OK, the optimism might have been a little misguided in this case

[woodwindy]

At the last minute the bidding on my beautiful portative organ jumped to... *gulp*... $2700 plus $50 shipping.

Not mine after all.

Much woe.

Comments

[kuzu_no_ha]

*sadness*

[shalmestere]

Christus--you could definitely commission a new one for that amount!

If you want, I could hook you up with a dealer luthier....

[siderea]

I was warned some years ago, by someone who ought to know, that all kits then available on the market produced very inferior instruments. In particular, their actions (key mechanisms) were extrapolated from an action used in full-sized organs, but when shrunk into a portativ, made the instrument much physically heavier than it needed to be and quite fragile and fussy. Just FYI.

[ext_2730]

Is this a comment on kits in general, or just specifically portative kits? I've often been tempted by the crumhorn and racket kits, but fear that I would make a mess of it has so far prevented me.

Alas!

[mama_grainne]

And alack.

Quel dommage!

[ext_2730]

Wow, that's quite something. Personally though, I'm always pleased when the bidding on something goes well above my comfort range. At least then you're not left wondering if you had just bid another few dollars if you might not have won.

Personally, I was watching these plastic Susato crumhorns:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330105986881&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=330105985509&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=014

I was especially tempted by the tenor. $150 is pretty darn cheap for a crumhorn, but they are also kind of ugly. I think I'd rather wait until I can justify spending a bit more for a nice attractive wooden one.