Instruments For Sale

Hog-nose Psaltery "The Templar"

Design based on historic originals. Recycled maple and Douglas fir. Soundhole of black walnut with "Templar" head carving of Tagua nut.

My latest "standard" diatonic hog-nose psaltery has single strings spanning 2 1/2 octaves. The maple back was resawn from a portion of a 1970's coffee table. The Douglas fir top is wood salvaged from a demolished Portland warehouse. The "hand stand" is maple gargoyle claws. (Priced separately.)

For sale: $600 (with "claw foot" stand)

Wing Psaltery #3, Angel Wing

Design based on miniature in the Pasionale of Abdis Kunigunde, 1320.
Maple, recycled Douglas fir, soundhole carving of black walnut, head carving of Tagua nut

On one of my many internet research travels, I came across a small picture from 1320 of an angel playing a psaltery that was in a shape very similar to the angel's wings. In the picture, the psaltery is a larger than mine, over 3 feet long (in comparison to the size of the angel), and seemed to have strings running in two directions, both vertical and horizontal. Trying to layout the strings that way prooved difficult, so I opted for the vertical setting only, like my other wing psalteries.

The tone is exceptional.

For sale: $800.00 (includes stand)

Rote: Saxon #2

Design based on 7th Century instrument found in Saxon ship buried in Sutton Hoo, East Anglia, Great Britain.
Flamed white oak, Douglas fir, maple, black walnut, pear wood

Some of the same flamed oak I used on Germanic Rotes #3 and #4 went into the hollowed-out body of this Saxon Rote. The tailpiece peg is a carved "hanging" squire, and each forward facing peghead is carved with a gargoyle face. The medalians are mirror-image "Coog" moons.

For sale: $550

Chapter House Psaltery #1

Design based on instrument depicted in fresco in the Westminster Abbey Chapter House, London, England
Oak , recycled Douglas fir, ebony accents, soundhole carvings of Eastern black walnut

When my wife and I visited England a few years ago we signed up for a Verger-guided tour through Westminster Abbey, which allowed us access to portions of the abbey that casual visitors often miss. One of the "special" rooms we got to see was the Chapter House, in the older section of the abbey, where the walls are covered with 14th Century frescos. One wall showed many crowned and robed figures playing instruments of the period, all surrounding the heavenly host. Some of the instruments show a fair amount of detail, as you can see by clicking on the "Fresco" link on the left, and I am in the process of drawing plans and building examples of several of them. The Chapter House Psaltery is the first. It is strung with 14 doubled brass strings and has a very lovely warm tone.

For sale: $500.00

Chapter House Psaltery #2

Design based on instrument depicted in fresco in the Westminster Abbey Chapter House, London, England
Oak , recycled Douglas fir, soundhole carvings of recycled Honduran mahogany

My second Chapter House Psaltery is a little larger than the first and has 15 doubled steel strings, which produce a very bright tone.

For sale: $500.00

Go to the Gallery Page

(Previous Medieval Coog Instruments Pieces)