Help identifying string instrument Lute/Oud

[garbulky]

I would like some help or resources with this new instrument I have recently come upon thanks to the help of a very good friend Boomzilla.

So this is what it is.
What may not be obvious by the picture is that the tuning peg set is bent back at almost a 75-90 degree angle. It's not straight flat like a guitar.
It is fretless. It has 7 strings. The first one is a single standalone string. And the next six are paired up.
So like a 12 string guitar but with three pairs (rather than four) and a banjo solo string.

We don't know exactly what it is.
Boomzilla suggests it may be a seven string lute.
Some of the pictures we looked at suggest it may be a variation of a lute called an Oud or ud - an egyptian or mid eastern instrument.
We still have no idea of what it is. Because the string number on the instrument doesn't appear to match an oud or a lute. And it appears to be slightly smaller than an oud.
FWIW, an oud looks like this:

[Note THIS IS NOT OUR INSTRUMENT - just a picture of somebody else's) The instrument we have is before this picture at the top.

So if anybody has any idea on WHAT IT IS do let us know.
We are looking also for HOW TO TUNE IT. And also CHORDS TO PLAY ON IT...or any other resources anybody you may have,
audiobill Porscheguy
Thanks!

[hemster]

Is it a form of ukulele perhaps?

[Cory Cooper]

That looks like a Turkish oud to me. It's definitely not a lute or a ukelele since it has no frets.

OUD CAFE - Stringing & Tuning

A Guitarist's Introduction to the Oud

Hope that helps a little,

C

[Boomzilla]

From what I see on eBay, the lutes, typically, but not always, have a single sound hole on the soundboard; ouds, typically, but not always, have three.

Both instruments seem to have odd numbers of strings (or string pairs) with all but one run double-strung. The single string (whatever its purpose) can be at the bottom or the top as seen by the player.

The preferred method of playing seems to involve cow-horn bone picks (usually several inches long).

The majority of instruments for sale are from Turkey or Egypt, with some variants from Indonesia or China.

A very few instruments (none that I found on eBay) actually use the original gourd bodies, but the majority are either laminated wood or inlaid wood.

The fretted necks are most common, but a few are fretless.

Some of the instruments used a head with keyed tuners similar to a 12-string guitar, but the majority used friction pegs. In fact, replacement rosewood peg sets are available.

A few instruments had steel strings, but the majority seemed to use nylon strings.

[garbulky]

Oct 27, 2014 5:41:09 GMT -5 Cory Cooper said:

That looks like a Turkish oud to me. It's definitely not a lute or a ukelele since it has no frets.

OUD CAFE - Stringing & Tuning

A Guitarist's Introduction to the Oud

Hope that helps a little,

C

Ok, so it looks like it maybe an oud. Now if you look at the picture I put up earlier the problem is that the first string is solo. And the next six are paired up. So three pairs (courses). If you add it up you get Four courses or unique notes to tune.

All the websites I've been looking for oud tuning has five course tuning. So I'm confused on what to do with the tuning as I appear to have one less course to give me four.
However I do have technically seven strings. So I don't know if that helps

[drtrey3]

Here is a great website with lots of non-western instruments for sale.

larkinthemorning.com/

If you send the folks at the website the photo, I bet they can id the mystery instrument for you.

Checking out the lutes on the site, this looks a little like a Lavta.

Trey

[garbulky]

Oct 27, 2014 14:55:04 GMT -5 drtrey3 said:

Here is a great website with lots of non-western instruments for sale.

larkinthemorning.com/

If you send the folks at the website the photo, I bet they can id the mystery instrument for you.

Checking out the lutes on the site, this looks a little like a Lavta.

Trey

Holy moly it may be a Lavta. Still not 100% sure but the wikipedia page says it has seven strings with four courses which indicates a striking similarity!
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavta
However mine has three holes like an oud vs the one in the lavta. So still not sure.
Wikipedia example of a lavta:


My instrument below: