Wooden 'instrument'

[Annoying Twit]

There are plenty of listings that don't give enough information about the item being sold. But this seller doesn't seem to know what sort of instrument they are selling.

http://www.gumtree.com/p/other-guitar-accessories/kora-hand-crafted-wooden-instrument-/1093800137

[discreet]

First word - it's a kora! Only I don't think it is.

Edited December 21, 2014 by discreet

[Annoying Twit]

Ooops! I thought kora was a type of wood.

EDIT: Or maybe not oops. It seems that a Kora is a very different instrument: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kora_(instrument)

Edited December 21, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[EssentialTension]

It's not a kora.

[discreet]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1419204531' post='2637657']
Ooops! I thought kora was a type of wood.
[/quote]

Have seen a few I don't think it is one, though.

[EssentialTension]

This is a kora:

[Annoying Twit]

I think we're back at the first post. Too few strings for an oud.

[EssentialTension]

Looks more like an oud.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1419204744' post='2637663']
I think we're back at the first post. Too few strings for an oud.
[/quote]
Half as many.

[yorks5stringer]

Is it any good for Metal?

[Annoying Twit]

Probably better for metal than a ukulele.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1419206325' post='2637681']
Probably better for metal than a ukulele.
[/quote]
But probably not better than a ukulele banjo.

[wotsy]

I thought he'd misspelled Korea.

[The Badderer]

what strings should i get to achieve "that sound?.... please tell me. Also should I use it through a 4X10 and 1X15 stack? Can I play this if i use a music stand? and do you think it'll go well with analogue or digital pedals.....

[Roger2611]

Is it a [s]Balalika[/s] [s]Balaclava[/s] [s]Ballystringything[/s] Balalaika, I know it's a wooden instrument thing!

[alyctes]

[quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1419276005' post='2638296']
Is it a [s]Balalika[/s] [s]Balaclava[/s] [s]Ballystringything[/s] Balalaika, I know it's a wooden instrument thing!
[/quote]

Nope, they are triangular-bodied. This seems to me to be a lute with only a single set of strings.

[Annoying Twit]

What's up with the sound hole? It looks as if someone decided to drill it out, but stopped part-way through.

Edited December 22, 2014 by Annoying Twit

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1419286069' post='2638461']
What's up with the sound hole? It looks as if someone decided to drill it out, but stopped part-way through.
[/quote]
It does look [s]hand crafted[/s] home made.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1419282071' post='2638390']
Nope, they are triangular-bodied. This seems to me to be a lute with only a single set of strings.
[/quote]
... and I believe a lute is descended from al-oud.

[tauzero]

[quote name='alyctes' timestamp='1419282071' post='2638390']
Nope, they are triangular-bodied. This seems to me to be a lute with only a single set of strings.
[/quote]

Lutes are fretted, aren't they? Gut frets rather than metal, wrapped round the neck.

Perhaps it's someone's first home-made oud. Where they went "right, time to make the soundhole. Let's drill a few holes and jigsaw it and HOW MANY STRINGS DID YOU SAY IT SHOULD HAVE? Oh sh*t".

[Joeyfivebags]

[quote name='tauzero' timestamp='1419293916' post='2638563']
Lutes are fretted, aren't they? Gut frets rather than metal, wrapped round the neck.

[/quote]

I think originally they were scalloped and the ridges acted as frets.

EDIT: Spelling correction

Edited December 23, 2014 by Joeyfivebags

[alyctes]

My understanding is that the lute is descended from the oud, yes. The name certainly is.

But I'm not honestly sure it's always possible to pin down antique-style instruments to specific categories anyway... so for me, this is a member of the oud/lute family (based on body shape, neck without integral frets, the steeply raked pegbox, etc.) and that's as far as I think I can go.

Edited December 23, 2014 by alyctes