14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?

Subject: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: aussiebloke
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 01:06 AM

G'day...

Can anybody help to identify a stringed instrument which may or may not be a tiple (tee-play).

Any tiple info I have found on the web consistently refers to them having 10 strings & 4 courses; this beasty has 14 strings in 6 courses.

It looks shorter in the neck than the pics of tiples on the web - they look more like a miniature guitar in shape, this instrument is not guitar shaped in the body...

The owner of the instrument thinks it might be a lute, but again, it doesn't look quite like piccies of lutes, which all seem to have a 'bent neck'. This instrument is straight in the neck.

Please let me know if you have a guess; I need to know what to name the instrument in a concert program...

Thanks in advance...

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: catspaw49
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 01:28 AM

Call it Jimmy.

Spaw

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: aussiebloke
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 06:29 AM

Jimmy doesn't suit, I think it is female, but thanks Spaw for coming out to play... The bloke that owns it also plays a lap steel guitar - great for playing those traditional Irish hulas. Does that help with the identification process?

PS: I have looked at pics of vihuela's - I don't think it is a one-of-them.

Cheers...

aussiebloke

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: GUEST,Dunadan
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 07:28 AM

Send us a piccy !

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: Bernard
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 07:35 AM

It just might be called Eric...

But a piccie would confirm it!!

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: John P
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 07:40 AM

It might be a bandurria. They usually have a tear drop shaped body, a short neck, and anywhere from four to six courses of strings. The body is deeper than a mandolin body, with a single soundhole in the middle. It is a Spanish/Latin American instrument, now mostly found in the Andes and in Cuba.

John

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: Mooh
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 07:59 AM

Sounds like a Fi-fi, except it doesn't look French.

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 08:52 AM

Might maybe be a charrango, from Chile?

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: aussiebloke
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 11:39 AM

Could be a Bandurria, indeed it might...

The neck is too short for it to be a

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: aussiebloke
Date: 25 Nov 00 - 11:41 AM

Too short for it to be a Charrango...

Subject: RE: 14 strings in 6 courses - what is it?
From: aussiebloke
Date: 21 Dec 00 - 11:28 AM

We have pronounced it to be a Phillipino Bandurria...