What was this 8-string guitar I saw?
I was watching a concert by Welsh early 70s psychedelic folkies Y Tebot Piws on S4C last week - a reunion gig they did in 2011 I think. There were a couple of acoustics (a Washburn and a J-200) as well as banjo and mandolin in various songs. A guitar popped up on some songs which I didn't recognise and I've been trying to find out what it was with no success.
It had a small body along the auditorium/OM line and had the distinct thin long neck look of a tenor guitar, but with 8 tuners on the headstock. The bridge was distinctive, an asymmetric "teardrop" shape - a bit like a Sanden or Tanglewood/Sanden and I think the soundhole was slightly elliptical.
The only 8-string guitars I can find are the Taylor baritones, definitely not one of those. Unfortunately the programme was a repeat from last year, otherwise I would have got a screengrab from iPlayer/Clic. Any ideas?
Were they doubled strings?
Could be a mandola or mandocello
I love a bit of detective work... Googling the player's name (Alun Sbardun Huws) eventually led me to Powell Guitars in mid-Wales, and it looks like he was playing a Guitar-shaped Bouzouki. You learn something new every day!
There's some Baritones that have a couple of drone octave strings - like 1/3rd of a 12 string.
Also classical guitars can have 6/7/8/10 strings - before the become lutes or theorbos ...
Originally Posted by paultheoneyoulove
Could be a mandola or mandocello
Yeah, these folkie play all sorts of weird things. I remember going to a folk festival back in the day and there was a guy selling Mando-dulcimers amongst other odd hybrids.
The one you saw might have just been something like a guitar bodied mandola or bouzouki. If you wanted to play one of those instruments sitting down, a guitar body is a distinct advantage
Davey Malone appeared on my stage at the Burnham Festival this weekend with this
He's playing it here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tV4mTwl6UBs
Calls it a Gazuki
This may not be what you saw, but it's along the same lines:
http://www.drlguitars.co.uk/#/guitars-2/4537293405
I have one of these. It has octave strings on the D and G strings, which gives you a lot of the 12 string vibe but without being too much of a handful. It's a nice guitar, though I think I need to get the action lowered a bit - it can feel a bit clumsy at times. It's great to be able to easily tune to DADGAD without having to mess with the octave pairs!
I think DRL are at the London Acoustic Guitar Show in a couple of weeks if you want to check them out.
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