~ Strange Musical Instruments ~

[MysteRy]

Kalashnikov guitar



Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan shows an AK-47 assault rifle that has been transformed into an electric guitar.

[MysteRy]

Laser harp



A laser harp consists of several laser beams that are plucked like a harp in order to produce sounds. It is famously used by Jean Michel Jarre in his shows.

[MysteRy]

Casio DG-10 keytar



The Casio DG-10 was made of plastic, had plastic strings and even had a rubber fretboard. The strings didn't need tuning as pressing on the frets of the rubber fretboard selected the notes. The harder you strummed the louder it got.

[MysteRy]

Stylophone



The Dubreq Stylophone, invented in 1967, had a metal keyboard that was played with a stylus. Three million Stylophones were sold and Rolf Harris appeared for several years as the advertising spokesman.

[MysteRy]

Gibson Robot Guitar



Good news tone-deaf guitarists - there is now a guitar that automatically tunes itself. The guitar features a built-in tuning computer that is programmed to tighten strings to the correct pitch.

[MysteRy]

Pikasso guitar



Created by luthier Linda Manzer for guitarist Pat Metheny, this instrument took 2 years to build (1000 hours). When the 42 strings are strung up to high tension, the instrument is under approximately 1000 pounds of pressure. It has four necks and forty two strings.

[MysteRy]

Omnichord



Omnichord was marketed by Suzuki in the early 1980s as an instrument targeted at beginners. Playing music required no more than pressing a chord key and strumming the touch-sensitive pad. Professional musicians started picking up this odd little electronic gadget. Robbie Williams, David Bowie, Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics, Bjork, and even Ringo Starr have used them in the studio. Even novice players can play an Omnichord effectively.

[MysteRy]

Theremin



The Theremin is one of the earliest fully electronic musical instruments. It was invented by Russian inventor Léon Theremin in 1919. It consists of two metal antennas that sense the relative position of the player's hand and produces an eerie sound heard on classic tracks by Led Zeppelin and the Rolling Stones. Léon Theremin went on to invent the world’s first drum machine and even used his audio know-how to build spy equipment for the KGB.

[MysteRy]

Speak & Spell circuit bending



This fondly recommended 1980s educational toy has an underground cult following among musicians. 'Circuit benders' modify the toy and use it to produce unusual sounds.

[MysteRy]

Moog Minimoog keyboard



Released in 1970, the Minimoog, was among the first widely available portable synthesisers. Prior to this machine, synths were the size of small cars and cost thousands. The monophonic, three oscillator analogue keyboard changed the face of music when electronic music pioneers like Kraftwerk and Herbie Hancock got their hands on one.

[MysteRy]

Chapman Stick



If six strings aren’t enough for you on your guitar - try the Chapman stick. The versatile instrument comes with up to 10 strings.

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Hello Kitty Stratocaster guitar



The Hello Kitty Stratocaster is an electric guitar made by Squier. It is available in either pink or black with a body shaped like Hello Kitty's head. Francis Bean - Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain's daughter uses one apparently.

[MysteRy]

DJ software



Next time you're at a club and you see the DJ staring into a laptop fear not – the DJ isn’t checking their email. Software packages like Serato Scratch allow DJs to play music from their laptops and cue tracks up using traditional tactile vinyl.

[MysteRy]

Roland TB 303 synth



This early 1980s synthesiser was originally designed to replace the bass guitar. Unfortunately the instrument sounded nothing like a bass guitar and failed to catch on. Several years after the synth was dropped by the manufacturer a new group of musicians found the machine in second hand shops and discovered it can create totally weird trancey sounds – these sounds shaped house music.

[MysteRy]

Panasonic Do-Re-Mi



The Panasonic Do-Re-Mi looked a bit like a piano but also had a mini turntable. You could play with just the keyboard or together with the turntable. It was even possible to plug in a microphone to sing along!