PENNYWHISTLES
Early European settlers brought their musical instruments as well as their farming tools to their new North American homes, and the six-hole pennywhistle was a natural traveler. These simple folk instruments have been part of American culture throughout our history - in colonial times, along the overland trails to the Pacific, and today, in any place where people like to get together for music and companionship.

701. Tin Pennywhistle
Our handcrafted tin pennywhistle is made in the traditional conical design,12” long, with lead-free solder seam and wood plug. Key of D; packaged in a poly bag with music, history, and instruction sheet.

750. Maple Pennywhistle
Our handcrafted solid maple pennywhistle, made in the traditional one-piece design, is 11 1/2” long with six tone holes. Key of D; packaged in a poly bag with music, history, and instruction sheet.

753. Maple Pennywhistle with Handbook
Our handcrafted solid maple pennywhistle, made in the traditional one-piece design, is 11 1/2” long with six tone holes. Key of D; packaged with the Ochs handbook in a poly bag with header card as a complete beginner’s set.

711. Pennywhistle Handbook with CD
Complete instruction for beginners, with historical notes and 83 traditional tunes, and a 74 minute CD. Adapted by author and musician Bill Ochs from his Pennywhistler’s Press works.

BONES
On ships bound for the New World colonies, at weddings and dances from colonial New England to the great Southern plantations, in the street bands and minstrel shows of the early 19th century, and on the overland trails to the Pacific, the rhythm of the bones contributed to the distinctive music of the new American nation as Anglo-Irish, African-American, and Creole influences came together to form unique new musical styles.

120. Maple Bones
Our solid maple bones are handcrafted in traditional style, and packaged in a poly bag with history and instruction sheet.

121. Rosewood Bones
Our solid rosewood bones are handcrafted in traditional style, and packaged in a poly bag with history and instruction sheet..

JAW HARP
Jaw harps were among the items traded by peddlers in the early American settlements, and later entertained the pioneers on their long treks west. A popular folk instrument in Europe and the Middle East long before the colonization of the New World, the origin of the instrument and its name is uncertain. Known variously as jaw harp, Jew’s harp, and juice harp, the most often recorded name for this instrument is trump.

311. Jaw Harp
The note the jaw harp produces depends upon the dimensions of its vibrating tongue, with interesting effects produced by changes in the player’s breathing patterns. We mount a hardened steel vibrating tongue on our 3 1/2” metal (lead-free alloy) frame, and hand tune each harp, and package it in a poly bag with a history and instruction sheet.

FIFES
The fife came early to the New World colonies from Euopre, as a military instrument with soldiers and a folk instrument with settlers. The fife was an essential instrument to to 18th century military forces, being used not only to signal commands in battle but also to call out the daily routines of camp life; it maintained that role throughout the period of the Civil War. As military fifers returned to civilian life, they brought the fife with them into the mainstream of folk music.

705. Plastic Fife
Our plastic fife is a high quality beginner’s instrument, crafted of FDA approved black plastic, with short brass ferrules. Each fife is packaged in a poly bag with an insert of music, history, and instructions.

706. Maple Fife
Our solid maple wood fife is handcrafted in the 18th/19th century silhouette, with long brass ferrules. The embouchure is round, the tone holes are not recessed Each fife is packaged in a printed box with an insert of music, history, and instructions.

709. Persimmon Wood Fife
Our solid persimmon wood fife is handcrafted in the 18th/19th century silhouette, with long brass ferrules. The embouchure is oval, the tone holes are recessed Each fife is packaged in a printed box with an insert of music, history, and instructions.

HOHNER HARMONICAS
Harmonicas were among the toys and novelties advertised for sale for Christmas presents in 1833; by the mid-1800’s, cowboys were playing their harmonicas on the long trails west, and many a Civil War soldier had a harmonica in his pocket.

708. Pocket Pal Harmonica

702. Old Standby Harmonica
Matthias Hohner founded his company in 1857, and from the beginning the United States was a major market for his products. We package these Hohner harmonicas individually in a poly bag with a history and instruction insert.

CHILD’S DRUM AND DRUMSTICKS
The drummer was an integral part of military life from the 18th century through the mid-19th century. In camp and on the field, the drummers sounded out the daily routines of camp life and the battle commands of the officers. Individual drummers would also be called upon to perform for dances and other entertainments.

523. Toy Drumsticks
Our solid wood toy drumsticks are 10 3/8” long, individually packaged in a poly bag with a history insert.

528. Child’s Rope Tension Snare Drum
Dimensioned for a child’s use, but not a toy, this drum is 10” in diameter and stands about 12” tall. The solid hardwood shell and hoops are cut and steam bent at our Vermont sawmill, much as they would have been made in early America. The heads are vellum, the snares are natural gut.

IRON TRIANGLE
Expertly crafted of steel for formal orchestral use, the triangle could also be made of local materials for folk musicians, and so it slipped easily into the vocabulary of American traditional music. From colonial drawing rooms to lively Cajun dance halls, from minstrel and vaudeville shows to the orchestrations of the early silent movie theaters, the musical triangle has played an important role in the growth of popular American musical culture.

122. Iron Triangle
Our iron triangle is packaged in a poly bag with a striker, and a history and instruction insert.