Folgerphone

The folgerphone (sometimes Folgerphone) is a wind instrument (or aerophone), classifiable as a woodwind rather than brass instrument despite being made of metal, because it has a reed (cf. saxophone). It is a modern experimental instrument, using an alto sax mouthpiece, with copper tubing and a coffee can (the name is a reference to Folger's, a common brand of canned coffee). It is not commercially produced, but constructed by musicians, and need not use a genuine coffee can, but any metallic sounding box. Although using sax parts, it is a cylindrical bore instrument, and thus part of the clarinet family.

History

The instrument was invented by Nolan Hatcher and Craig Nutt, [http://www.fusetronsound.com/label.php?selection=S source] at least as early as 1979, when it was used on their duet album "Dinosaur Time". [http://www.craignutt.com/raudelunas/sayday.html source] It has also been used in recorded experimental and jazz works by others, such as Robert Horton's band Plateau (not to be confused with the Skinny Puppy side-project platEAU), as on the 1990 "Arrhythmia" compilation CD.

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