I'm trying to build a 3 strings jouhikko a verry old instrument from Finland play with a bow !!

It looks pretty easy to build, but i can't find blueprint anywhere !!

This instrument works with verry expensive horsehair strings, but can be played with alto strings !!

So if somoene can help me ...............................

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  • I just built a 2 stringed one of these. If you look on my page it is in the video section. One of the easiest builds I have ever done. 

  • You will find exact measures for a traditional finnish jouhikko here, but you have to click on «näytä mitat» below the drawing to get them.

  • ok so it took awhile, but I finally made one of these. Dead easy. I made a 2 stringed one. Basically I built a frame around a cigarbox and attached 2 ukulele strings, which work surprisingly well with my bow. I am using an old violin bow. It sounds pretty good. I did not worry about dimensions and just used what I had. I will put up a video soon. I just want to get a song down. The whole thing took only about 3 hours. I could have gone faster or slower if I had wanted. Lots of possibilities but not much needed to make it work.

  • Hey Guys,

    Iḿ Charlie, the guy who makes these, Silver Spoon Music. You know some makers get bent when they see people trying to figure their design, but I have no problems. Infact CB Nation started me in instrument building, so have at it folks!

    a couple tips.... .025 black carp line for cheap strings identical to horsehair, standard length is about 55-60 cm, and check out....www.facebook.com/silverspoonmusic

    then go to photos/albums/bowed lyre building. Its pictures for language barrier sake, but you should get the idea.

  • This is an exiting post. I love the look of the instrument and may build one myself. I can see any number of ways to do it. Still, I am wondering if you would not be better off building something like a fiddle dulcimer. It is tuned essentially the same and has frets and a finger board. If you already play fiddle then I can see how this would get your attention but if not I think you might find it easier to go another way. There is also a ton of available dulcimer music to learn to play with a bow. The sound would be pretty close to the same as well. Just a suggestion. If I am way off base of what you want it for I apologize in advance.

    • It's so diferent from a fiddle, one is playing on the neck, the talharpas is playing by moving the strings with your hand, more close to an harpa than a fiddle !! Sometimes closed to the Hurdy-Gurdy !! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2Q17A01SzA

      • On the finnish youtube video you see very clear how a jouhikko is played touching the strings through the hole with the backside of the fingers. Examples for using the bow you find on sound samples on a finnish site.

        What you are building is not a finnish jouhikko but an estonian hiiukannel or swedish talharpa played in the same way, though you can find some finnish videos where people claim wrongly this instrument being a jouhikko.

        A hurdy-gurdy is something totally different from these instruments, as a turning wheel replaces the bow and a keyboard the fingers touching the strings.

  • Sorry FerneL. I'm having a real heard time finding information. A really heard time. had one site try sending me to Japanese porn. Another tried to download a browser. One I got all kinds of warnings on my Mac about being a fisher site that's trying to download a virus. Glad I'm on a mac. I can see why your having a hard time finding information.

    Going to this photobucket account there is a set of pictures. They follow the progress of someone building one by hand.

    http://s549.photobucket.com/user/solifer82/media/Mobiilikuvat/73489...

    Did a Bing search for pictures. In all honesty there seems to be no set body style or size to this instrument. There are also two and four string versions. So, like a cigar box guitar, build what you would like.

    • A bi big thanks to everyone !! With all this and i found the exact size  wich are " tuners spaced a comfortable 4 cm apart. Overall length 55 cm, width,15, depth 5 " found on Etsy from silverspoon music (talharpa builders), i think it would be enough to begin to build !! I didn't have the time yet to read all your post and follow all the links but i will right now !! So thank you everyone!!!

      • And thanks Ron for the lot of info you gave me !! And i was thinking about puting guitars tuners but didn't know if it was a good idea, but if you to think that it work it's cool !! And again thnks for all your info !!

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