Eighty-eight-year-old Lorne Collie has been making musical instruments for more than three decades, creations that dazzle for their unique materials as much as their sound.

There香蕉视频直播檚 a hefty bass guitar and a cello made of moose antlers, a baseball bat violin, ukuleles made of cookie tins, and guitars fashioned from pitch forks, a shovel, and a rake.

His personal favourites? A frying pan mandolin and a banjo made of a motorcycle tire rim, covered by stretched deerskin painted by his late wife.

香蕉视频直播淲hen people wanted to buy them, I always said No,香蕉视频直播� Collie said from his home outside the tiny and remote Manitoba community of Hilbre, about 230 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

香蕉视频直播淚 wasn香蕉视频直播檛 hurting for money, but what I was afraid of is that if I started selling them, I would be working myself to death to try to keep up to the orders.香蕉视频直播�

Collie said he once turned down an offer of $35,000 for a moose antler electric guitar.

Now things have changed.

香蕉视频直播淭hat was the policy back then,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 88 now and not as spry and lively as I used to be.香蕉视频直播�

With the help of his son James who lives in Hope, B.C., Collie is hoping to sell some of his collection. The electric bass guitar is on sale for $8,000, and the cello for $6,500.

Collie said he needs the funds to upgrade his older model electric car to one with better range and speed, so he can see his large family.

香蕉视频直播淚 would like to and I do quite a bit of travelling. My wife has passed on and I香蕉视频直播檓 alone. I香蕉视频直播檝e got 25 great grandchildren and they香蕉视频直播檙e all in Alberta and B.C.,香蕉视频直播� Collie said. 香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e got lots of reasons to drive.香蕉视频直播�

Collie said he first put the antler instruments up for sale this summer, but while there were a few inquiries from Vancouver 香蕉视频直播渘obody came out to see them.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淵ou really have to see them to appreciate them,香蕉视频直播� he said.

Collie香蕉视频直播檚 instrument building began with a near-death experience that forced him to retire from his trade as a machinist.

He said he was 香蕉视频直播渨orking tremendous, long hours at a high stress香蕉视频直播� job in the late 1980s, when he collapsed with a brain aneurysm that put him in a coma for more than a week.

香蕉视频直播淭hat was supposed to have killed me,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hey wrote me off as dead.香蕉视频直播�

Collie said he woke up with a clear head, and after a friend challenged him to 香蕉视频直播減ut strings on a shovel,香蕉视频直播� he began making instruments from other odd, kitschy implements.

He said he walked into his workshop one day, saw a broken guitar on a workbench and a moose antler on another and 香蕉视频直播済ot the idea of putting them together.香蕉视频直播�

Friends on a nearby First Nations reserve and a brother-in-law who maintains a trapline found the antlers and gave them to him.

The first antler instrument, a guitar, 香蕉视频直播渢urned out very, very good.香蕉视频直播�

The antler doesn香蕉视频直播檛 warp and it香蕉视频直播檚 very strong, Collie said, adding that he香蕉视频直播檚 had success with most materials, other than an ill-fated attempt at making a lap steel guitar from a snowshoe.

The moose antler bass guitar weighs nearly eight kilograms, he said, but it香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渙ne of the most comfortable香蕉视频直播� instruments he香蕉视频直播檚 made.

香蕉视频直播淎nd it sounds good, just like a good solid-body electric guitar,香蕉视频直播� Collie said.

Collie isn香蕉视频直播檛 done yet with his unique instruments. He said he also wants to make a Celtic harp, but he needs 香蕉视频直播渇airly large antler with quite a deep curve in it.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 not much of a musician,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 can play any of them good enough to know if they香蕉视频直播檙e working, but I香蕉视频直播檓 not a performer.香蕉视频直播�

He likes the idea of a group of musicians getting together to do a 香蕉视频直播渢alent show香蕉视频直播� with his creations, but if he can sell the antler bass and cello, he香蕉视频直播檇 be happy 香蕉视频直播渏ust to know they香蕉视频直播檙e being enjoyed.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e been making stuff my entire life,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 was born for making things, that香蕉视频直播檚 for sure.香蕉视频直播�