My mate bought one for £25 off another of our pals
I tried playing it but it's too out of tune and I couldn't work out how to tune it.

I have some rare footage of Rob Tyner from the MC5 playing one.
( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 17:46, 1 reply, 16 years ago)

The ones I have
are actually museum pieces, both built in the 1890s. However, I'm resurrecting them for actual use.

I've found plenty of footage on YouTube of people playing them, but I want to use mine as a sort of modified hammered dulcimer. Once I finish getting them restored I'll get the proper hammers and give it a go.
( Wanderer, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 17:55, Reply)

I didn't realise they made them that long ago.

( Monty Boyce, My cheese game is strong, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 18:00, Reply)

Yup.
Mostly what you'll find today are Oscar Schmidt instruments, but they were originally made (over here, at least) in the 1890s by Zimmerman. Apparently he copied the concept from a German instrument, patented it over here and started cranking them out a couple of years later. The two I have were made less than 10 years after he filed his patent.

I'm still working on restoring them. The biggest problem is getting strings- they're fucking expensive!
( Wanderer, Wed 14 Apr 2010, 18:06, Reply)