The ensembles include flutes, zithers, gongs, drums, fiddles, lutes, cymbals and xylophones. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps. Musical instruments, commonly homemade (e.g., fiddles, lyres, lutes, zithers, and horns) were used. Chord zithers were often marketed under confusing brand names like 'guitar zither' or 'mandoline zither'. Folk instruments include pestles, five-stringed zithers and the jaw harp. The instruments included alto and bass flutes, re-tuned pianos and banjos, zithers, and hand drums. Modern pianos use threaded pins, as do many harps, psaltries, dulcimers, zithers, and other instruments. By 1903, the production of mandolins outstripped production of zithers. The business also distributed American-made and imported guitars, banjos and zithers. A few of these instruments were third bridge zithers he called "harmonic guitars". Musical instruments such as zithers appeared in Chinese writings around 12th century BC and earlier. The term is used today, but usually only when differentiating the koto and other zithers. Harry Partch made a series of zithers called Harmonic Canons. These are usually called "violin zithers". Makers of zithers applied the names of known instruments to their zithers as a theme.