Just wondered if anyone else had seen the '60s' photo of Frank's girl, posing in a fetching yellow and black outfit, and clutching a strange instrument in matching colours, printed with an interview with her in yesterdays' G2 section of the Guardian ?
It looks like a cross between a chinese or japanese lute ( very big friction pegs ), maybe a tenor banjo ( long 4-string neck ), and a travel guitar ( narrow triangular body ).
I was just wondering if there might be an ITM usage for such an instrument ?
"I was just wondering if there might be an ITM usage for such an instrument ?" -
. . .do you mean the thingy that she's holding, or the thingy . . . never mind, I'll get my coat.
Looks to have 3 strings, not four--some kind of balalika, that's my guess. (Not an antique, though, with that heart-shaped soundhole and a bit of sheet music painted on it.)
That's the one.
Definitely 4 strings visible in the colour print in the Grauniad, and 4 pegs of course.
Reminded me of Shirley Collins' 5-string banjo/dulcimer.
Of course it was probably just a prop made for that photo-shoot, but still................travel-tenor-guitar maybe?
GP
I'm not sure but I think it might be a Chinese "Pipa" ...I wrote an article on a Pipa player last year. It's way cool instrument and definitely might find it's place in a session beside the new infiltration of hardangers....speaking of...any spotted at sessions anywhere? there's one player here in Toronto area...but he makes them....and it's a lovely instrument...he tunes it up to standard 440...top strings anyway.
We do also have a Hardanger/Nickelharpa/fiddler who turns up on occasion at one or two sessions, but doesn't usually bring more than one of her instruments at a time.
Yes but it still looks like a Samisen.I think that Howard Roberts,a well-known Nashville session musician,played Samisen on "Summer Wine" a duet she recorded with Lee Hazelwood.The fourth string is probably a mistake by the props department.It certainly wasn't made by a luthier!
More likely to publicize Ms. Sinatras other... ahem.... assets.
Long necked things in ads are used more for....um....Freudian reasons. I doubt Ms. Sinatra had a clue what it was either unless she talked to her ad guys psychologist.
Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Just wondered if anyone else had seen the '60s' photo of Frank's girl, posing in a fetching yellow and black outfit, and clutching a strange instrument in matching colours, printed with an interview with her in yesterdays' G2 section of the Guardian ?
It looks like a cross between a chinese or japanese lute ( very big friction pegs ), maybe a tenor banjo ( long 4-string neck ), and a travel guitar ( narrow triangular body ).
I was just wondering if there might be an ITM usage for such an instrument ?
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Was this it, Pete?
http://uranium-cafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/04/nancy4.jpg
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
(now for the 'ha-has')
"ITM usage"?
A hurley?
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by SWFL Fiddler
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Those boots don't look like they were made for walking!
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
"I was just wondering if there might be an ITM usage for such an instrument ?" -
. . .do you mean the thingy that she's holding, or the thingy . . . never mind, I'll get my coat.
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by tomw
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Looks to have 3 strings, not four--some kind of balalika, that's my guess. (Not an antique, though, with that heart-shaped soundhole and a bit of sheet music painted on it.)
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by mickray
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Maybe GP is just trying to put the "nasty" back in ITM...
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Reverend
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Sorry about the typo--that should be "balalaika"--I must have been momentarily distracted, somehow....
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by mickray
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
That's the one.
Definitely 4 strings visible in the colour print in the Grauniad, and 4 pegs of course.
Reminded me of Shirley Collins' 5-string banjo/dulcimer.
Of course it was probably just a prop made for that photo-shoot, but still................travel-tenor-guitar maybe?
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
GP
I'm not sure but I think it might be a Chinese "Pipa" ...I wrote an article on a Pipa player last year. It's way cool instrument and definitely might find it's place in a session beside the new infiltration of hardangers....speaking of...any spotted at sessions anywhere? there's one player here in Toronto area...but he makes them....and it's a lovely instrument...he tunes it up to standard 440...top strings anyway.
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by mtodd
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Definitely not a pipa, nor even a piper..........look at da picture.....by the way it's better in colour........sort of a 'Barbarella' look.....
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
We do also have a Hardanger/Nickelharpa/fiddler who turns up on occasion at one or two sessions, but doesn't usually bring more than one of her instruments at a time.
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
It's a pop art version of a Samisen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5rs7pfZuPs
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by dafydd
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
No, it's definitely got 4 strings.......
'pop' art...I get it !
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Guernsey Pete
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Yes but it still looks like a Samisen.I think that Howard Roberts,a well-known Nashville session musician,played Samisen on "Summer Wine" a duet she recorded with Lee Hazelwood.The fourth string is probably a mistake by the props department.It certainly wasn't made by a luthier!
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by dafydd
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
It's just a stylised ukulele with a lonnnng machine head influenced by a samisen
Isn't it?
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Bren
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
OOh, I like those wallpaper-scraper plectra
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by Bren
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Perhaps the photo was taken to publicise the single.
# Posted on June 3rd 2008 by dafydd
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
More likely to publicize Ms. Sinatras other... ahem.... assets.
Long necked things in ads are used more for....um....Freudian reasons. I doubt Ms. Sinatra had a clue what it was either unless she talked to her ad guys psychologist.
# Posted on June 4th 2008 by zippydw
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Its a proto Martin samisen
so, boots, walk, why don't you!!- The Committee
# Posted on June 5th 2008 by I_Fel
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
Really? Never seen one.It was in the 1960's,Martin's design department must have been sampling some of Owsley's finest.
# Posted on June 5th 2008 by dafydd
Re: Nancy Sinatra's 4-string thingy.
"It's just a stylised ukulele..."
I agree.
# Posted on June 6th 2008 by gw