The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #127772   Message #2853631
Posted By: Jack Campin
01-Mar-10 - 08:17 PM
Thread Name: what is this kantele-like thing?
Subject: what is this kantele-like thing?
EBay auction 200444073841.

It's a two-foot-long rectangular box with ten strings. The strings run over the end of the box at the bottom (like a citera), but at the top they are wound directly onto two five-string sets of tuning pins, angled so the shortest end of each set is in the middle of the instrument, with the strings in the left set all shorter than those in the right set. If you number the strings left to right as 01234 56789, their lengths go 0123498765. So the arrangement of pitches is like an inside-out mbira.

Anyone have any idea what it is? The seller doesn't.