|  |  Folkcraft Kantele - Black Walnut Body With Butternut Soundboard
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Price: $345.00, Item number: 2360030JB
This kantele was handmade in the United States by the two-generation team of Folkcraft luthiers.
The body of this instrument is made of black walnut which has been grown just a few miles from our shop in Woodburn, Indiana. Black walnut has been prized in dulcimer building (both mountain and hammered) for generations, and we're pleased to offer a kantele with a black walnut body. Our soundboard material is butternut, which is also known as white walnut. Butternut and black walnut are similar genetically, but could not be more different when using them to build musical instruments. Black walnut is hard and reflective, but not has hard as sugar maple or hickory. Butternut (white walnut) is considered a hardwood, but the material is so soft and delicate that it is not even as dense as Sitka spruce, which is considered a softwood. Both black walnut and butternut look great when they're sanded and lacquered, and the combination of the two woods works really well for kantele building.
With fifteen strings, you get a full two octave D major scale. You could easily tune your kantele to play a two octave C major scale if you preferred.
To play the instrument, you can hold it upright against your body, with the strings facing away from you, or you can lay the instrument across your lap with the strings facing upwards. While the vertical position may be more traditional, we enjoy performing with the instrument on the lap, as this allows easy use of both hands while creating music. |
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