A versatile simple harmonic oscillator suitable for studying free and forced oscillations and the effect of damping at and near the resonant frequency is described. The oscillator consists of a spring and a magnet attached to it, one pole of which is in a tube wound with several coils. One of the coils provides information about the oscillation in that the induced voltage in this coil is proportional to the velocity of the magnet. Forced oscillations are studied by connecting a function generator of variable frequency and amplitude to one of the coils. The remaining coils are used to introduce damping forces of variable magnitude that are proportional to the velocity.