The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
  1. #1
    Hey, does anyone know what instrument is playing at 2:38? I really like it but I can't tell what it is:



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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    I think it's a Puerto Rican cuatro.

  4. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Simon1234
    I think it's a Puerto Rican cuatro.
    I think you're right. Now can someone explain to me why a "cuatro" appears to have five double courses of strings? Wouldn't that make it a "cinco".

  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
    I think you're right. Now can someone explain to me why a "cuatro" appears to have five double courses of strings? Wouldn't that make it a "cinco".
    From the Cuatro Project: "The "early" cuatro or cuatro antiguo once had a peculiar, keyhole-shaped soundbox and was strung with four single strings made from animal guts--hence it's name cuatro-- or "four.""

    Need to know what instrument they're using-cuatro-antiguo-jpg

  6. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by jazzshrink
    From the Cuatro Project: "The "early" cuatro or cuatro antiguo once had a peculiar, keyhole-shaped soundbox and was strung with four single strings made from animal guts--hence it's name cuatro-- or "four.""

    Need to know what instrument they're using-cuatro-antiguo-jpg
    Cool, so they just kept the name while it evolved into an instrument with 10 strings.