From the link: "New design for piano players and other musicians who like the sound of the hammered dulcimer, but don't wish to learn its tuning system."

I'm reminded of the piano that my father brought home when mother got the notion of making musicians of the kids. It was quite obviously a standard 30s - 40s era upright, but with "honky tonk" accessories. Depressing the middle pedal made it sound quite a bit like a hammered dulcimer, while rotating a little bar under the keyboard gave it a "tinkly bell" voice.

A bar running across in front of the strings had a small felt strip, about 1/4 inch wide and an inch or so long, just in front of each string course, with a common (round) paper clip on the end of each felt strip. Pressing the middle pedal lowered the bar so that the paper clip was between the hammer and the string course. The sound was about what you'd expect from "hammering" the strings with a light hard mallet instead of with the usual (piano) felt hammer.

The tinkly sound was from a similar row of small brass(?) balls, on strings, that moved to lay against the strings when you rotated the control rod. They just bounced (tinkled) on the strings that moved.

I haven't seen another like it, although I've looked casually at quite a number of similar-era pianos in the antique/junk shops. I don't know if it was a "factory" arrangement, or if it was an "after market" addition. I've heard recordings that seem to have the same "sound," but it's hard to tell if it's just a bad recording(?).

John