A little ditty

[The Dong]

Having just completed building, and I mean everything right down to 
making strings, a 10 string, electro-acoustic Kantele, which is a 
Norwegian folk harp to the non-weegies, here's a little recording of it 
through some FX using the piezo pickup, which I also hacked together:

http://www.sphinx.f2s.com/mp3/Kantele01-Guiseppi-Travels.mp3

Simple Travels.

The Kantele predates the modern harp, along with its Russian cousin, the 
gusli, by 1,000's years + a few. It is similar to many other zither type 
instruments, but has no chord bars, like the autoharp. It can be played 
by either damping unwanted notes with one hand and strumming like a 
guitar, or by using both hands and plucking, or plectrums, or hit with a 
small stick, or whatever you like ;) Placed on a tabletop both amplifies 
and alters the tone, but it can be used on your lap, or shoulder sling 
as well. It can be tuned in several major/minor keys, as well as a 
pentatonic, which would sound more oriental. I've only tried the A major 
so far.

Here's a general website, if you've never seen/heard of a Kantele:

http://www.kantele.com/

I will post pictures of the Kantele when I get my bloody camera back, 
but it is made of American Cherry body, figured Western Red Cedar 
Soundboard, Black Walnut detail and chunks of spalted beech I found.

It rings like a bell!