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The Studios at L'Auberge
Bowed Psaltery
While attending the Central Ohio Folk Festival in 2013, I was introduced to the bowed psaltery, and jumped at the chance to purchase one from Terry and Sharon Kirby dba Spring Creek Psalteries. Here's a link to their website: http://www.springcreekpsalteries.com The bowed psaltery is a stringed instrument that is easier to play than a violin, and has a melodic, haunting quality to it. The Kirby's live in Massillon, just a stone's throw from me, and produce a very high quality product. I named it Fern.
 
In the spring of 2015, I purchased another bowed psaltery from a friend in the Buckeye Bowers group that I play with from time to time. This is a 3-octave instrument (read that as heavy!) that was made by Greg and Tish Westman from Beckley, West Virginia. The Westman's have a workshop at Tamarack there. Here is a link to their website: http://westmaninstruments.com/ This instrument has a deeper range, and a very different sound than my Kirby instrument. It is particularly suited as a harmony or accompaniment instrument. It is quite heavy, though, so I generally mount it on a brace (built for me by Terry Kirby) fits on a camera tripod. Using the tripod also allows the instrument to be double-bowed, although I'm not ready for that yet. This bowed psaltery I have named Willow.

I'll get pictures of my instruments posted eventually, but meanwhile, if you want to see and/or hear them, come visit!