This unknown instrument called us to a new shop today. Carved goat headstock, natural skin drum head with (6) 1/4" sound holes appears to have marks from a missing bridge. There's also a central hole in the neck for a missing tuning peg, ?single-string? It's 33' long with a round back that has a cross shaped sound hole We've got a facebook message into an ethnomusicoligist to indentify (?Iktar, ektar?), will update if we identify it.
Update 3/17/12: Mrs. Relic's facebook friend did not know where the instrument was from. She guessed a dutar from Afganistan or mongolia (not her specialty) but had never seen them with the skin drum, nor carved headstock. She graciously tagged several of her West Asian focused ethnomusicologist friends. One of those friends was able to identify it as a Gusle from the Balkans. The Gusle is a one or two stringed instrument played with a bow. It is normally used as accompaniment for the recitation of sung epic poetry. How exciting, we can now try to fabricate the bridge, tuning peg and bow, we also have a lead on acquiring the gut or horse hair strings.
[acq. 3/9/12 - $20]
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| Head stock, straight-on |
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| Headstock 3/4 view |
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| Front full view |
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