Thought someone might ask! The phonofiddle was invented in the earlier years of this century, made by the Strohviol company and others. They were available as four stringed, held like a normal fiddle, and with a similar neck; or one-string with a long neck and marks for the notes - not raised like frets, otherwise called Jap fiddles, which you hold between your knees. Played with a bow, the sound passes through a mica diaphragm into a long horn, on a 4 string version that I've seen you also have a smaller monitor horn. The idea was that the sound was directable (is that a word?) for the purpose of recording. They didn't remain in production very long owing to the advent of safe electricity, and more probably due to the fact that they sound absolutely terrible. We have three, one 'home' model, one 'concert' model (the very thought!) and one home made bass version with a huge neck and the horn from an old gramophone which sounds best (!) played with a cello bow. They have appeared on TV in the UK as a novelty trio - the bass and concert ones with a third person playing a musical saw. True violinists have been moved to tears!