my new odd ball instrument

Subject: my new odd ball instrument
From: ollaimh
Date: 16 Jun 12 - 06:42 PM

i just bought an oddball instrument for my collection from ebay. i don't know what it is. it has a small guitar shaped body --very small, but larger than a baritone ukelele. with eight friction pegs. the body and neck are carved out of one piece of wood, with a separate top piece. the strings are set up with five courses, going by the nut and bridge. the high and low strings are singles and the three middle courses are doubles. it appears to be made of some kind of central american or caribean mahagony.

i looked on line and the closest thing o found was called a bordonua from peurto rico, but none were exactly like mine. the label says instrumentos jaroches and "el gogo" the phone number seems to be from the uk--i may phome if i can't find any info.

so does this sound like anything anyone has seen before?

i bought it because the construction from one piece of wood and the set up was like a renaissance guitar and i plan to make a parchment rosette for the sound hole and take it to ren faires, however i don't know what kind of strings it would have taken. i'm going to try some left over lute strings, but the peurto rican bardonuas seemed to be strung with metal

so i'd love to get some history, ahs anyone ever seen an instrument like this?

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Jun 12 - 06:50 PM

You don't mention if it has frets or not.

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 16 Jun 12 - 06:57 PM

This site might help perhaps - it's got pictures and sounds of a range of instruments that sound not dissimilar. http://www.lauderiaestanzuela.com.mx/en/

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: Frug
Date: 16 Jun 12 - 07:05 PM

Possibly a Jarana.....

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jarana_jarocha

Hit link and translate page.

Frank

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: ollaimh
Date: 17 Jun 12 - 12:54 AM

it has metal fretts, which i may remove to tie on fretts in the renaisance guitar refit, but no rush

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: ollaimh
Date: 17 Jun 12 - 01:10 AM

yes it's definately a jarana tercera. i found severtal luthier pages for these instruments and a few players on you tube once i had the name. it is a descendant of the spanish baroque guitar accordiing to wikipedia. i would say renaisane guitar as the baroque guitar was double courses on all five courses,m however its very cool. now i need string if the old lute strings don't work.

it was $100 for a hand made instrument of good woods. it is a beauty of a new toy. as i say i am planning to convert it into a renaisance guitar. should be easy if i keep the fretts at least for a while.

thanks for the info

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: GUEST,Pete
Date: 17 Jun 12 - 01:48 PM

I have nothing to offer about the instrument, but I'd like to know what a ren faire is

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: GUEST,Guest Phil
Date: 17 Jun 12 - 02:52 PM

Ren fair + Renaissance fair

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: ollaimh
Date: 17 Jun 12 - 04:33 PM

people dress up sort of renaisance/medieval and act silly in an historical recreation. some have lots of music. they can be fun, especially since the society for creative anachronism has degenerated into american political nonsense and egrigious mismanagement to serve a few "leaders" egos. the latter is also a recreation group for renaisance and middle ages.

Subject: RE: my new odd ball instrument
From: Crowhugger
Date: 18 Jun 12 - 09:00 AM

There are lots of videos on youtube that can show you exactly what olliamh describes. A lot of folkes probablye spelle faire the olde waye.