Custom Electric Bandolins

The 15-stringed Ecuadorian Bandolin

Providing a high pitched strumming and rhythmic sparkle element to the traditional Otovala ensemble, The Ecuadorian bandolin is one of the magical and particular ingredients to Andean music.

Tuned eEe/aAa/dDd/f#(x3)/b(x3), chord shapes will be semi-familiar to guitar players, as the tuning matrix is the same as the top five strings of standard guitar tuning.

Being such a small, delicate instrument under enormous tension with small margins of error for optimal playability, one can assume correctly that a bandolin is sensitive to climate changes.  My recording clients YARINA travel back and forth regularly between Boston, MA and Quito, Ecuador and their instruments take quite a beating during the humidity changes. They asked me if i could create an electric version that would be more solid and stable. Not one to shy away from a new stringed instrument design/build, the answer was yes.

• 15 strings (Keith Richards capo’d at 7 with two tiny little Keefs next to him)
• Two in existence – this is not a limit, just a fact so far… be the next?
• Semi-hollow design allows for the use of decorative top woods
• Custom/non-traditional body shapes available (a dragon has been discussed)

Utilizing either a top-quality bridge piezo pickup or custom design magnetic pickups, these instruments can be amplified very easily on the live stage without any issues of feedback or mic placement.

The use of an outboard preamp or IR (impulse response) technology is recommended for ALL instruments with piezo systems that do not have onboard tonal shaping.