Affordable Period Instruments
by David Vavreck
Introduction and Bylaws
Interpretive
Clothing
Scottish Culture
History
Music and Dance
Military Life
Language
Bibliography, Sources
and Library Materials
On the other hand, price is a matter of perception. Although $800 for a lute might sound expensive, there are plenty of musicians who have spent $1000 or $2000 on a modern guitar. And correct, open-holed flutes, although they start at about $200, are much cheaper than their modern counterparts.
There are ways to get correct instruments affordably. In addition to used instrument dealers (who, incidentally, will often haggle), it is worth checking antique stores for old instruments. I got my bowl-back mandolin at a good price; most antique stores have at least a couple instruments laying around. And my 19th century German Guarneri copy violin was purchased from a want ad at a very reasonable price. Goodwill-type stores sometimes have instruments, too.
Avoid instruments with plastic or chrome parts. Older instruments usually don’t have either.
Below is a partial list of inexpensive instruments that are readily available new.
Violin - cheap models can found for as little as $50. To make it more period-correct, remove the chin rest (not added until the mid 1800s) and replace the wire strings with gut (wires only began to be used on violins in the 1940s; many professionals still prefer gut).
Bombard - starts around $40.
Recorder - wooden soprano/descant recorders start at about $20, altos start at about $80.
Whistle/Flageolet - wooden models start at about $85.
Fife - wooden fifes start at about $20.
Pipes (tabor pipes) - wooden models start at around $100.
Tabor - available for around $50.
Tambourine - available from $9 to $75
Bodhran - easily found from $40 on up.
Bones - bone bones range from $30 to $40, wooden bones range from $10 to $65, depending on the type of wood.
Jew’s Harp/Trump - cost around $5, often available from rendezvous traders and catalogs, also at Historic Fort Snelling. Avoid anodized (chemically colored) ones.
Trumpet (modern bugle) - many available in the $50 to $100 range.
Triangle - $20 to $40. Or ask a blacksmith to make one.
Also, kits are available for many period instruments, which lowers the cost immensely. Kits are often half to two-thirds the price of a finished instrument. For example, a psaltery kit can be had for about $55, whereas a completed psaltery costs $120 on up; a rebec kit can be bought for about $220, but complete rebecs cannot be found under $320.
Or you may consider building an instrument from scratch. If you have access to appropriate tools, a rebec can be made for under $100, and a small portative organ for under $300 (portative organ kits cost from $1600 to $6000 depending on size). There are plans for many instruments available for a small fee.
Whether from kits or from scratch, some instruments are quite difficult to build, but some are really rather simple. Libraries and the internet have plans, and kits can be found on the latter. Clann’s Music Chair can likely help steer you in the right direction.
Sound files can be found for many of these instruments on the internet, so you can hear what they sound like. Do a web search.
SOURCES FOR INSTRUMENTS
Again, most any music shop will have any number of instrument that work for 17th century living history, and antique stores are worth checking as well..
The Early Music Shop in the UK produces a huge variety of period instruments and kits. www.e-m-s.com
Lark in the Morning is a California-based firm that specializes in ethnic and historic instruments. They also sell kits. They are something of a clearing house; you can often find a better price by buying direct from their suppliers/manufacturers. www.larkinam.com