Collectibles -> Cultures, Ethnicities -> Musical Instruments
Collecting woodwind instruments is a great way to collect not only some of the finest art ever created but to infuse music into your collection as well. Instruments are fascinating and beautiful bits of artwork in themselves, but they represent our history of music which is so important to the development of us as a culture and a people. Woodwind instruments date back farther than most people realize, with one type of instruments believed to date back 30,000 years and a recent find in Slovenia of a hollowed out bear-bone “flute” believed to date back 45,000 years.
Woodwind instruments are unique collectibles in that they’re not just there to look at, but they make sound, and they make a different quality of sound for each person. While the notes vary, of course, a personality can easily come through in the sound of the music played.
Whether you choose new, used or vintage instruments is a matter of personal choice. New woodwind instruments are direct from the manufacturer, are covered by a warranty and are in perfect condition. Used instruments are currently in production and not really considered collectibles, with much less value than a new or vintage items. New and used instruments are generally purchased by those who wish to learn to play or as a replacement instrument. Vintage woodwinds are no longer manufactured and are sought after by collectors.
Woodwind instruments differ from brass instruments because they use one or two reeds. A reed is a small piece of wood that vibrates to produce the instrument’s sound. Saxophones and clarinets use one reed, for instance, while an oboe and a bassoon use two reeds. In each of these instruments the reed is attached to the mouthpiece which goes in the player’s mouth. Flutes are also woodwind instruments, even though there’s no reed or mouthpiece similar to the other woodwinds. Original woodwinds were actually made of wood, but are now typically made of metal or plastics.
Woodwind instruments do require more care than many other types of collectibles. The outside should be cleaned carefully with a soft cloth, and depending on the material of the instrument, polishing may be necessary. If you play the instrument, the inside should be cleaned after each session by pulling a soft cloth through the barrel or by using a special cleaning brush designed for woodwinds.
When purchasing vintage woodwind instruments, it’s best if you can examine the instrument in person or you have a guarantee about the instruments condition, in the case of an online auction, and can examine it after arrival and return it if it doesn’t meet the terms of the agreement or your expectations. Besides age of the instrument, find out if the instrument has ever been damaged and repaired. Also, woodwinds use cork and padding in various spots that do deteriorate rapidly with age and use (and lack of use). When were those replaced, if ever? Also, don’t forget to ask who owned it before you, you might be surprised.
Photo Credits: unforth
Originally posted 2008-10-12 05:00:44. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
Related Posts -
Vintage Punk Clothes Collectables -> Vintage, Retro, Mid-Century -> 1970s While vintage punk clothes are a popular item today, they didn't even exist until the 1970s. The punk movement began in the 1970s in London with a small group of about 200 youth who wanted to go against the current trend. The movements...... -
Vintage Red Wine Storage Temperature is an unseen factor when it comes to collecting vintage red wine, and so it is a factor that is often neglected. Unfortunately, it plays a very, very large and significant role in bringing out the best or the worst in a bottle of wine, both when it comes...... -
Collecting Walt Disney Collectibles One of the types of Walt Disney Collectibles that is available to you is Walt Disney Classics Collection or WDCC, which was originally introduced in the year 1992 at a collectibles show known as South Bend Collectible Show. Three years of work went into the creation of this collection of...... -
Bakelite Collectibles -> Vintage-Retro-Mid-Century -> Bakelite Most of us have heard the term Bakelite, even if we’re not entirely sure what it means. When we think of Bakelite we often think of plastic, as they seem to go hand in hand. But Bakelite is a type of plastic, most often used...... -
Cash Registers Collectibles -> Banks-Registers-and-Vending Some of us remember going into the local Mom & Pop shop and having our penny candy rang up on a tall brass cash register. Some of us have seen such registers in dime stores or in antique stores. There are many things to be appreciated about......
Related Websites -
Acoustic Hybrids (Can Also Be Played Plugged-in) Acoustic instruments are popular instruments to play, but some acoustic instruments do not produce a whole lot of sound on their own. The acoustic guitar, for example, does not produce a whole lot of sound on its own, which is why electric guitars were invented in the first place. Another...... -
Acoustic vs Electric Music Gear There are different categories of musical instrument gear, and a wide range of different musical instruments and supplies, but they can easily be supported into two broad categories, which are acoustic musical gear and electric musical gear. In other words, most musical instrument gear is capable of being classified based...... -
Vintage Sports Memorabilia If you are looking for a hobby or an endeavor that is exciting and profitable and you enjoy sports of any kind, then you may want to consider giving sports memorabilia collecting a chance. Maybe you have always had a serious interest in a sport team or a sporting event....... -
Accordion 101 The accordion is closely related to another instrument, the concertina. Both of these instruments are essentially glorified mouth organs that utilize reeds that are generally made out of tempered steel. These tempered steel reeds are set in vibration using a rectangular shaped bellows. The bellows are operated using the left...... -
Introduction to Woodwind Instruments, pt 1 Woodwind instruments are musical instruments that produce sound when a player blows air against the opening in or edge of the instrument. This action causes the air to vibrate within a resonator within the instrument. Most commonly when it comes to these instruments, the player is blowing against a thin......
- Olds 3 Mouthpiece Flugelhorn Brass Acoustic Musical Instruments
- Gibson Vintage Acoustic Guitar Acoustic Musical Instruments
- Flatwound Soft Warm Acoustic Guitar Strings Acoustic Musical Instruments
- Navy Militaria (Date Unknown) Militaria Collectibles
- Vintage (Pre-1960) Halloween Holiday, Seasonal Collectibles
