minstrel: cool instruments

[Brett W. McCoy]

nickolas kaugon wrote:

>there was talk of ethnic instruments that can be given
>a medieval personna. i was just playing a saz and a
>cumbus at a local music store. i'm sure people are
>familiar with the saz, and the ones with friction pegs
>and one piece body are definately medieval or
>rennaisance, but the cumbus is an oud with an alumium
>pot body--i know it's out of period , but they are
>cheap amd they can be played exactly like an oud for a
>quarter the price of a decent oud--unless you get
>lucky(so to speak)/  i don't know if many would
>complain about the aluminium body as few would even
>know what it was--but you might get a little flak.it
>does have machins heads, which ar good news bad news.
>the good news they are easier to tune than an oud, the
>bad news they are out of period.
>
The cumbus is fairly modern, turn of the 20th century, I believe.  Kind 
of like a Turkish banjo.  The saz is a lot older, and related to other 
long-necked lutes, ultimately owing its ancestry to the kopuz.

>i have noticed that ebay is awash with ouds and sazes
>the last few years so perhaps that's the route to go.
>
Ouds are good, you can probably get away with the saz.  The Persian Tar 
(the stringed instrument, not to be confused with the name the Turks 
give to the hand drum) is also very nice.  The lauta, used by the Greeks 
and Turks, is also a good instrument to look for -- it's similar to the 
Oud but has movable frets like a European lute.

>of course i'm still a fanatic for junk shop finds and
>i heartily encourage any and all to troll the out of
>the way second hand stores and pawn shops. the odd
>ball ethnic instruments often go incredibally cheap as
>the shop owners have no idea what it is.
>
No kidding... my home seems to have become a home for wayward 
instruments these days, from hurdy-gurdies to zurnas to plucked 
psaltries (not to mention the electric guitars!).

-- Istvan