I make standard Soprano Chromatic Bowed Psalteries and a simplified diatonic model , Simple Fixed arch Bows can also be ordered separately for £25 including shipping/Postage

Bowed Psaltery

This instrument is one of the easiest bowed instruments to play, and its eerie, icy magical tone is very enchanting, for me it conjures up the time time between autumn and winter,  the first frosts, of Christmas and the new year. 

This type of Instrument date backs to the 20th century where it was first developed as an easier violin like instrument for children to play in schools.  Plans were available in the 1960s from people like Edgar Stahmer in Germany and his friend in England Ronald Roberts who published a book for making musical instruments.  In the 1980's and 90's Zachary Taylor made and played and publicized these instruments by making the plans available in  magazines and in his book "Making early instruments"  The early Music shop in Bradford has also played a part in the UK by selling instrument and bow kits.

Click here for the Yahoo Bowed Psaltery Forum group for players and makers alike.

Made of cherry and Cedar with maple pin block and Yew wood bow with Scandinavian ("Celtic") knot sound hole

£275 with padded case/bag

This one is under construction!  Please return later

 

Diatonic Bowed Psaltery

(for free plans to make your own see below!)

 

Broader and shorter in length with its distinctive Gothic shape, the Diatonic Bowed Psaltery was designed to be a more Harmonious musical instrument.

The strings are arranged in a fan pattern, this was to make the bowing a little more fluid with the geometry of the human arm. Tuned to a white note scale rather like the old Irish harp, the instrument resonates sympathetically as different combinations are played. As well as being a bowed instrument, this psaltery, like its medieval ancestor, responds well to plucking and also hammering.( see playing notes ) This instrument is suitable for much folk, sacred and early music. The tuning Diatonic in the key of D is : D E F# G A B( bass side) and C# d e f# g a b c# d" e" (Treble) I have made these also in the key of G, C and F.

They come supplied with a fixed arch bow in Yew and a fitted briefcase. Solid spruce soundboard with laminated sides/back and maple tuning pin block.  Prices from £350

 

 Diatonic Bowed Psaltery making

I designed this instrument in the early 1990's, mainly to play Scottish pipe music (there is a vast repertoire of tunes with nine notes!) These are plans I had on my first website in 1999, I have converted them to PDF files.  They will require a little work to scale to size.

The Diatonic Bowed Psalteries I make now are a little different in detail, I angle my pins now and attach them in the kantele way (midway) though I still make standard Chromatic models with the string going over the top

On the plans Ignore the braces, (overkill with such a strong frame)but if you have a centre joint on the back you can add a capping strip made up from cross grain.

*Please feel free to use these Diatonic Psaltery plans in the spirit of the creative commons licence agreement, If you copy the plans or make and sell these all I ask is that you acknowledge their origin/designer.  Thanks! 

 

Instructions

Sheet 1

Sheet 2

Playing Guide