I'm feeling really, really awful, so I'm trying to distract and prop myself up with music as usual.

As a sidetrack, I've decided to list the various instruments I play/own (with a few pics, I'll try to add more later, especially of the plethora of guitars), and a little background on each...

I apologize for the poor photo quality, these were shot only on my Treo 700p pda/phone.

I'll list in order from most recent to longest.

Click on the "read more" link to view the photos and the list of all the instruments....

Sitar. I just received this for my 37th b-day. Thanks Mom! See the earlier posting about the sitar for details on the quest and my history with it. Basically though I'm brand new to the Sitar.

Bolivian Charango (5 pair strings sort of guitar/ukelele)

Many thanks to my (now ex-) brother-in-law Kurt Christen for his giving me this great gift on his return from his LDS 2 year mission in Bolivia.

I haven't spent anywhere near enough time with it, and now I need to get some new strings for it (as you can see). But it ads a nice addition to my playing collection. It also came with a nice soft protective case as well. it's not too difficult (once learning the difference between it and my standard "guitars", unlike the significant differences in the sitar). Thanks again Kurt!

Fender Acoustic 12 steel string guitar model F330-12 (Series S).



Note that the 12 string's serial number is the 45th one made:
0000000045

Fender Squier Stratocaster electric guitar with Floyd Rose locking bridge and other mods

Samick 4 string electric bass guitar

Ovation Celebrity Acoustic-Electric (round back) (Acquired 1

Classical Guitar - Yamaha CG-120 (Acquired December 1988)

African Djembe drum

I first learned about the Djembe when I was referred to a Shamanic "Healing Drummer", Toby Christensen ( http://www.healingdrummer.com ) to "get drummed on".

This was a remarkable experience (and repeated it over the years when he's in town), that I will detail in a separate posting some day. Anyhow, after some time I decided I wanted such an instrument, and so when he had a fresh shipment of handmade drums from Africa I was right on the list of requests to buy.

This is made from an actual Djembe tree and is the traditional goat skin. It's a PITA to keep tuned/tightened however.

I have used it in one live performance with the EWU Choir. I was going to do so with a second performance but I just couldn't get the rhythm down reliably so someone else used my drum at the last minute who had a lot better natural rhythm than I. I play this intermittently and definitely struggle with keeping a proper rhythm.

Electronic Drum Machine with Pads (Actually Drakes but he lets me use it - sometimes). ;-)

Didgeridoo. This was a gift from Karina my (soon to be ex) wife. She gave this to me as a Christmas

present last year? or the year before? knowing how much I like instruments of different types and cultures.

I've managed to get the hang of making the right sounds. But I still haven't managed to tackle the correct

"circular breathing" technique to make the sound sustainable.

Native American Wood Flutes

I acquired my first (cheap, crappie) flute in Salt Lake City, Utah arond 1991 at a Native American

shop in downtown SLC. It never played right, and turned out really to be more for decoration than playing

(what a rip off for $100.00). Some of my earlier recordings with this flute sound terrible. See

http://www.synthzen.com for all my albums and music freely available for download if you're interested.

Some of it is half way decent at least.

Years went by without me trying again to play the flute. Then around (I believe) 1999, an old

family therapist named Bill Hughes started learning how to make flutes, and gave me one.

This played somewhat better than my earlier one, but was still a bit "reedy" and not very dynamic. But

I was very grateful for his gift and began learning to play it. That flute is the 2nd from the top of the photos

of the flutes (and didgeridoo at the bottom) pictured above.

Below is a close up of this simple flute:

Then several years later (while I continued practicing on my own), Bill Hughes gave me two more flutes in the Fall of 2003. These were the two flutes hanging vertically in the above pic. He had come a long way in developing mastery in his flute making, and now taught workshops on them to people around the country, no longer doing his primary psychology practice. The flute on the far right he designed to intentionally be difficult to play. It requires having just the right amount of air pressure to get a clean sound. He did this to help me with

my lifelong practicing of meditation and breathing techniques. The one on the left he made easy to play.

It was intended for my eldest son, but unfortunately he lost interest and didn't really practice, so it ended up drifting back to me. I have since played with that flute both privately, and at live (small coffee shop type) performances and on my albums. It has a great dynamic range, beautiful haunting sound, without being to reedy. It is generally what I play the most, and am the most accomplished with for the flutes.

In 2007, he gave me another flute. The one at the top of the pic. It is a "double barrel" flute.

See the more detailed pic below:

This allows playing "normally" on one side with 6 holes, but also accompanying with a "drone like" note on the other side. This "drone tone" can be two notes, either the low-end of the flute range, or with more

air pressure, on the high end of it's scale. This causes a neat "two flutes" effect.

It is much harder to play, and the finger holes are not as easy to feel, but I am slowly mastering it and learning lots of subtle tricks to make the most out of it. I have not yet done any recordings with it, though I have performed live (small coffee-shop type) a few times with it.

That same day he gave me this wonderful gift, I also asked him to sell me one of his giant flutes.

He acquiesced at a very generous discount. This flute is about 3/4 the size of my didigeridoo!

It has a deep, rich, haunting sound that I absolute love! It takes a LOT of wind to blow this instrument, and my various lung impairments make it a challenge, but I am getting better and better with it.

Bill Hughes is now recognized by much/most/all? of the Native American Community in the Utah (and greater?) area as a mast craftsman with his flute work. he now has workshops he gives around the county and offers DVDs on how to make them yourself. (I need to find that url again and post it and get the DVD myself ASAP).

Below is a closeup of this large flute:

Note the work of the duck as the "bird" and also note that the blow hole is on the side rather than the end of the instrument. Note also Hugh's sigil engraved in the side as well.

I have not yet made any recordings with this flute (though I plan to very soon), though I have had some live performances with it (coffee shop type).

My eternal heartfelt thanks to Bill Hughes for all his years of kindness, insight and guidance, as well as his wonderful gifts!

Harmonica (regular "C"):

  16 key chromatic Harmonica:

Casio Privia PX-310 electronic keyoard

Yamaha Keyboard:

And of course my overall electronic master tool, my computer setup:

There's more on the way, but it's getting late. I'll try to finish this article later.