2021 Wildwood Electric Spring Zither Bass

What is this? I'm not sure. I've had the idea for ages, though, and I'd told myself that as a reward for getting my taxes done (folks -- if you're self-employed, you know this pain) I'd spend a couple hours sometime this week bringing the idea into reality.

It's basically a zither... made from an old footstool. The "strings" are replaced with small-diameter springs (available at any hardware store) that are then mated to ball-end guitar strings (these are all plain 16s) so they can be pulled-up to a set of guitar tuners. A set of parts-bin Strat-style pickups allows these to be amplified so -- ya know -- you can hear it.

The big catch is that even springs of this size "tune-up" at bass pitches, so a "thumb piano"-size instrument can play the bass part. This one is tuned close to a G scale (I have the F# down to an F) and the lowest note is the lowest G on a bass guitar (3rd fret on the low E string) and it runs up to a G an octave above that. It can, of course, be retuned to whatever key you need to favor.

Notes are currently: G, A, B, C, D, E, F, G low to high.

I really didn't know what to expect from this. When you're making something like this on the fly the main thought is often: why am I wasting my time?

Once you plug it in and start hearing the odd sounds you can get out of it, though, those fears are dispelled pretty fast. It's ugly, it's stupid, it's silly, it's slap-dash, but it's very fun.

Two "design" concessions were a downpressure bar for the strings near the tuners and foam muting for the string/springs at either end to damp unwanted overtones. I also should replace the jack holder with something better... but... I was wanting to get this done.