Bowed Psaltery & Bowed Psaltery Kit

[more about the Bowed Psaltery]

Bowed Psaltery

Es: Salterio, Fr: Psalterie, De: Psalter, Streichpsalter, Ar: Qanon



	RWC Finished and Kit Bowed Psaltery

The psaltery (the name coming from the Greek word 'Psalterion') probably filtered into Europe from the Near East during the crusades.

Illustrations dating from the 12th century onwards depict the instrument in many different forms offering the possibility that a bowed psaltery could have been played in these early times. However, the distinctive triangular shape of the bowed psaltery, that is in common use today, is a modern folk instrument created in the 20th century from ideas in early drawings.

A simple horsehair bow can be passed between the pegs on each side to sound each string individually. There is no fretting: each string is simply tuned to a different note. The instrument is fully chromatic with diatonic notes on the right hand side and semitones on the left.

RWC Bowed Psaltery


	RWC Finished and Kit Bowed Psaltery

Our Bowed Psalteries are available in three qualities: 'maestro', 'weekender' and 'funday'.

We produce three sizes of our 'maestro' psalteries: soprano, alto and tenor and the soprano in the other series.

Each instrument is entirely hand built by 'in-house' experienced craftsmen to special order in our own workshops in Toledo (Spain) to the highest standard of craftsmanship. They come with 12 months warranty and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on setting up, playing and maintenance.

The 'maestro' bowed psalteries are made from fine quality solid timbers: English sycamore for the back / framework and selected Swiss pine for the soundboard.

Strung in fine gauge steel music wire the psaltery has a sweet 'singing' tonal quality.

Each instrument comes complete with a simple fixed arch bow and tuning lever.

The soprano is the smallest, measuring only 38cm in length, and the most popular size of psaltery. It has a fully chromatic two octave range f - f''.

The alto measures a little under 50cm in length and has a fully chromatic two octave range Bb - bb'.

The tenor is the largest size of psaltery at slightly over 60cm long and has a fully chromatic two octave range F - f'.

A soft carrying case is available as optional extra if required.

The 'Weekender' Psaltery is a soprano bowed psaltery, wire strung, with a fully chromatic range of 2 octaves f' - f'''.

Our special laminated Pine tonewood is used for the soundboard with sycamore and laminated birch for the framework and back of the instrument.

The 'funday' finished psaltery is a soprano bowed psaltery, the most popular size for this instrument with a fully chromatic range of 2 octaves f - f''.

Built by our craftsmen to the same high standards as our other instruments the 'funday' bowed psaltery comes in a choice of Natural, Charcoal, Magenta, Cyan or Lemon colours.

Bow and case are extra options.

A fixed arch bow suitable for most psalteries. The bow has a sycamore 35cm stick (the standard length for a psaltery) with location slots at either end to hold the knotted ends of the dark horse hair.

Bowed Psaltery Kit


	RWC 'Weekender' Bowed Psaltery Kit

The same range of bowed Psalteries are offered in kit form for home assembly.

The Bowed Psaltery Kits are the simplest of all our stringed instruments to build.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on construction, setting up, playing and maintenance.

To ensure success, even for the first time builder, each kit includes:
A fully dimensioned working template,
A manual with clear and concise step-by-step full assembly instructions.
A set of photographs illustrating further each stage.

In the 'maestro' bowed psaltery Kits Swiss pine, sanded to thickness, is supplied for the soundboard ready for glueing onto the sycamore framework pieces when assembled.

The back is veneered in mahogany and rosewood, offering the builder a choice of matching or contrasting with the mahogany veneer supplied for finishing the sides.

Tuning pins, tuning lever, steel stringing and a drill bit complete the kit.

The kits include the Psaltery Bow Kit.

The Soprano is 17cm wide, 38cm long. Range: ¿f - f''?.

The Alto is 18cm wide, 49cm long. Range: ¿f - f''?.

The Tenor is 20cm wide, 61cm long. Range: ¿f - f''?.

A soft padded case is available as an optional extra.

The 'Weekender' Psaltery kit builds into a soprano bowed psaltery, wire strung, with a fully chromatic range of 2 octaves f' - f'''.

It is one of a range 'Weekender' kits which have been designed for ease of assembly, practicality and economy. They are enjoyable to build and can be finished, as the name implies, in a weekend or two.

All the parts are supplied cut to size.

The parts supplied are made from the best quality materials chosen for their ease of use and tonal qualities. Our special laminated Pine tonewood is used for the soundboard with sycamore and laminated birch for the framework and back of the instrument.

The 'funday' soprano bowed psaltery kit can be assembled in one day and requires no woodworking ability. All you have to do is apply a coat of satin polyurethane varnish (not provided) to bring out the natural beauty of the wood grain.

The 'funday' range of instrument kits have been designed with the complete beginner in mind requiring the very minimum of assembly skills.

Top quality birch ply is supplied shaped and hollowed to provide a surprisingly resonant yet stable body. The holes for the bridge pins and tuning pins are pre-drilled ready for you to hammer in the pins and fit the strings.

We even supply the bow stick ready to attach the bow hair.

Now the only decision to make is which colour to choose - Natural, Charcoal, Magenta, Cyan or Lemon!

Bowed Psaltery Technical Plan


	RWC 'Funday' series of Bowed Psalteries

You can make the same Bowed Psaltery from scratch, following detailed step-by-step instructions through the construction process in a clear and concise manner.

A fully dimensioned life-size drawing with templates and a set of photographs illustrate each stage.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on construction, setting up, playing and maintenance.

This icon indicates that you can choose between the hard copy of the documents sent by postal mail, or the downloadable electronic files, in pdf format to your computer. In order to view and print the pdf files, you need the free 'Acrobat Reader' program installed in your computer. Life-size drawings require large printers. Electronic documents have a reduced price, don't have shipping costs, but are non-refundable.

Bowed Psaltery Accessories and Spare Parts

Bowed Psaltery Availability and delivery time

Not all of the items listed on our site are available immediately. Products without a reference nor a price are rarely available for quick dispatch. If you are interested in them, please contact us.

We publish standard availability, which means that this product usually ships in that time since it has been ordered. But at the specific time of your order, that interval can be longer or smaller depending on many production factors. In addition, you still will have to wait for your product to arrive (delivery time). [More info about availability & delivery dates]

	Finished Instrument		Three months
	Kit		Three weeks
	Drawing		Three days