Eltonbury Music - Spirit Harps, Plucked Psalteries, Plank Harps, and More

Eltonbury Music - Spirit Harps, Plucked Psalteries, Plank Harps, and More Looking For A Psalterium Harp? Maybe a Plucked Psaltery? A Plank Harp? A Spirit Harp?

You've come to the right place!!!

Or are some of these names strange to you?

Not surprising. Most people have never heard of them, except for maybe the psaltery.

So read on, if you would be so kind. Perhaps you may find an instrument you'd like to have in your life.

Castle Eltonbury

Welcome to Eltonbury Music

In the wilds of the American Northwest, near Spokane, Washington, is the home of Eltonbury Music. Here, when not otherwise engaged in my various pursuits (about which more later), I craft harps of the family "psalterium" in several sizes and configurations. I am assisted in this endeavour by my son, Ian, and my wife, Peg. As to myself, I am Michael Carter.

Our principal instruments, the psalterium harps and the Spirit Harps(TM), are based on designs that can be documented back to the 5th and 6th centuries B.C.E., primarily constructed of woods native to our area.

In adition to these, we craft psalteries of both the trapazoidal and "angel wing" configurations. Pictures of some of the current ones are on the product pages, and more will be posted shortly.

Each instrument in unique, depending on a range of factors which include the availability and tonal characteristics of the woods involved. Since over half of the woods and other materials used in each instrument comes from "rescued" sources, a wide varience is possible (all right, unavoidable...but that's the way I like it). All woods are solid. Plywood is nice, but I don't like it in an instrument. I do sometimes laminate layers of wood or use strips of contrasting wood for decorative reasons, but that's as close as it gets.

So, while you're here, maybe you could.......

Sign My Guestbook

View My Guestbook

Or, if you'd like to send a question or a comment, I can be reached at:

eltonbury@aol.com

Or this mini-form should reach me.

And since I'm asking for favors........

Mayhap you would like to share this page with someone???

I understand some of the browsers get confused by the popup from Tripod. My Apologies. That seems to be one of the minor drawbacks of this otherwise excellent service. Let's face it, you don't get a free website without SOME drawbacks. So, it has been suggested that I put a button on the site to automatically send the URL to somebody. I know there's a way to do that, but my cybersmarts got off the tram a couple stops earlier.

So if you don't mind doing the "copy and paste" bit, the URL is:

http://members.tripod.co.uk/Eltonbury/index.html

Thank you.

On another topic....

Somebody said I should add a counter. Personally, I'm of two minds. If it shows a truly low number of hits, it will be depressing. If it shows a lot of hits, it might look like bragging, and anybody who knows me will tell you how modest I am. In fact, I'm probably the most modest person in town. Why, I bet I can out-humble any man in the house......but I digress.

So, just to show that I do listen to feedback, here's the counter, and I hope it works.

This page has been visited

times.
title of your page ............... ............... ............... ...............

Stroll the Environs of Eltonbury

What is a Spirit Harp?: It's been called a pentatonic mini-zither, a pentatonic psaltery, a fusion kantele, but it's not exactly anything but itself.
Where else can you get an instrument?: Links to other people who make generally similar instruments, and why I include it.
How to Order: There is probably an easier way to get these things from my hands to yours, but this is the best I could come up with so far.
And now for the bad news.......the (gasp) prices.: Actually, I think our prices are pretty reasonable. This page explains why I think so. It also makes up for those times when I forget to add the price to a description.
So What's on the Shelves Today?: A few pages with what's currently in stock. If you don't see what you want, just ask. If I don't have, maybe I can do it. Or maybe I can help you find someone who can.
Introducing: The Plank Harp!!!: This is a new instrument for Eltonbury Music -- but it is already gaining some popularity.
Works in Progress: Photos of what I'm currently working on. (Bad grammar, but the correct form felt clumsy.)
Other Places Worth A Visit: A few other links you may find useful in a bizarre set of circumstances.
Where the [bleeeep] is Eltonbury?: A brief metageographic digression
My philosophy of music and musical instruments.: This page is very much a work in progress, but I thought it might be useful to state why I do what I do.
Some generally biographical mutterings.: These may or may not be of any interest, but somebody said you're supposed to include a biography, so........
GREAT BIG, MAJORLY IMPORTANT NEWS ITEM!!!!! CLICK [HERE] RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!: OK, it's a piece of unmitigated bragging, but it's a source of joy to us, and we just thought you'd like to share.
Where are all the pictures???: A critique of this site, and why I'm ignoring it.

This page is under construction......well, so is the entire site, for that matter

And is likely to remain so for some time.

Getting all this stuff into one cybersock is taking longer than I anticipated. I guess I'm just not as fast as I once was. Then again, faster is not always better. At least, that's my position.

Multiple and multivarious apologies for the shortage of product pictures. They will be here, but not for a bit. I believe they took a wrong turn at Avebury....or possibly Ankh-Morepork. No, I tell a lie, it was Albequerque. At any rate (only 6 grickles* on weekends and evenings), they should be here soon. No, this is NOT a sneaky way to entice you to come back often. Blatant, maybe. Possibly beastly. But it was worth a try. I certainly hope it works.

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* The grickle is one 67th of an Eltonburian Ecto, the now-discarded ducal currancy.