Adding a sound box resonator below the soundboard emphasizes the breathy color of the instrument and effectively increases the volume so it can be played in a group setting. The soundboard is a symmetrical trapezoidal panel of Sitka spruce with Padauk risers under the bridges. The ends of the soundboard rest on ledges in the top edge of a sound box. The soundboard is held down on the ledges with thumbscrews but its center under the bridges is free to vibrate. The sound box has one or more sound holes in the far rail (typically facing the audience). For travel the soundboard can be inverted so that the bridges and rods are inside of the sound box. The sound box sides are typically maple and its bottom panel is typically birch plywood. The edges are bound in a contrasting wood. The bridges are machined and polished solid brass. All the screws are stainless steel. The rods are stainless steel and the small tuning weights are brass.

These are available in 10-9 and 13-12 sizes.