Beautiful instrument. It is solid mahogany, no veneer, and is well made. Tuning pegs are straight. It has metal strings which fit into brass grommits and span across a wood bridge with a central metal strip. The tone is nice (no buzzing) with a significant, sustaining echo from the box as it is designed. For the first 3 weeks it would not stay tuned even for a day. I understand that this is normal while strings and wood settle into the new environment. The lowest (G3) string is the worst and goes out of tune in mere minutes. Other than that, which is self-eliminating, I played it within minutes of the first tuning, and I am pleased with it. You will need a tuner or get a free tuning app on your smart phone. The Lyre comes with a carry case, a tuning wrench, a cleaning cloth, a couple of picks (which I dont use) an entire extra set of strings which are labelled (wow that is great!!), and a booklet which is obviously translated. It's amusing to read it as it is foreign and inaccurate. Otherwise this lyre a fantastic buy. I really dont think you can find a nicer instrument for the money.OK so I have had this lyre for 17 months now. The tuning problem no longer exists with the exception of the G3 string. It is almost impossible to keep tuned and when plucked, shifts tone. My tuner app fluctuates wildly with this one string. Perhaps I just need to replace it. I still really like the instrument and enjoy playing it often. I have played nearly every day since it arrived. My skills have really improved and I am skilled enough to play publicly. For the money, this is an excellent purchase.