The kaisatsuko (Japanese: 回擦胡, literally "wheel-bowed fiddle") is a mechanical

experimental musical instrument An experimental musical instrument (or custom-made instrument) is a musical instrument that modifies or extends an existing instrument or class of instruments, or defines or creates a new class of instrument. Some are created through simple modi ...

invented by

Yuichi Onoue Yūichi, Yuichi, or Yuuichi is a masculine Japanese name, Japanese given name. Possible writings Yūichi can be written using different combinations of kanji characters. Here are some examples: *勇一, "courage, 1" *祐一, "to help, 1" *祐市 ...

of Tokyo, Japan. The instrument consists of two strings on a fretless neck. A crank is affixed to a small nylon wheel mounted on the body. The player turns the crank, causing the wheel to spin and "bow" the strings. This concept is similar to that employed by the

hurdy-gurdy The hurdy-gurdy is a string instrument that produces sound by a hand-crank-turned, rosined wheel rubbing against the strings. The wheel functions much like a violin bow, and single notes played on the instrument sound similar to those of a vio ...

. Unlike most hurdy-gurdies, Onoue's instrument has no keybox, but is fingered along the neck. This detail is similar to the dulcigurdy, a hurdy-gurdy variant recorded by

Michael Praetorius Michael Praetorius (probably 28 September 1571 – 15 February 1621) was a German composer, organist, and music theorist. He was one of the most versatile composers of his age, being particularly significant in the development of musical forms ba ...

. Besides the Kaisatsuko Onoue also developed a 24-TET quarter tone tuning on his guitar as well as a deeply scalloped electric guitar for microtonal playing techniques.Yuichi Onoue on hypercustom.com

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Experimental string instruments Hurdy-gurdies Japanese musical instruments {{string-instrument-stub