I used to have a bowed psaltery, and it sounded great. However, I had not bought it from a pro luthier, and it had a slight crack in the soundboard from the start. In the heat of the Oklahoma summer it cracked badly, to the point of rendering it, for all intents and purposes, unplayable.
Anyway, I’m looking to buy a new one, but don’t have much money. I’d like to enlist the help of you fine folks to find who makes the absolute cheapest bowed psaltery.
Least expensive I can presently think of is the Pakistani ones that sell for around $100. Hora makes one too, in Romania, but I don’t want to have to ship from overseas, and don’t know any American sellers offering these for any less than the Pakistani ones.
I’d be happy to go with “seconds” or blemished, if I could find such a thing at a low price.
one played well can sound quite nice. One played not so well sounds like you are killing cats!
Walden - harpmaker is coming down this weekend for a festival, then he and Tom are going down to Biloxi to help out some other friends. I’ll ask Dave if he knows of any luthiers with a low end model. I don’t know if he has made any bowed psaltries or not (I know he made a plucked one).
You might wish to try Jerry Reed Smith at Song of the Wood. They have nice 2 octave models for $150, including case and bow. They might have some that are demos or blems…My daughter plays one of these and it really is a nice instrument. Another jobber that may be able to help you is Anne at Song of the Sea - Bar Harbor, Maine. Google away on both and you will find their sites…
You might also want to check with a local violin repair person. They routinely take violins completely apart and mend splits/cracks. They may be able to fix the one you have, but I have no idea if this would be a cost effective solution. It wouldn’t hurt to get a price quote, though.
Walden, You could check with Gary Capps at Maypop music. That is where I got mine for about $160.00 it included 2 bows, rosin and a case. It is a 2 and 1/2 octave Alto with 32 strings. He makes smaller ones for about $100 Here is his website. http://www.maypop.net/
There is also a Bowed psaltery forum at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/bowedpsaltery/ I hate the way the yahoo forums work so I don’t post there but sometime there is some good info there. YOu can also search the archives there I think.
So the $100+ range seems to be about as inexpensive as they come. Song of the Wood makes some pretty nice ones for about the price of one of these kits, so, I’m thinking about getting one of those when I’m able.
I’ve been a member of this Yahoo Group before. Some sample threads that I haven’t yet posted there:
“Everybody on the Forum is a Psalty Pie”
“Who Played the Unicorn Psaltery on Babylon 5?”
“Sticky: Rosin . . . and Sometimes Bowlitical”
I don’t think I’ve got your cheapest, but I guarrantee it’s a very good sounding one… from Songbird Dulcimers - complete Bowed Psaltery kit, including Psaltery, bow, resin, tuning wrench, case, and book for less than $200US.
I know the guy that makes them - this is a good little instrument, great sounding and made well.
I’m sure you’re absolutely right about that, though I’ve already ordered one by a different maker. I’ll probably not comment on it till after I’ve gotten it.
I’d never seen one of these, before: it’s a bass bowed psaltery:
I was writing an article for Wikipedia on the subject of bowed psalteries when I decided I needed to replace my old splintered one, hence this thread.
That’s a neat looking Psaltery. I went to an Autoharp workshop a few months ago and the woman teaching the workshop was Karla Armstrong. After the workshop, she gave a concert and she has a Huge!!! Bowed Psaltery that has thee most awesome sound I have ever heard. It is made in California http://omegastrings.com/bp.htm “Byll” has one of the smaller ones. They are probably the very best Bowed Psaltery on the market, but, they cost a mint too!
