gassing for an 80's thumb over 18 years later.

[WarPig]

Nothing spectacular but the double bass we had at school, that was a monster haha, and a 12 string bass someone was nice enough to let me try.

[Rich]

Original Steinberger cricket bat. Memorable for all the wrong reasons.

[crez5150]

I was lucky enough to once strum Clapton's beloved Martin

[G-77]

I had a play on one of the Pink Strats once, they were the first batch of solid color guitars produced by fender and were sunbuirst bodys that were painted over.
Can't say it was memorable to play (it was much like any other strat , lol) other than the fact it was worth a lot & owned by someone famous.

[Doc B]

I once tried a 6 - string Tune Bass with whammy bar bridge!

Crazy but cool too.

[Rich]

ex-Greg Lake Alembic 8-string. It sounded like God clearing his throat. [i]Huuuuuuge[/i] sound.

[fleamail]

A 1948 Harmony Acoustic Guitar, amazing and matured tone!!

[misrule]

I once played a £10,000 classical guitar before it was sold, sight un-seen, to Jacques Villeneuve -- who apparently collects these things.

It was nice but not worth the money. However, I bought a Brazilian rosewood Amalio Burguet at the same time which I love. I'm no expert but it's a delight to play -- and I hope it will one day contribute to my pension. It'll be ten years old next year

Cheers

Mark

[Bigwan]

I played a Fodera Emperor delux 5 in the Gallery a few years back. It took me about a month to get over it. Every time I looked at my girlfriend for that month I couldn't help but think "if i sold you into servitude i could afford that bass"....

[silverfoxnik]

[quote name='dlloyd' post='153204' date='Mar 7 2008, 04:24 PM']My old Levoi Grande Bouche. Built by an amazing luthier, John Levoi in Alford, Lincolnshire. He only builds Selmer-style guitars, and this was by far the loudest and lightest acoustic guitar I've ever played.



Yep... I sold it to finance another guitar.[/quote]
That is a beautiful looking instrument!

Mine was my old all natural Wal Pro 2e bass that was stolen in 1993! I've missed it ever since....

CK - those Nord Electro 2s are amazing! keyboard player in my band has one and it is the best synth I've ever heard for sure!

[Johngh]

One of John Entwhistles Status Buzzards. I was at Status and Rob Green had one in for a service and let me have a tinkle. Very, very low action and a very nice bass. Rob was going to deliver it back to the Ox the next night as The Who were playing at Earls Court if I remember right. I wish I'd bought a Status Buzzard now, they are worth a fortune !

[7string]

I have a K.Yairi DY88BK12, what a catchy title...

It's a black, 12 string electro-acoustic acoustic and it's unusual because it doesn't have a soundhole. It's a great looking instrument with the black being edge by abalone.

Because it doesn't have a soundhole it's fantastic to play live as it doesn't feed back at all. It sounds unbelievably good as well.



I managed to find this photo of the 6 string version on the 'net as I don't have any pics of mine at the moment...

Edited March 7, 2008 by 7string

[Owen]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='152976' date='Mar 7 2008, 11:51 AM']and a Gibson ES175 that I love the sound of but art?[/quote]

There was Gibson ES175 Bass in the Gallery a few years. It was lusher than a lush thing. If I'd had £1K on me I would not have been able to stop myself.

[Dood]

[quote name='crez5150' post='153194' date='Mar 7 2008, 04:13 PM']I was lucky enough to once strum Clapton's beloved Martin[/quote]


There's some really nice instruments that I'd love to list, but your post reminded me of the single one guitar that made my heart miss a beat. I absolutely love Paul Gilbert's gnarly ole Ibanez 300 series with the blocked off trem. I grinned like a cheshire cat when I had the opportunity to play the very guitar that went round and round the world with him on tour.



I'll get a goofy picture of me with it on the post at some point.

[tempo]

I used to own (and stupidly got rid of) a BC Rich Assassin guitar. Not just a run of the mill BC Rich, but a hand made, by Bernie (RIP) limited run of 25 he made and hand signed (mine was no.17 IIRC) around 1996. Honduran mahogany neck-through, curly amber maple top, EMG's, original floyd rose (the reason I got rid!), ebony 24 fret board.
The funny thing is, I was trying to find some info on it a couple of years ago, was asking on the bc rich forums etc, no one knew anything about them. But I distinctly remember buying it after a review of one (no.5) in "Guitarist" mag.