Plucked Psaltery

1989

Opera Omnia
(see the other instruments I've made)

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Original design. A very simple psaltery that looks somewhat like a zither. I loaned this instrument for a couple of decades to the youth group associated with the Center For Old Music in Lexington, KY. The design concept was basically to make a small portable psaltery on which the tuning pins were arranged at the bottom rather that along the angled side (as is usual for zithers, autoharps, etc.). The idea was inspired by a shortcoming of the bandura, which has a neck for the bass strings, but where the left hand is unable to extend beyond the neck strings and continue up the scale because the tuning pins are in the way. This psaltery eliminates that issue to some extent, but having the strings along the base makes it a bit more difficult for the right hand position.

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