Interesting 8 String (not mine)

Saw this interesting 8 string on eBay, opening bid price of $9.99 sounds reasonable:
Vintage Beatle Back Masakichi Suzuki Nippon Ukulele
http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-Beatle-...&otn=3&po=LVI&ps=63&clkid=7422726668008610284

Close cousin

That's a mandolin. I think mandolins are pretty unforgiving instruments but sound awesome in the hands of someone who knows how to play them. That wouldn't be me...

provines said:

That's a mandolin. I think mandolins are pretty unforgiving instruments but sound awesome in the hands of someone who knows how to play them. That wouldn't be me...

Click to expand...

Agreed. I have one and sound absolutely ridiculous playing it.

note that mandos are strung with steel strings, and the neck width at the nut is a lot narrower than uke. They're also tuned differently.

The necks of those old bowlbacks are semi-circlular in profile - narrow but beefy! I have one and I like it - definitely mellower than a modern mando. These oldies seldom have much monetarty value, unless it's a high end model from a famous and revered maker...