Walter Kitundu is one of the latest crop of MacArthur "genius" grant recipients for his work in music, including the unique instruments he builds, most of which he calls Phonoharps. These are stringed instruments that incorporate a turntable to amplify the sounds of the strings. This article contains some description of their workings, but I still don't understand whether there is a record spinning while he plays the strings. If so, what is on that record, and if not, why does it need to be a record player as opposed to other methods of amplification?

Kitundu's web site featured details and sound samples about every instrument he has made, and other interesting sections such as amazing photographs of birds of prey, but unfortunately as of now it's been replaced by a placeholder page. Is the MacArthur effect really as bad as the Slashdot effect?

This page also has some pictures of Kitundu's creations.