what type of sand to use?

The best sand in the world resides on the beaches of Port St. Louis in the Maritius Islands... off the SE coast of Africa.

well... there and the Saychelles.

If money is tight though... Palma de Majorca will probably do almost as well... off the S coast of Spain.... and the night life is better.

take along some sealable freezer bags and SPF 40.

Black lava sand from Hawaii works well and goes with anything. I would caution however about using real lava despite its excellent sonic properties.

this thread should be posted in the next issue of stereophile.

Well my wife came back so now what do I do, should I bring the sand to couples therapy with us?

In my limited experience, sand and wives are not the ideal combination. Speaking of which, why did the oyster refuse to surrender her pearl??? ...because she was shellfish.