There's a fellow who does the art show circuit who makes and sells what is essentially a "prepared hammer dulcimer". I'm sure he borrowed the idea from avant garde composer John Cage who "prepared" pianos by inserting bits of wood, metal etc. between the strings. He intertwines various metal objects such as washers, car keys, bolts etc. between the strings of the dulcimer. You can play the strings or you can tap on the metal objects themselves.

I remember one festival where he was set up just a few booths away from Jerry Read Smith, noted maker of real hammer dulcimers. Talk about going from the sublime to the ridiculous....

Bruce