Stores Selling Unusual Musical Instruments
This is a list of retail outlets selling unusual and hard-to-find instruments. (For a list of places selling musical instrument parts, click here.)
The emphasis is on outlets which carry a wide selection of non-western instruments, folk instruments, early instruments, experimental instruments … in other words, places you can turn to when you’re looking for instruments not normally available through general music stores or retail catalogs. The list does not include individual makers, nor does it include outlets specializing in one particular instrument.
If you know of additional outlets that should be added to the list, please send us a message with the relevant web site addresses. This list is limited to businesses with a presence on the World Wide Web.
Thanks to Greg Bossert and members of the Oddmusic mailing list (Oddmusic.com) for contributions to this list.
African Treasures. African instruments. http://www.africantreasures.com
Ali Akbar College Store. Indian instruments. http://www.aacm.org/shop/index.html
Andy’s Front Hall. Emphasis on American and European folk instruments. http://www.andysfronthall.com/
Anyone Can Whistle. Dedicated to the idea that music is universal and participatory. The emphasis on fun, easy to play, accessible instruments, wind chimes and sound devices. http://www.anyonecan.com
Apollo’s Axes. Instruments from around the world. http://www.apollosaxes.com/
Bang a Drum. Percussion Instruments from around the world. http://www.bangadrum.com
Carousel Music. Emphasis on educational programs and fun in music making; sells instruments from around the world. http://www.carousel-music.com/
Carrol Sound. For years a leading supplier of all sorts of instruments to the entertainment industry. A huge inventory of percussion instruments from sound effects to marimbas, plus prop instruments and more. http://www.carrollmusic.com
Clarion Music. Emphasis on Chinese and other Asian instruments; also strong on didjeridu. http://www.clarionmusic.com/
The Didgeridoo Store. Didjeridus, Native American flutes, ocarinas, hand drums, crystal singing bowls, and more. http://www.didgeridoostore.com.
The Early Music Shoppe. Leading outlet for early European instruments. http://www.e-m-s.com/
Earthshaking Music. Emphasis on world-wide and experimental percussion. http://www.earthshakingmusic.com
Elderly Instruments. Emphasis on European and American folk instruments (as well as standard mainstream instruments). http://www.elderly.com
Ethnic Musical Instruments.com. A wide variety and complete selection of instruments from around the world. http://www.ethnicmusicalinstruments.com
Folk Mote Music & Harp Store. Emphasis on folk harps; also dulcimers, ethnic flutes, drums, bowed psalteries and more. http://www.folkmote.com/
Folk Music Center. Acoustic instruments from around the world. http://www.folkmusiccenter.com
Hobgoblin Music. Folk and Celtic instruments. http://www.hobgoblin.com/
House of Musical Traditions. Acoustic instruments from around the world. http://www.hmtrad.com
Kelischek Workshop. Makers and distributors of a variety of early European instruments, mostly but not exclusively winds. http://www.susato.com/
Lark in the Morning. Lark has one of the broadest and most complete inventories that you’ll find … unusual musical instruments of all sorts, and an extensive web site. http://www.larkinam.com
Leslie and Company. Manufacturer, located in Pakistan, of bagpipes, pracitce chanters, vellum drum heads, bugles, bongos and congas, flutes, harps and many more. http://www.sialkotpak.com/music
Mid-East Manufacturing, AKA Ethnic Musical Instrument Company. A broad selection of near- and mid-eastern musical instruments. http://www.mid-east.com/
MondoUNO. Emphasis on Celtic instruments; also some instruments from India and elsewhere. http://www.mondouno.com/
Motherland MusicArts. African instruments. http://www.motherlandmusic.com/
Musical Instrument History Store. Historic musical instruments. http://www.instrument-musical.com
Music Maker’s Kits. Do-it-yourself instrument-making kits for a diverse and ever-expanding range of instruments. http://www.musikit.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv
Music Outfitters: A wide variety of ethnic instruments. http://www.musicoutfitters.com/ethnic.htm
Pagan Music. A wide range of instruments from around the world. http://www.paganmusic.com/instruments.htm
Pangea World Music Instruments. Hundreds of instruments from around the world. http://www.pangeawmi.com
Ray Man Ethnic Musical Instruments. Emphasis on Chinese and Indian instruments, plus instruments from Africa, the Middle East, South America, the Far East, and Tibet. http://www.raymaneasternmusic.co.uk/CATALOGUE2.htm
Rhythm Fusion. Vietnamese, African, & more. Hand drums, frame drums, rattles & shakers, gongs & bells, winds, etc. http://www.rhythmfusion.com/
Rummelhoff Music: European and American band and orchestral instruments, including some more unusual types. http://www.rummelhoffmusic.com
Sabar. Drums and percussion (mostly) from around the world. http://www.sabar.com/english.html
Saigon Strings: Vietnamese instruments. http://www.geocities.com/saigonstrings
Singing Bowl Shop: Handmade Tibetan Singing Bowls, Tingshas and related items. http://www.singingbowlshop.com/
Song of the Sea. Celtic instruments. http://www.songsea.com/
Sunreed Instruments. A wide variety of folk flutes and clarinets; also hand drums, gongs, singing bowls and more. http://www.sunreed.com/
Traditional Rhythms. Ethnic musical instruments from around the world. http://www.traditionalrhythms.com/
Ultimate Ethnic Musical Instruments Source. Instruments from around the world. http://www.ethnic-instruments.com/
Vellum Head Company. A wide variety of hand drums, plus various sorts of bugles and bulb horns. http://www.vellumhead.com
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