Do you have articles on “experimental” string instruments? I’ve been playing with guitar and bass strings stretched across different resonating bodies of various salvage materials. I knew a man in Montana that made a thing called the wind wagon; it was an old pioneer wagon frame made into a 50-string banjo. The resonator/body was an old dredge pipe reducer about 6' in diameter and the head was thin stainless stretched with a million bolts. It had a huge wooden bridge. He parked it on a windy hillside and it played itself, making an eerie Zen soundtrack oscillating sound that could be heard for miles. I was present when a guy from the Smithsonian recorded the maker playing it with hammers, bows, and other percussion implements. Have you heard of other artists doing similar research?

Bart Hopkin of Point Reyes Station, CA answers:

There are many people in the USA and abroad making strange and wonderful musical instruments, stringed and otherwise, but it’s not always easy to find them. There are some good resources, though. I’ll plug my own first: If you go to www.windworld.com, you will have entered the world of Experimental Musical Instruments. For many years EMI was the home of a quarterly journal by the same name and devoted to just that topic. The journal is no longer active but back issues are still available along with books and CDs on unusual instruments and their construction. The other great resource is Oddmusic (www.oddmusic.com), a discussion group for unusual instruments and creative instrument making with a large and active following. And if you join Musical Instrument Makers Forum (www.mimf.com) you’ll find a section devoted to “Wind, Percussion, and Miscellaneous and Experimental Instruments” with lots of fertile ideas and good information.

Posted on June 6, 2024May 23, 2025 by Dale Phillips

Questions: Santuri

Questions: Santuri

by Peter Kyvelos

Originally published in American Lutherie #91, 2007

See also,
Questions: Santuri by Roger Reid

Steven Bernstein from the Internet asks:

In Zorba the Greek, Zorba played a Turkish instrument called the santuri. If you could point me toward a photo of it, or better yet plans and recorded music, I’d like to know more about what Kazantzakis, the author, was talking about.

Peter Kyvelos of Belmont, Massachusetts, replies:

The sandouri or santouri (most common English spellings) is an instrument of the hammered dulcimer type. They are common in Greece and are related to the much smaller Persian santur. Pictured is a sandouri built by Chris Pantazelos in our shop, Unique Strings. I know of no plans for the instrument. There are recordings that feature the instrument, such as Axion Esti, written by Mikis Theodorakis, composer of the soundtrack for the movie version of Zorba. ◆

Photo by R.M. Mottola

See also,
Questions: Santuri by Roger Reid

Posted on June 6, 2024May 28, 2025 by Dale Phillips

Questions: Orpharions

Questions: Orpharions

by Wes Brandt

Originally published in American Lutherie #82, 2005

Lance N. Mearing of cyberspace asks:

Who makes orpharions in the U.S.?

Wes Brandt of Amsterdam, Holland replies:

Unfortunately, I do not know of any orpharion makers in the U.S., but Stephen Barber and Sandi Harris (www.lutesandguitars.co.uk/htm/cat05.htm) are makers in London whom you may wish to contact. ◆

Posted on March 7, 2024May 14, 2025 by Dale Phillips

The Santur

The Santur

by Javád Náini

Originally published in American Lutherie #92, 2007

Also see,
Introducing Santur by Javád Náini

The santur is a traditional Persian dulcimer which is played with two light wooden hammers. Its isosceles trapezoidal shape, tuning plan, and playing methods are similar to the American hammered dulcimer and East Indian santoor. Origins of the santur trace back to ancient Persians in the Middle East, India, and perhaps ancient China. Modern santur design, however, is most likely no more than two centuries old. In this article, we focus on the design that is most popular in contemporary Iran or Persia.

The santur provides over three octaves of musical notes (e–f ´´´ or ≈164Hz–1396Hz), with eighteen unison courses of four strings. The strings in each course share the same chessman-style bridge. There are two columns of nine bridges; bass courses are on the right, treble courses on the left. Treble bridges divide each course into a higher and middle octave. This provides two consecutive octaves of notes, with one additional overlap note. The strings running to the right side of the bass bridge are not played.

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