Bert,

I really don't know why and I'm a bit of the musicologist. I build dulcimers as you know, and I love instrument histories...but some instruments truly elude me. More portable pianos damn near killed the Hammered Dulcimer. That I can understand. I can even understand and enjoy autoharps (technically an automatically chorded Zither, remember). But sometimes things just elude me. I suppose there is some tipple player out there who will come along to sing the praises of the thing, and more power to them. Personally, who would want, and for what purpose, a jangly, tinny sounding uke?

On a brighter side, it's probably one of the instruments of choice at the "Neil Young Center for the Terminally Screwed."

catspaw