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The harmonica

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Benjamin Franklin invented an instrument called the glass harmonica, which is rarely seen today and is not related to the harmonica we commonly see and hear played.

Franklin's harmonica was based on earlier designs consisting of sets of glasses, partly filled with water, that were rubbed with a wet finger. It consisted of a series of crystal glass hemispheres, mounted on a shaft that went through their centers. When the shaft was turned, the hemispheres rotated, and a wet finger applied to make them sound. Unlike the glasses, which were tuned by filling with varying amounts of water, the harmonica hemispheres were tuned at the time they were made, according to their size.

There is a link below to the section on Franklin's instrument in an article on the glass harmonica.

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13y ago

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