The music genie visits your house and allows you to pick any 3 musical instruments. He or she (don't know which one you'll get) is the MUSIC genie and can not give you world peace or abolish hunger. Though it's nice of you to want to use a few wishes for such noble purposes.

I suppose, being magical, the genie could give you vintage instruments as well as new.

So, what will you pick?

Helen

for the first pick

any one of the 3 depending on what the Genie had in inventory
a. All original Torres Classical guitar
b. All original Santos Hernandez flamenco guitar
c. Martin 00-28K from the 20's or 30's

second....low c/g jefffries or c#/g#

third...early grey paolo soprani 23 button flat keyboard melodeon in c#/d or b/c

jeff

1. whatever can net me the most cash.

2. a jeffries or dipper in C#/G#

3. something that produces absolutely crazy sound effects, maybe a drum machine.

Being magical, could (s)he give me instruments with musicl powers? E.g., an English that would enable me to play like Simon Thoumire, or an anglo I could play like Niall Vallely, or a guitar that I could actually play?

I was lucky enough to have access to a medium-sized Steinway grand piano (not sure what model) when I was at University - which I still miss, even 10 years on... so I'd like one of those. A nice big MacCann duet extending right down into the depths of the bass register would be nice as well. And I fancy having a go at learning hammered dulcimer.

But I'd have to insist it was all done in part-exhange for existing instruments, to make some room first

I would have to have a fiddle, concertina and maybe my martin guitar which i still haven't got around to playing after a year.
Could I also request a session to play them in on a nice tropical sunny island with plenty of friends and booze of course.


Sharron

Yes Jim,

The genie will give you musical powers, especially if you then played for everyone who joins this thread.

Okay, Stuart,

You're terms sound reasonable. Heck, I'd teach you hammer dulcimer. The genie could probably pass on your traded in instruments to another, hm what would you call us, donees, wishgetters, recipients?

Sharron,

Absolutely, but you have to take me along.

Hey this is fun.

Helen

Not to worry. You could always ship the extras to me. I'd even be willing to pay the shipping cost.

I think it would depend on what sort of booze you want. Piña coladas should be easy, but a good English bitter at the right temperature might be a bit of a stretch.

Darn it Jim, I think I also need a refridgerator to keep the cold beers in. Pina Coladas just won't hit the spot.

Helen, of course you are invited, you started this

Sharron

PS can we also have a fridge big enough to house everyone's beers, it gets mighty thirsty work

Okay Sharron,

We'll get one of the people who have not yet responded to tell the genie that they always wanted to play a refrigerator. That can be one of their 3 musical wishes.

Gee Jim,

You must be new to this magical stuff. OF COURSE you can have your bitters at whatever temperature you want. We'll just have to get another new responder to tell the genie that he or she always wanted to play an unlimited amount of bitters.
And that they have to be at a precise temperature for full volume and tone. Sounds doable.

Now see, wasn't that easy. You guys are too rooted in reality.

Now this is really getting to be fun.

Well, if Malcolm Aronold can get away with writing a piece that involves a floor-polisher, a fridge shouldn't be too far-fetched.

And The Fall once made an LP that credited someone as playing "bottles and wheels" - so we can probably get away with the beer as a "musical instrument"...

This is easy:

The Atkinson (so-called "French") horn that I already have.

The anglo that I have on order from a major maker.

The other anglo that I have on order from another, newer maker.

That's as far as my amibition goes right now. And I may actually get my wishes!



Heard recently at a concert or jam (I now forget where. Edited for a family audience):

Two Irishmen are on a sinking ship in the middle of the ocean. Now shipwrecked, they float along in a small boat, with no food or water. After a couple of days they are getting pretty loopy. Along floats a crate. One of the men grabs it and opens it up. Inside is nothing but a teapot. "Useless!" cries the second man. But the first stares at it a while and, figuring he has nothing to lose, rubs it. To their surprise out comes a genie.

"You may have one wish. Now make it a good one boys, think about it first."

The man holding the teapot says, "You know what I really wish for is that this whole ocean would turn into Guinness."

POOF! It is done and the genie vanishes.

"You Eejit!" shouts the second man. "Now where are we going to relieve ourselves???"

(1) A Suttner Jefferies copy
(2) A Suttner Wheatstone copy
(3) A Leo Rowsome set of Uileann Pipes

Kevin

Oh great Stuart, now we are all set.

I dunno Ken. I'm Irish and I think my relatives would agree with the shipwrecked men! Gosh, you are gonna get all 3 wishes. How neat.

Kevin, could you tell the genie that the pipes include bottles of bitters, beer, whiskey in order to function?

Now if we can just get the fridge....

Helen

My three intruments would be:

(1) My Norman Anglo 30 button which I adore

(2) A Welsh Triple harp, and the ability to play it without going cross-eyed!
(I've played a double string harp and that was hard enough!)

(3) My upright player piano, was has magiacally found it's way into my house
from my Mother's farm (even though it's too big to fit through my front door)
which has also been magically restored and tuned

But I would give up the last two for a weekly session with good friends

Cheers,
Morgana

Sounds right. Wasn't "refrigerador" the name of the percussion instrument Richard Feynman said he played with a band when he was in Brazil?

Ah, what do you call the instrument that consists of a series of glasses or bottles partially filled with liquid, so each a tuned to a different pitch. But it just has to be one that never goes out of tune: no matter how much you drink, it always magically refills to the original level.

As I have three concertinas at the moment, would I be faced with the impossible decision of deciding which one or more I had to part with to get another?

If that is not the case, I would choose:

- a Hayden system duet with a larger range than my present model, made
INSTANTLY by Colin & Rosalie Dipper

- a double action English bass concertina

- an English baritone concertina

Then I could form my own concertina quartet.

- John Wild

I like Jeff's thinking. I have a nice Rodriguez student grade guitar, how about a nice concert grade nylon string guitar? Next up would be a C/G anglo custom made with a low F# button that I could operate with my third finger instead of my pinky. Third would be a ukulele for my wife. No kidding. She really wants one. They're cheap so I'll get one soon for her.

Oh goody, now we're on a roll.

I'll ask for:

1. Breedlove mandolin (not too expensive and I like them)
2. A really spiffy piano accordion (I need help on what kind) (Yes, Jim, there are
spiffy piano accordions). (Behave or we won't let your genie find you.)
3. Well I already have my dream hammer dulcimer, and I am getting my concertina, so I'LL ASK FOR THE FRIDGE filled with food so the tone is just right. Food magically refilled as eaten so tone and volume remain accurate.

SO, WHAT KIND OF FOOD DO WE WANT?

What else do we need? New responders can help us get more stuff for our island trip? Can we spend some time in the mountains too?

Helen

Cheers Morgana,

You get all 3 instruments and weekly sessions with friends.


Jim,
Do you want to play the bottle thingy? You then get first dibs on drinking the contents!

John,
No, of course you don't have to give up any of your instruments you presently have. This is not bartering.

Rex,
Your mission is to convince the genie that ukeleles always come with pineapples and exotic Hawiaan fruit.

How are we doing so far?

Helen

Oh, this is easy.

Three Stradivariuses (Stradivarii?).

Sell those, and I can retire and buy whatever other instruments I want anyway.

--Dave

my choice would be an electronic instrument, one that adapted to whichever CD player, gehtto blaster or whatever the kids were using and AUTOMATICALLY TURNED IT OFF.

I could then hear my instruments and decide which two others I might just wish to upgrade!

Actually I am quite happy with what I have got, but an English System piccolo range would be nice.

Dave

I'd settle for the 2-row Wheatstone I have on order. Only about two more years to go if everything goes according to schedule.

Jeff Myers

Not as easy as you might think is it, but I think I'd go for:

1: A 40 or 42 key jeffries anglo, with the first 36 buttons replicating the ones I already have and the extras filling in some of the gaps (a push Eb on and the bottom D on the left hand at least, and the A and B above the top G on the right hand at least).

2: A two and a half row 3 voice , 12 bass castagnari medolen, but lighter than their current offernings.

3: A Yanigasawa Tenor Saxophone, which I would give to my wife.


If I was not allowed to donate one to my wife I guess the third would have to be a one and half row four stop melodeon, which no-one seems to make these days.

Clive

Since it's impossible for anyone -- except possibly a Hindu god -- to play more than one instrument at a time, it would seem unreasonable that others should not be allowed to use your instruments once the genie has given them to you. So at next-to-worst you might have to let your wife borrow *your* saxophone whenever she wants. (Worst, of course, would be if some genie legislator has managed to stick a provision into the musical-wish law prohibiting you from loaning the fruits of your wishes to others.)

I'll play!

1. Pete Seeger's lignum vitae neck, tubaphone banjo.

2. Mary MacNamara's Wheatstone anglo with Mary MacNamara attached!

3. A prime 30b C/G Jeffries in tempered tuning with a good divorce lawyer attached. (My wife knows, I hope, that I'm just not really into physical attachments.)

Nice topic. A needed relief from serious discussions.

Hey Clive,

This is magical, of course you can get something for your wife. I think you should get all 3 of your wishes and the one for your wife because you are being generous. In fact, I'd give you my refrigerator wish if no one minds. But I think we need the food so let's just say the genie would definitely give you all your wishes. And anyway, Jim agrees, so we must be right.

Hey Greg,

Glad you liked it.

Helen

1. An Edgely 24-button with ebony finish and silver ends (which I am about to order, but it would be spiffy as heck to get a free one!)

2. A 1890-1910 Wheatstone 48-button English in perfect working order.

3. A baby grand piano, tuned.

Hmm, let's see:

1. A teens or '20's Wheatstone tenor English.

2. Some sort of CBA, maybe a Castagnari or a Fisitalia.

3. One of those Belgian foot basses.

Hey Eric,

What's a CBA? Chromatic Button Accordion? Canadian Button Accordion? Cute..
Cinematic.., Concertina Button Accordion?

It's okay, I'm sure the musical genie knows. I'm just curious.

Helen

Yes.

Cruelly Blunt Answer?

Concise But Accurate

Corny But Acute.

Helen

Couldn't Be Acuter.

1. A Hurdy-Gurdy, like the one that Stefan Brisland-Ferner of Garmarna plays. Those things are so expensive, so it would be best to ask for one from the genie.

2. A 44-button Jeffries that allows me to make a strong subdominant on the push (which Roger Digby considers to be standard). That probably costs more than I'll get for my car, and they seem hard to find, so I'd better ask the genie.

3. The most programmable MIDI-controlled sound modules (allowing all types of synthetic sound design posible) with THIS as a MIDI controller (yes, that is a hyperlink, so click on it).

I would love:

A Ramirez classical guitar with ebony fretboard

A Wheatstone Aeola tenor-treble English concertina, and

A left handed zither (one may dream - it's free!)

But most of all I'd like the talent to do all three of them full justice (dreaming again!) so my playing gives others besides me enjoyment.

Now wouldn't that be lovely!

My choice would be 3 Bosendorfer model 290 extended length grands... with the additional 9-sub-bass notes (in reverse white/black colors) - make them sound just like Oscar Peterson's.... http://www.boesendorfer.com/_english_versi...on/index.html... One for me and one for my two children.... I'd sell my Yahama grand and use the money to buy some great conertinas!

Onward,
Craig

Darn, only three? Let's see...

- a medium-sized chromatic button accordion (which neither my wife nor I can play, but we'd both like to learn).

- The requisite concertina: a Suttner A5 (35-key anglo) in C/G.

- a nice old reed organ in perfect condition. I've wanted one for years, but it just doesn't seem like I'll ever feel that I can really justify the expense.

Runners-up: a Boesendorfer grand piano, the same type Craig mentioned, was actually one of the first things I thought of (even before I read his post) and would be on the list if I was more serious about playing the piano. (There was one at my college. The closest thing I've seen to the ultimate musical instrument; they are truly amazing, but too big for our house.) A top-grade small-to-mid-size steel string guitar. A Hayden duet for me, and a set of Northumbrian pipes for my wife.

In the fridge: vegetarian samosas, fresh Royal Gala apples, and Dove Bars.
And by the way, a Bronx cheer to asking for the most expensive thing you can think of, instead of what you really want.

-Tom

Hey, I can do the fridge things you asked for. So you'll get something for sure.

Oh great, "for sure", I sound like Valley Girl.

Well, not that there's anything wrong with being a Valley Girl.

Help.

Okay, the music genie question...

I would want a singing voice (vocal cords), a piano-accordion, and an English concertina.

If I could squeeze in a fourth and a fifth, I'd want some type of old reed organ, and a bamboo flute.

I have all of these, but in various conditions!

If anyone has a spare wish for the genie I could do with you making a wish for me as I used mine up ages ago.

I need a concertina to bring to our get together as I sold mine (stupid I know) so if you can get the genie to grant you another wish please ask for a C/G so I can bring it along.

BUT if the genie is *kind* i will magically arrive with the *perfick* (Darling Buds of May Pop Larkin) concertina and all I will have to do is sit there and it will play all by itself making me look really good

Spare wishes roll on.

Sharron

Hey a player concertina. Why not, there're player pianos.

Hey Wendy, what kind of piano accordion?

I'm wishing for one and I'll share.

Helen

Seems to me I saw one on eBay a while back. Not a Wheatstone or Jeffries, though.

Aw gee, I was kidding. Are you serious?

Stands to reason, if you can make a player piano...

Serious.

Changed my mind (I am female) and I don't want an instrument to play itself.
I want to *play* it, I just realised I can't stand my fingers being idle. I am hooked on those little buttons and the breathing of the bellows.

Oh help, I think I have become an addict and am suffering withdrawl symptoms.

My fridge is definitely going to come in handy as I will be an alcoholic with the stress soon if I have to sit and watch you all play.

Sharron

I saw a whole museum full of 19th century mechanical musical curiosities once (it was near Utica, NY, but I think it no longer exists). There were dozens of bellows-powered free reed instruments driven by paper rolls with holes punched in them. They were operated by turning a crank. Think: organ grinder, little monkey...