beautiful junk

[ieatonlyshelfish]

Having had off yesterday for Veteran's Day, i took advantage by going to a bunch of thrift shops. I found this old keyboard that seems to work through air like an accordian; it uses a fan to draw air in, and has "chord buttons", also. $3!!! Really neat, unique sound. The best part is, when i obtane stuff like this, for whatever reason, it never takes long to come up with a song using it. Almost instantly i was playing a complete foundation for a new song. Same thing happened when found my old childhood mini-nylon guitar at my mom's. Stuff i would never come up with without this "junky" equipment. Anybody else find that old/quirky new sounds on old/quirky cheap "junk" really hits the spot and aids in creativity???

I also bought a rediculous michael jackson record player from 1984 for $7. Very productive day haha.

[FormulaReed]

When I went to college, I had to sell most of my guitars, amps, synths and recording stuff. The funny thing is that I think it made me a better musician because I had to work with what I had. Now I don't miss them at all. I have written some of my best songs with cheep gear.

Reed

[kcrusher]

Cheap instruments rule. We used all kinds of gizmos on the last record. Definitely food for inspiration!

[inverseroom]

That there's a chord organ you got. They are cool. Richard Buckner has used one to good effect on a couple records (Desperation + Doubt I think is the main one).

My friend bought me a Yamaha VSS-30 at a swap meet for five bucks. It's Yammy's version of the Casio SK-1 lo-fi sampler, and is far superior--I love it! Aside from that, though, I never seem to find anything good except on eBay, where you pay what stuff is actually worth. Oh, well.

[Rigsby]

Yeah, i have one of those 'air-organs', not really recordable without all the fan noise though, as mine as no output (it was given to me, otherwise i would've looked and probably not bought it). But i loved those chord buttons when i was a kid, really felt like i could play, holding one of those down and wiggling my fingers on the keyboard. Happy times.

A few years ago i bought a portable record player with speakers and a tape-deck and radio that all fold up really easily into a briefcase. The speakers form one side of the case. It's currently in my mother's garage along with everything else i can't be dealing with right now.

Note to self: Just because you like something and think it's really cool, doesn't mean you have to buy it.

[theslumlord]

I too have one of those "air" chord organs. A friend of mine gave it to me. I like it. It shows up in songs now and then.

[brian beattie]

I love toy instruments. Magnus. Schoenhut. Jaymar. all music boxes. toy accordions. ocarinas. Slide whistles. casios. Sk1's. (yamaha vss-30 huh...? peeled eyeballs...) they all have a depth and grit that make "real" instruments jealous.
brian

[cgarges]

Man, I used to have one of those organs. One day I came home from school and my mom had gotten rid of it. Man, was I pissed! That thing was cool!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[johnny7]

I have one of those, too. The buttons plays chords that eminate from one side and the keyboard sounds come out somewhere else. This creates a recordable "stereo" sound. The fan is mighty loud but adds a certain lofi quality that I don't try to hide. The keys did make an annoying click until I taped a piece of felt under the reveal. I love that thing...

Johnny 7

[ieatonlyshelfish]

I also got an old voice of music tape-o-matic from 1959. Its an old reel-to-reel; for $5 it doubles as a sweet practice amp, and i am working on restoring it for some possible analog effect. all tube. got me real interested in tube circuits and all. i am definately an advocate of thrifting to the fullest extent...

[Rigsby]

Man, I used to have one of those organs. One day I came home from school and my mom had gotten rid of it. Man, was I pissed! That thing was cool!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

Chris, if you still want one, i reckon you can have mine if you front the postage, be good for it to have a good home rather than taking up space, gathering dust in the music cupboard. Let me know.

[ubertar]

I used to have a great toy piano that I got for 5 bucks. It was the kind where the keys cause little hammers to hit steel rods. The steel rods are all connected to a long steel bar. When I put an electromagnetic pickup on the bar, it picked everything up. Sounded great with a wah and an octave pedal.

There are these little plastic vases I used to see all the time in thrift stores for about a buck. If you cut a hole in the bottom, you can get a great high pitched udu sound by slapping the bottom against your palm. I've used it in a bunch of recordings.

[cgarges]

Ubertar,

I used to have one of those pianos, too. It rocked.


Rigsby,

I really appreciate the offer, but I think shipping from England would be really expensive for something that big. Maybe someone else on here would have a better use for it. Thanks!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

[Rigsby]

Rigsby,

I really appreciate the offer, but I think shipping from England would be really expensive for something that big. Maybe someone else on here would have a better use for it. Thanks!

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

Fair play, anyone else a little nearer, then let me know, be a shame to see this little keyboard go into a skip. Been in my family about 25 years. Sigh.

[I'm Painting Again]

i think the single most valuble "piece of junk from the thrift store" that i have scored is this 1955 Voice of Music mono 1/4" tape machine with mic..the mic is a cool effect..the tape recorder works..but the tube amp circut inside the rtr (mic or instrument in) (phono or tape head level in) (amp level out) (speaker level out) is amazing..plug anything into it and what comes out is pure and absolute beauty..its my favorite thing ever and the day I got it was the best day of my life..