Dicho, that sounds about right, though there was no umbrella thingy, just a rope and hook coming up from the center. (Love your description!) It looked as though the caps on each tube were set just inside the rim, but each tube was a different length. I think there were 8, maybe 10 of them. The longest was probably about 1.5-2 feet, with the shorter a foot or so. Hell, I should take notes 'cause I never rememeber to look at the tech details of these things, I just listen!*bg*
Okay, just called them. There are 10 tubes. That is a fascinating story, Dicho. Would love to see a picture of yours. This one didn't look elegant, just kind of like someone's garage experiment that worked!
The xylo is made by Pearl and is only $150.00, so I will check on that some more.
The little "half-sized" guitars (that's what HE called them) are by "Coast" and are only $32! LOL