Bowed Psaltery Builders

Answer: Start with a large fortune.

Unfortunately, that is not a joke.

As explained in our article "Introduction to Bowed Psaltery," modern bowed psalteries apparently emerged in postwar Germany as the stringed instrument equivalent of the recorder (or Flutophone), an inexpensive way to introduce elementary students to music scales and reading music.

But to everyone's surprise, they can produce very nice musical sounds with almost no training or effort. They soon gained a following.

Since then, countless "cottage industries" have sprung up. Bowed psalteries are fun to play, sound great in the right hands, and - most important to this article - they're easier to build than most stringed instruments. On a par with Appalachian dulcimers, another instrument whose manufacturing has been dominated by "cottage industries."

But both instrument classes appeal to a fairly tiny constituency - mostly folks who like Folk, Celtic, and other traditional forms. Unlike corporations that make band instruments or guitars, the target audience for instruments like bowed psaltery seldom exceeds a few thousand a year, and often is much less.

So, as Alice exclaims, "people come and go so quickly." Even folks whose instrument sales keep them financially in the black for a time.

In addition, there are probably thousands of "one-offs," instruments built by woodworkers for friends or family members. Many of them are attractive and very playable, though a few may have glitches. In fact, my first bowed psaltery was "home-made." It doesn't have the smooth seams, perfectly even rows of pegs or beautiful finish of the more professional psalteries I encountered later, but it can produce a nice tone and is fun to play.

In other words, any random bowed psaltery that shows up in an oline auction or garage sale or Facebook Market ad stands a good chance of either having no manufacturer's label, or of having a brand you've never heard of.

The good news is that the vast majority are either playable or restorable. Of the hundreds I've researched and the dozens I own, I have yet to come across an intact bowed psaltery that did not sound good when played smoothly with a well-rosined bow. Even the few that look like they were built in a middle-school shop class.

In other words, when you're shopping for your first bowed psaltery, and you see a nice-looking used one for the cost of two or three tanks of gasoline, don't lay awake nights wondering if you shouldn't be spending $500 on a custom model instead. In fact, some psaltery players who started on a basic model and "upgraded" to a better one find that they prefer the one they started with.

Of course, if you can get your hands on it before you buy it, great, but even if you can't, you are likely to be pleased. Even better if they come with case and bow, which together can cost more than a good used psaltery by itself.

But in case you want a little more guidance or more specific information, we putting togethe a list of the builders whose products we own or have tried. That doesn't mean there aren't dozens more who should be listed, but we have to start somewhere.

If you have a bowed psaltery with a builder's label we don't describe here, please get in touch so I can get details from you.

Also if you build - or used to build - psalteries, please let us know so you can get added in to the appropriate list.

Current Builders (as of September, 2026)

Unfortunately, a number of current builders are better at making psalteries than they are at making web pages, so you may have trouble finding their instruments online, even when they have a domain name, a sort of home page, and a workshop full of psalteries looking for a good home. Again, they're cottage industries, quite literally in some cases.

Note: I have no commercial relationship with any of the makers below, though I have enjoyed products and good customer service from a few. Our recommendations aside, you're responsible for your own choices, and for checking out any instrument you buy while it's still in the return window for the vendor you bought it from.

In addition, a few companies are shipping bowed psalteries that have been made in Pakistan or other middle-Eastern countries. I have no opinion on their value or playabiity, sorry.

• Song of the Wood - High-quality custom psalteries made with specially-chosen materials. Builder John Read Smith started out making hammered dulcimers, so he knows his "stuff." Only a limited number are available at any time. (I have one and it's very nice.)

• James Jones Instruments makes a variety of instruments including at least three sizes of bowed psalteries. I haven't had my hands on one, but I hear good things. (Also, their gig bags aren't bad for the price - I have a couple of those).

• Masterworks' bowed psalteries have a good reputation and look very well-made. Haven't had my hands on one yet.

• Westman Instruments make folk-style bowed psalteries in 25-string versions (2 chromatic octaves) and 9-string versions (1 diatonic octave). Their web page is a little hard to navigate but their instruments are dandy! Also, because they use 12-gauge strings instead of 10-gauge, they can make their instruments a little shorter than the average, so they might be good for people with short arms, or back-packing.

• James Fox, who builds custom guitars and other instruments, also makes very nice-looking bowed psalteries.

• Matt Long apprenticed with his uncle Rick Long, but he has more variations in design, including a line of elaborate tenor psalteries.

• Roosebeck instruments are mass-produced in the middle East. They vary widely in quality and have relatively little support, though I've seen some well-built examples. Right now, several are available on Amazon, including "oversized" instruments that play deeper notes than standard psalteries..

Right now there seem to be several others who make a few at a time and don't always keep their web sites updated, so it's hard to tell if they're in business or not. I'm hoping to sort more of them out in the near future.

Get On My List - If you make bowed psalteries and you're not on my list, please use our Contact page to let me know. Include a link to your web site in the comments, please.

Recent Builders

• Dave Lucas - As I understand it, Dave Lucas stopped making psalteries about 2020, but before that, he built over 5000, each one trimmed out a little differently. Some have a sort of "second back" to allow more sound to radiate from the back of the instrument. Always worth checking out.

• Archie Smith ("Horsebottom Ridge") is best known for making bowed psalteries that were works of art as well as delightful instruments. Archie retired in 2017, and he didn't make all that many, but the ones he made are worth tracking down.

• Unicorn Strings, an American builder, made more bowed psalteries than pretty much all the other builders put together. That said, they started building in the 1980s and went out of business about 2022, so you'll find them in all ages and conditions. They're very solid, though, and have a sweet tone when they're in playing conditon.

• Zither Heaven, an American builder, made a nice selection of Folk instruments, and I haven't been disappointed with their psalteries I've come across. They seem to have gone out of business as of early 2025, but some very nice psalteries are still available new through secondary marketplaces like Amazon. How long that will last, I don't know.

• Cabin Creek made some very nice instruments. Judging by the number of recent references to them, they may have gone out of business fairly recently. I have a little 1 1/2-octave psaltery from them. It's small, and not fancy, but it's solid and well-built, with a very sweet tone.

• Inspired Instrument made some fine examples, though they have sadly had to discontinue manufacturing.

• Orchard Springs made one in solid walnut I liked the appearance of, but have not had in my hands.

• Martin Manor went out of business some time back. I own a version with two chromatic octaves, and it has a very sweet tone.

• Rick Long (Ringing Strings) seems to have made mostly fairly standard 22-string psalteries that are well made and have nice tone. (I have one.) He often used unique woods for tone or appearance. In addition, Rick did make at least a few other sizes, including at least one "baritone" psaltery I've seen. Rick stopped building in 2024, but his nephew Matt Long is building a broader range of psaltery designs, based on his experience apprenticing with Rick.

Countless other builders have come and gone. Several have made very nice professional-quality instruments that I've only ever seen one or two of. Plus a few made by craftspersons who never sold their wares turn up once in a while. So, I'm not listing all the ones I've seen, especially since I can't report on them.

Vintage Builders

Most of the home-made or kit-built bowed psalteries I've come across seem to be 30+ years old.

The identifieable builders from those eras will be listed here.

• Luthier's Staff - Straightforward 18 or 25-string psalteries and kits, using quality materials, and - when built in the shop - quality craftsmanship.

• Unicorn Strings could also be included here, since they started building in the 1980s. But they're listed above because they didn't go out of business until about 2022. That said, I have one of their earliest ones, and it's playable and sweet-sounding in spite of obvious past abuse.

• Schoenhut - Built by a company best known for building toy tine pianos and other toy instruments. Veneer, with the brand name in big white letters. A little large, actually, for a 23-chord (two octave chromatic) psaltery, but it's serviceable and can produce nice tones.

Conclusion

That said, if you have a correction or a question, please contact me and I'll be glad to hear from you.

Also, if you make or play bowed psalteries, and want to provide additional information, corrections, etc. we'd be glad to hear from you.

Whatever else you get out of our pages, I hope you come away with some great ideas for "sharing the joy."

And please stay in touch!

    - Paul Race

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