Guitar Info

guitarz.blogspot.com:

A truly unique instrument, functions as a cane and a Tenor Guitar or 4 string Mandola at the same time. Tuned C-G-D-A, 19 inch scale, so it is a little long for a mandola, and on the short end of a tenor guitar scale, but in the cane design it is very ergonomic. The cane crook acts like a armrest, and it is very comfortable to play. Very light yet strong enough for support, the sound is not as full as a full-bodied instrument yet very sweet and clear. This is a fully acoustic Tenor Guitar, not a solid stick. It has a Spruce soundboard, Mahogany headstock lamination, Rosewood back and crook laminations. The body is hollow. The crook-cane handle is cross laminated for directional grain strength.

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's an unusual-looking acoustic instrument from Germany's Cassandra Elk brand. Seeing as it has eight strings arranged in four courses, my guess is that it's a mandola or bazouki-type instrument.

It's an interesting design and one that immediately made me think of Bertram's "neckless guitar" concept. I wish there there was a photo of the rear of this instrument so we could see how the neck is formed; is it a distinct piece or is it integral to the body?

The eBay listing is in German so we may have to ask Bertam for a translation, I think.

G L Wilson

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Yes, indeed, this is the 2,500th post on this, the world's longest running guitar blog. I find that quite astounding, especially when you think that I usually only post at a rate of one a day (at least I have done so for the last three or four years).

So, to celebrate, I'm showing you this particularly bonkers-looking instrument. You'll notice that it has eight strings - I think it's some kind of electric mandola or octave mandolin. The burning question, however, has to be: Why the ridiculous banana-shaped body?

Actually, this eBay seller - Cassandra Elk Design - has quite a few wacko designs on its books, some of which look like they've been knocked up from cheap Strat copies in the garden shed with a jigsaw. I'll probably be re-visiting this "brand" in future posts.