Hopkin Instrumentarium

Hopkin Weighted Strings is a set of two amazing custom creations from the mind of master instrument inventor Bart Hopkin: The Weighted Lyre and Weighted Zither. These handcrafted experimental instruments use small weights on the strings to alter overtone relationships and create unusual, beautiful sounds.

Aquaalt is an experimental creation from the mind of master instrument inventor Bart Hopkin: A unique Lute with a steel bowl resonator. The bridge delivers string vibrations directly to the bowl’s flat bottom. As the strings sound, water moves in the bowl, creating unusual, dreamy sounds. 

Handsome Dan is a creation from master instrument inventor Bart Hopkin: A stringed Zither with a unique twist. This flat wooden sound box has 14 strings, with a center bridge dividing them into two segments. A magnetic pickup is placed on one side, but the strings are played primarily on the other side, usually with a slide or plectrum. The tone is dreamy and ethereal, with a floating, swelling presence.

Alt Alt is a creation from the mind of musical inventor Bart Hopkin: A board zither with 16 strings, 12 of them tuned to the same pitch and 4 tuned to the octave above. The idea is to sound all 16 strings at once to produce a single grand resonance. The tone is chorusy and lush, with a full, swelling presence.

Squiggly-Amejewar is a custom wooden instrument with four strings and a buzzing bridge. This buzz effect works best with very long strings, and the strings on Squiggly are about seven feet long. They’re played with a flat-sided slide, making for a complex, varied and evolving sound.