unknown stringed instrument

harpix42

New member
Hello,

I found this instrument at my parents house. They were going to throw it away. I thought i'd have a go at trying to make it playable again.

I was wondering if anyone would be able to identify it and possibly point me in the direction of what type of strings are needed to restring it?

here are some photos I've uploaded to imgur:

http://imgur.com/a/qqsYb

Thanks in advance for any help!
James
 

harpix42

New member
Thanks for your reply. Wouldn't a lute have a bent neck?

Also this instrument has 8 strings and from what's left of them it appears they are in sets of 3 with different thicknesses.

thanks again!
 

Dorsetmike

Member
The trichordo has 6 strings, there is a tetrachordo with 8 strings, Wiki has some detail and images. The"peg box" was at 90 degrees on early lutes but can be less so on more recent instruments.

The word IZMIR in the second picture is a town in Turkey, probably where it was made, there are a number of similar looking instruments from the area of Greece & Turkey .

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bouzouki#The_three-course_bouzouki_.28trichordo.29
 
Last edited:

John Watt

Member
For the deluxe, Saz Baglama, the removable bridge could be used as a multi-function tool.
It has a comb side, so when you pull it out from under the strings, making them flat on the neck,
you can comb them up and down and pull them sideways, enabling more electronic effects.
Many wind storm effects and sea-side sound products have been made using that.
The other side of the bridge has a small, pointed stone pick imbedded, sticking out just enough,
so you can dig into the strings and get a penetrating tone that cuts through rock drums and bass.

What might be thought of as an angled neck, could be a bad glue repair,
because Saz Baglama players were known for dancing and strenuous stage moves,
and getting bent was a big part of it.
 
Top