The instrument is strummed by pieces of a rubber tire attached to one side of a small hinge, the other side is attached to the undersurface of the wheel. Some have one piece, some have two. You turn the wheel and they strum the strings. The instrument is presumably meant to be tuned to open E given the chord letters on the side of the neck. The strings are 'fretted' by sliding the handle up and down the neck. It moves along a groove routed in the back of the neck and has a cylinder held against the strings with springs. The cylinder is notched just like the nut and and the bridge (which is under the wheel). This keeps the strings spaced appropriately.
Comments
Cool notion, thanks for sharing it.
Curly, explain yourself or sign yourself in to an institution! :) ( I will be there as the my next project is a Cigar Box Clavichord!)
Explain please? Is that a rosin wheel? And a capo? or do you run it up and down the neck as you play?