This is an authentically reproduced 1930s autoharp by Oscar Schmidt, the original 139 year-old manufacturer of the instrument. Drawing inspiration from the European zither and originating in the 1880s, it has become synonymous with the bluegrass music of Appalachia and renowned for its use by bluegrass pioneers The Carter Family. Faithful to the original design, it is made with a solid spruce top, maple pin block, and mahogany backs and sides; its external shape and interior bracing are the same as its 80 year-old predecessor. Updated to use a modern 21-chord bar system, this chromatically scaled instrument has 36 steel strings using original gauges for maximum volume and resonance. It is easy to make music without a single lesson simply by making a sweeping motion across all the strings with a pick and by holding down one of the chord buttons. Includes tuning wrench and picks. 23 1/4" L x 12 3/4" W x 2 3/4" D. (14 lbs.)