I have had two Hoover tunable CPVC whistles in my classroom, for about 5 years. They were used for demonstrating, and were played by only me. One has standard-sized finger holes and has a brass tuning slide cover. The other has larger holes (really fine for half-holing) and the slide cover is aluminum. $65 for each, including shipping in the continental USA.
If interested, please e-mail or PM me.
Best to all.
Byll
i know i cant buy anything (per my wife’s direct orders) but i sure would like to see a picture. best wishes that things will go better financially for you.
Wish I had the means to post a picture. Go to the website in my post, and there is a good representation of the psaltery, there.
Best.
Byll
What does one play on a psaltery?
Jim: Any music one would play on any sustaining melody instrument, such as a whistle, violin, cello, flute, etc., can be played on a bowed psaltery. The psaltery is simply an instrument with X number of tuned strings. Mine has 32. The largest I have ever seen (cannot be held - must be played on a stand) has 37 strings. The strings are played separately, by a bow. Some people use two or more bows to play harmony…The sound is very ethereal and haunting. It is kind of like a violin/cello, except that each string continues to sound for a bit, as the next is played. Very cool.
Best,
Byll
So, it’s sort of like a harp, played with a bow?
I’m sorry to hear about the hard times, Byll.
Are the CPVC Hoover whistles Mac’s White Caps with 1/2" barrels? What key are they in?
Byll, you should submit a post for the psaltery on the TradStrings Forum. Might find a broader audience.
Ketida: ‘Harp played by a bow…’ Hmmm. Yep. That about describes the way it is played. It is a wedge shape, with all ‘white notes’ of the piano down the near side, and all ‘black notes’ on the far side. The instrument is fully chromatic.
Nano: Followed your suggestion. Thank you.
azw: These two whistles are a bit more sophisticated than that. They do not simply have a White Cap placed on top of a CPVC body. The body has a tuning slide (metal) inserted into it, and the top part of the whistle, which is longer than the standard Whitecap, fits over the metal insert. The entire tuning ‘section’ of the whistle is covered by a metal decorative piece, which means that the ‘separation’ in the the whistle is not visible. It is a clever, attractive design. The whistles are both standard high D.
Best to all.
Byll
9/2 The bowed psaltery is sold. The two Hoover CPVC tunable D whistles remain for sale.
Best to all.
Byll