I thought my Yamaha HandySound HS-501 is a goner as it does not power up wth batteries, but today I had the courage to plug my laptop charger into it, and it is WORKING!!!
Just a demo (still can't believe it is working) of the voices: Organ, Violin, Clarinet, Piano, Harpsichord and also the Sustain. Sorry for the poor angle, as I was holding on to the camera with one hand. Just random melodies...
http://www.imeem.com/teoani/video/TVOuC_2-...01-music-video/
My little baby instrument is about 25 years old. Does anyone have any old instruments used as a child, which you still keep today? Let's see them!
Full Version: Any Baby Instruments Still Alive Today?
You must have cared for that very well indeed!
This is a modern version of the "egg and chicken keyboard" my boys had when they were very small. When you pressed a note, one of the chickens would "hatch" out of its egg. I'm afraid it got loved to death.
This is a modern version of the "egg and chicken keyboard" my boys had when they were very small. When you pressed a note, one of the chickens would "hatch" out of its egg. I'm afraid it got loved to death.
I've still got my first recorder (age 5-6ish). It's a plastic Dolmetsch. It has teeth marks in it. 
My Broadwood upright is still going strong - although it was about 90 years old when I got it, about 30 years ago!! One of our dogs took a liking to the feet about 20 years back so that still has the scars. Beautiful casework - dreadful action!!!
My first descant recorder (Dolmetsch c. 1973) is still in good working order, and has even been used for performances - and for my grade 7 exam where its sound was just right for the piece I was playing and helped me get full marks 
My first treble (about a year newer) is also still in good working order, albeit used a little less often than the descant.
My first treble (about a year newer) is also still in good working order, albeit used a little less often than the descant.
Ah, so we all keep those really old instruments from childhood! How lovely!
You must have cared for that very well indeed!
This is a modern version of the "egg and chicken keyboard" my boys had when they were very small. When you pressed a note, one of the chickens would "hatch" out of its egg. I'm afraid it got loved to death.
Actually I didn't care for my HandySound very well. That's why I lost the battery slot cover, and eventually it cannot be powered by my batteries anymore. But it is such a quality instrument, despite its size. It can play up to 4 notes simultaneously, and has an audio out jack for the earphone. There are 3 games to play too. The little panel shows what notes are being played on the stave. And it is made in Japan. Its price back then is equivalent to the price of a PSR-213. Really quite costly.
Oh my god, the keyboard is so cute! And it has animal sounds in addition to the piano voice? No wonder it got loved to death!!!
I've still got my first recorder (age 5-6ish). It's a plastic Dolmetsch. It has teeth marks in it.
Hehe... I looked at my old school recorder. It has teeth marks on the mouthpiece too. I think I carried it around with the mouth.
My hands must have been too busy, tying up my hair or something. Was never any good at recorder, but I could play Edelweiss a couple of times before getting dizzy 
My Broadwood upright is still going strong - although it was about 90 years old when I got it, about 30 years ago!! One of our dogs took a liking to the feet about 20 years back so that still has the scars. Beautiful casework - dreadful action!!!
Can't wait to see the casework. Have a picture? Do ask the dog to pose with the piano too!
My first descant recorder (Dolmetsch c. 1973) is still in good working order, and has even been used for performances - and for my grade 7 exam where its sound was just right for the piece I was playing and helped me get full marks
My first treble (about a year newer) is also still in good working order, albeit used a little less often than the descant.
Recorders are pretty hardy, aren't they? I have an alto recorder, which I hardly used. I just opened it up, and it looks pretty much the same as it did 12 years ago. I only kept it in a drawer... No no, I won't try it out today. The oil used to lubricate the joints for assembly of the recorder smells a little funny...
QUOTE(all ears @ May 21 2009, 12:59 PM) 
You must have cared for that very well indeed!
This is a modern version of the "egg and chicken keyboard" my boys had when they were very small. When you pressed a note, one of the chickens would "hatch" out of its egg. I'm afraid it got loved to death.
Actually I didn't care for my HandySound very well. That's why I lost the battery slot cover, and eventually it cannot be powered by my batteries anymore. But it is such a quality instrument, despite its size. It can play up to 4 notes simultaneously, and has an audio out jack for the earphone. There are 3 games to play too. The little panel shows what notes are being played on the stave. And it is made in Japan. Its price back then is equivalent to the price of a PSR-213. Really quite costly.
Oh my god, the keyboard is so cute! And it has animal sounds in addition to the piano voice? No wonder it got loved to death!!!
QUOTE(barry-clari @ May 21 2009, 03:47 PM)
I've still got my first recorder (age 5-6ish). It's a plastic Dolmetsch. It has teeth marks in it.
Hehe... I looked at my old school recorder. It has teeth marks on the mouthpiece too. I think I carried it around with the mouth.
My hands must have been too busy, tying up my hair or something. Was never any good at recorder, but I could play Edelweiss a couple of times before getting dizzy QUOTE(confutatis @ May 21 2009, 04:24 PM)
My Broadwood upright is still going strong - although it was about 90 years old when I got it, about 30 years ago!! One of our dogs took a liking to the feet about 20 years back so that still has the scars. Beautiful casework - dreadful action!!!
Can't wait to see the casework. Have a picture? Do ask the dog to pose with the piano too!
QUOTE(katyjay @ May 21 2009, 05:00 PM)
My first descant recorder (Dolmetsch c. 1973) is still in good working order, and has even been used for performances - and for my grade 7 exam where its sound was just right for the piece I was playing and helped me get full marks
My first treble (about a year newer) is also still in good working order, albeit used a little less often than the descant.
Recorders are pretty hardy, aren't they? I have an alto recorder, which I hardly used. I just opened it up, and it looks pretty much the same as it did 12 years ago. I only kept it in a drawer... No no, I won't try it out today. The oil used to lubricate the joints for assembly of the recorder smells a little funny...
QUOTE(all ears @ May 21 2009, 05:59 AM)
You must have cared for that very well indeed!
This is a modern version of the "egg and chicken keyboard" my boys had when they were very small. When you pressed a note, one of the chickens would "hatch" out of its egg. I'm afraid it got loved to death.
I WANT ONE!!!
I want one of those too
I've still got my mum's old recorder at home (which would have been used in the 50s and 60s, I guess). I used it when I started learning
I've still got my mum's old recorder at home (which would have been used in the 50s and 60s, I guess). I used it when I started learning
I have just today SOLD my very first full-size violin that I had from aged 12. We bought it for £30 way back then, and sold it for £500 plus, which seems a pretty good return to me. It offsets some of the arms and legs I have spent over the last few years on my beautiful new (200-year-old) violin 
and my 5-string so I'm not too sad to wave it goodbye.
and my 5-string so I'm not too sad to wave it goodbye.
I was bought a toy grand piano at the age of 4 - a "Pixiano"
The keys have the black notes painted on them - it has two octaves and is painted in duck egg blue. I still have it, remembering fondly Aunt Connie and Uncle Nigel who bought it for me. I had my first piano lesson before I had a real piano, so I had to practice my first scales on it.
................a REAL piano followed a week after the lesson, glad to say.
The keys have the black notes painted on them - it has two octaves and is painted in duck egg blue. I still have it, remembering fondly Aunt Connie and Uncle Nigel who bought it for me. I had my first piano lesson before I had a real piano, so I had to practice my first scales on it.
................a REAL piano followed a week after the lesson, glad to say.
A couple of years ago my mother gave me her old Dolmetsch treble It's still in the original box with her maiden name on it (she'd have bought in sometime in the 50s I imagine - before getting married in 1959).
Some of the cork needed replacing and I took it into Dolmetsch to ask them to repair it. I remarked on the box and the chap pointed out that not only was the box original but so was the shredded paper that protects the recorder!
My father also still has his Dolmetsch treble, a handmade one in his case, which he bought with his very first month's salary in his first job after finishing his National Service. So I guess that must have been 1949 or '50.
Both recoders still going strong and sounding strong.
Even further back, my sister still has my grandmother's old piano, which I think was bought when she married in 1923.
Some of the cork needed replacing and I took it into Dolmetsch to ask them to repair it. I remarked on the box and the chap pointed out that not only was the box original but so was the shredded paper that protects the recorder!
My father also still has his Dolmetsch treble, a handmade one in his case, which he bought with his very first month's salary in his first job after finishing his National Service. So I guess that must have been 1949 or '50.
Both recoders still going strong and sounding strong.
Even further back, my sister still has my grandmother's old piano, which I think was bought when she married in 1923.
QUOTE(diapason @ May 21 2009, 07:22 PM)
I was bought a toy grand piano at the age of 4 - a "Pixiano"
The keys have the black notes painted on them - it has two octaves and is painted in duck egg blue. I still have it, remembering fondly Aunt Connie and Uncle Nigel who bought it for me. I had my first piano lesson before I had a real piano, so I had to practice my first scales on it.
................a REAL piano followed a week after the lesson, glad to say.
I had one of those, but mine was pink. It disappeared many years ago I'm afraid.
I have an old Dolmetsch descant recorder that belonged to my great aunt. It's made of bakelite I think, and says it was made and finished in England, in Haslemere. It still has the piece of paper with fingerings and a few tunes on it, and that's dated 1949 and the cleaner is a sort of furry multi-coloured bottle brush affair. It's still in its very sturdy and nearly pristine cardboard box. As teoani says, these recorders are pretty sturdy.
QUOTE(diapason @ May 21 2009, 07:22 PM)
I was bought a toy grand piano at the age of 4 - a "Pixiano"
The keys have the black notes painted on them - it has two octaves and is painted in duck egg blue. I still have it, remembering fondly Aunt Connie and Uncle Nigel who bought it for me. I had my first piano lesson before I had a real piano, so I had to practice my first scales on it.
................a REAL piano followed a week after the lesson, glad to say.
I think this may be very similar to one I had in lemon, complete with little stool, I used to bash away on it quite the thing
I think my Mum bought it when she got rid of the real Piano (not that anyone could play it).
I had a very colouful 8 note melodica ......... I was always miffed it didn't play 2 notes at the same time though.......
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