Many different types of wood have traditionally been used, including pine, fir, beechwood, birch, oak and walnut, since they were generally constructed from driftwood.

In those times langspils are described as a long thin box, wider at the bottom end and with one to six strings.

In the early 19th century a version with a curved soundbox emerged which has improved sound qualities.

[1] By the 1960s, the singer Anna Þórhallsdóttir realized that the langspil was slowly disappearing from Icelandic musical traditions and as a response she spearheaded its revival, which is still ongoing.

[3] Today a number of bands and performers include the langspil in their repertoire, including Spilmenn Ríkinís, Sigurður Rúnar Jónsson, Bára Grímsdóttir, Chris Foster and Þórður Tómasson á Skógum.