Bandolin: Ecuador musical instrument

The bandolin is a 15-stringed musical instrument fabricated in Ecuador. It is used as a rhythm musical instrument in the Andean region of Ecuador during festivals where music and dancing are involved. The musical instrument has a fat back and 15 strings that are tuned in triple courses.

source: saviocoutoluthier.com

The musical instrument in the Andean region of Ecuador is used during the celebration of the feast of San Juan and San Pedro, together with many other musical instruments like the twin flutes, guitars, the violin, a drum, quenas, a charango, a harmonica and a rondador. The music and dance that is found in the festival is known as the sanjuanito. The bandolines and the guitars mark the 2/4 tempo of the sanjuanito rhythm that is emphasized by the bombo and the quenas, rondador and the violins carry the melody of the music.

The shape of the instrument’s body is analogous to that of the bandola, the cuatro or the guitar, with the caveat that just as in the case of the called musical instrument, luthiers that manufacture the musical instrument will incorporate into their personal designs changes to the body shape for different reasons. The musical instrument has 15 strings in 5 courses of triple strings, in a guitar tuning. The musical instrument has a flat back, a metal fret and a little bit raised fingerboard in the front of it. The 15 strings of the musical instrument run over a floating bridge to a metal tailpiece on the extreme of the body.

The musical instrument is tuned E5 E4 E5, A5 A4 A5, D5 D5 D5, F#5 F#5 F#5, B5 B5 B5 or E5 E4 E5, A5 A4 A5, D5 D5 D5, G#5 G#5 G#5, B5 B5 B5.