ZebraTiki's right! It's a Charango!!!

Hints:
It's not a Ukulele.
10 strings (5 courses)
Body is made from the shell of a small armadillo!

Enjoy! -FB

[ Edited by: FreakBear on 2004-12-09 21:03 ]

I don't think there are armadillos in Russia, but: Balalaika?

Is it a charango?
The poor unsuspecting armadillo!

Bazookidillo?

My fascination with armadillos and with unusual instruments leaves me compelled to track one of these babies down, and yet the inescapeable vision of clutching the hairy, scratchy dead armadillo to my torso as I attempt to play the instrument definitely repels me. I feel so... conflicted.

i've played one of those before!

i was first introduced to it in 1985 by my friend "don"--an older gentleman who attended the monthly fiddle jam i went to in santa clara. (i know...i know...you play the fiddle? yep. i hate country music though, so dont immediately start imagining me in some dorky hee-haw outfit)

i unfortunately cannot recall the name of it....but i do know that it is from peru. and it is furry too. don used to play a mean version of irish washerwoman on it too. :)

thanks for posting the pic...brought back some good memories!

Ok, is it a charango made of a kirkincho? Does it make the same sound as the South American screaming armadillo?

It's a Ukedillo. The strings mimick the sounds of a slowly dying animal, am I right?

Armadillo carry leprosy. Make sure to wash your hands well after playing it, or you may end up on Molokai.

http://www.hhmi.org/biointeractive/disease/leprosy/leprosy2.html

... and what do you call a leper in a jacuzzi? STEW!

Cheers! (totally beyond all hope)

Stay on the beach. The natives over there are cannibals.
They eat liars with the same enthusiasm as they eat honest men.

http://www.cybertiki.com

[ Edited by: cybertiki on 2004-12-09 20:38 ]

On 2004-12-09 20:31, cybertiki wrote:
Armadillo carry leprosy. Make sure to wash your hands well after playing it, or you may end up on Molokai.

Cheers!

You can only get leprosy from an armadillo if it is eaten, and undercooked, or "rare". So only order your 'dillo steaks well done, no matter how many waivers they make you sign. I'm so conflicted that I know this.

On 2004-12-09 20:40, ZebraTiki wrote:
You can only get leprosy from an armadillo if it is eaten, and undercooked, or "rare". So only order your 'dillo steaks well done, no matter how many waivers they make you sign. I'm so conflicted that I know this.

Not that I know of ... I've eaten one before, and it wasn't too bad. Much less greasy than possum in any case, though not as tasty. The leprosy is a bacteria that is transmitted thru the skin as far as I know. This is why people along the Gulf Coast are advised not to touch or move dead armadillos. In most cases people wouldn't eat them, so that isn't part of the warning.

Cheers!

ZebraTiki guessed right! The Charango is part of a family of instruments used in Andean Folk music. I picked this up at a flea market for $50. It was marked "Armadillo Uke"! Some internet research showed instruments made by "Gamboa" (primary luthier of Charangos) price in the lower to mid hundreds at least :) There's more info on this and other instruments at http://www.toddgreen.com!

God, forgive me neither for what I know nor do but for not knowing what I did the night before!

-FB

[ Edited by: FreakBear on 2004-12-09 21:02 ]

AHA! GOTCHA ZEBRATIKI!

(Cheers!)

Yay! My trivial knowledge of South American musical instruments made from plated animals has finally paid off ... and the teacher said I wasn't paying attention!

I'm just glad it wasn't a pangolin violin. My apologies to all plated animals who may be reading this.

Cybertiki - everyone knows that armadillos always cover their noses before sneezing. :)