Andy and I were watching this early 1930’s movie when this guy brought out this banjo-sounding “thing” and plucked away while he sang a song. I thought I’d seen everything. Nope! What is it?
Too much mystery! I gave Andy a head rub instead of puzzling further over this mystery instrument.
I found this after a “google”, and it isn’t identified by much more than “lyre-banjo”. I don’t see the point of it since there doesn’t seem to be a function for the lyre part of it.
I haven’t seen too this instrument before, seems interesting. Thank you for you both, Love, nia
Apparently it is nothing more than a fancy banjo. As I remember the scene in the movie, it sounded like a banjo. That just adds to the mystery: What purpose (other than decorative?) does the lyre appendages serve?
My son plays oboe, which I can only listen to when Chilly Coon Kitty isn’t in the room. He attacks the speakers. My son plays excellently, there’s just something about the oboe my coon cat doesn’t like.
I can imagine! (I personally like oboe and bassoon music. During the Baroque period, they even had oboe bands!
It’s a hard instrument to learn.
What amazes me is how oboist and bassoonists make their own reeds, or at least the professions do. I can’t imagine a child learning the instruments doing that.
My son makes his own reeds and always has.
Andy, please tell your human that you would like to come to my site for a bit (to ride a horse-drawn carriage in the fog and then under the sun). Yes, don’t hesit to ask ! 🙂 .
Signed: Michel
I wouldn’t mind taking that ride myself!
It is either a harp banjo or harp mandolin. Can’t see how many strings 4, 5, or 8.
I will refine my answer above to a “Lyre Banjo”!
It’s a strange looking instrument, for sure.
I don’t recall how many it had.
Is that a DIY Guitar or a Banjo with Flames?
A strange whatever it is!
It looks like a stool turned sideways! 😂
I can see that….
I’ve never seen anything like that!
Me either. I tried to find one in images of similar stringed instruments, but came up empty handed.
I once dreamed about a 16 string violin-like instrument. It had 2 tiers of strings and a intricately carved sound hole. Years later I mentioned that dream to someone, and was told there was one. It has an unusual name which I have forgotten. Your instrument in question may be someone’s special creation.
Since there doesn’t seem to be much on it, that could well be!
No idea
That makes a multitude of us!
What is the name of the movie and the actor
I think it was: https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/67883/The-Bachelor-Father/
It wasn’t a particularly interesting film.