Polychord

Polychord [Gk. poly, many + chorde, string], 10-stringed violin invented by Friedrich Hillmer of Leipzig in 1799, the object being to facilitate the playing of chords. Between 1811 and 1818 the number of strings was reduced to 8 (176). Sachs, Curt. Reallexikon der Musikinstrumente. Berlin, 1913.