Mechanical equivalents of electronic things?

[sophiecentaur]

Don't forget the acoustic guitar. It worked just fine long before the electric amplified one...but probably would not work in a Heavy Metal band.

That applies to more or less every orchestral instrument. It's only very recently that electronic instruments have become as 'rich' as conventional, mechanical instruments which developed on a trial and error basis with very little knowledge of the actual Physics involved.
That's not a statement about quality or worth, btw.