Unique Instruments

Are there any REALLY odd instruments I may not have heard of? I'm fascinated by instruments with a strange tone, odd shape, or foreign origin. So far, the strangest instruments I've come across are double reeds, like the Oboe, English Horn, and Bassoon. Your thoughts?

There was something wild called a glass harmonica that Mozart played. You can hear what it sounds like here. According to wikipedia, it stopped being popular after the 1700s because people thought you'd go mad listening to it.

"The harmonica excessively stimulates the nerves, plunges the player into a nagging depression and hence into a dark and melancholy mood that is apt method for slow self-annihilation. If you are suffering from any nervous disorder, you should not play it; if you are not yet ill you should not play it; if you are feeling melancholy you should not play it."

Oh, wow, it lost poularity because people thought they could go mad listening to that instrument? But it has such a lovely tone! Very depressing, yes, and the pitches make me cringe a little. It seems that if you were to play it, your ears might ring a little, but I don't think you would become ill or anything. Thank you very much for that.

There is an ancient instrument called "HURDY GURDY"......
Get information from the following link
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hurdy_gurdy

A Swiss band named "Eluveitie" uses this instrument!

You've probably never heard of "Sheng" before. It's a mouth organ, literally.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheng_(instrument)

Thanks guys (I spent half an hour on youtube listening to peformances on both instruments, a sure sign that I have no life)I find it important as a musician to expand my knowledge of anything musically related and this is a fantastic start.

one of the most interesting instruments i know is Theremin. the sound may not surprise you as much as the glass harmonica,for example, but the way the machine works is just fantastic! check it out on youtube or wikipedia!

It sounds a bit like a muted trumpet, very interesting. Or, maybe like a humming muted trumpet? Either way, the instrument itself looks very unique. I'll have to see more of it.

Well, before finding this topic, the oddest instrument I've ever heard of was the zither:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zither

Zither, eh? The sound is very nice. I'd probably use it to substitute a guitar.

The cimbalom which was used by John Barry on the main theme from the Ipcress File, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cimbalom.

Definitely Theremin is one of them; [Link removed - login to see],
but my personal unique instrument is Harpsicord; [Link removed - login to see], it's look like piano but different mechanism.