Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on January 29, 2015 at 8:59pm

The Shamisen.

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Permalink Reply by turtlehead on January 29, 2015 at 10:00pm

Mind blown. 

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on January 29, 2015 at 9:03pm

The Sanxian.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on January 29, 2015 at 11:37pm

There's always the Gottan (bottom of the page):

http://bachido.com/products/standard-shamisen

And this guy can make you a pineapple baritone (but it won't be cheap; however, you're willing to go to a luthier, so...):

http://www.roadtoadmusic.com/ukulele.html

You could also look at the Martin Backpacker, and remove three strings, or one of the new Traveler acoustic models...

http://www.travelerguitar.com/acoustic

And there's always the balalaika, which comes in a variety of scales...

Y'know, you may just be making this too hard for yourself. Why not just buy yourself your own Loog? That way, you're playing the same instrument as your kids. Or is it not "adult" enough for you?

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Permalink Reply by Guiyoforward on January 30, 2015 at 6:49pm

Ps a martin backpacker with 3 strings is basically a strumstic with a diatonic scale, right?

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on January 30, 2015 at 7:10pm

http://www.strumstick.com/V2/HTML/Backpacker.html#bphistory

Same guy designed both...

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on January 31, 2015 at 1:05am

No, a Martin Backpacker typically has chromatic frets, even if you only use 3 strings on it. Because I started playing 6-stringers with chromatic frets, I see little value, to me personally, in diatonic fretting. You can learn how to play diatonic scales on a chromatic fretted neck, but you can't go the other way. But I know dulcimer and other players like em.

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Permalink Reply by Guiyoforward on January 30, 2015 at 8:17pm

The Gottan looks great! Will do a bit more research. I wonder about its sound, with no "hole". The ones on google images do not have frets either. Thanks for pointing this out!

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on January 29, 2015 at 11:50pm

Big & little Balalaika.

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Permalink Reply by Clock The Wolf on January 29, 2015 at 11:53pm

The Strumbly.

http://www.harpkit.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Co...

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Permalink Reply by Guiyoforward on January 30, 2015 at 6:47pm

Awesome responses, as expected! I'm checking them out. I like the loog very much, but it feels a bit small - the neck especially. And the martin backpacker is great, but I believe the neck is about as wide as a regular guitar... Too wide! Plus it would look and feel weird if I just removed three strings, right? I should perhaps adjust the nut so the strings are even spaced, but again it would be even spaced on a wide neck.
I would definitely buy the gitty kit if it came with a fretted neck... I'm looking at the others, but nothing will ever beat the XXXL balalaika!
Thanks again

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on January 31, 2015 at 1:06am

You can get a Gitty kit and marry it to a fretted neck...which he also sells.

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