The Steel Guitar Forum

Eastern European builders definitely have their own sensibility and decorative traditions. It's almost like they shot all the parts out of a cannon and this how they landed.

There are a lot of unusual features; but, the inlays at the 2nd and 14th frets jump out at me. I've never seen them placed there before.

It's kinda cool, did you get it? How's it sound?

The back is even wackier than the front! And no, I do not own it - just a pic from the web.

Steve Knight wrote:There are a lot of unusual features; but, the inlays at the 2nd and 14th frets jump out at me. I've never seen them placed there before.

I noticed that as well, I think it may be laid out for a particular scale related to the local culture. (?)

I would vote for it just being a design feature - an add-on to the traditional markers.

I wonder what function those items on the back side serve?
Erv

Hungarian Minor scale ?

Hungarian goulash.

Just found this on Wiki
A Hungarian Gypsy:
A B C D♯ E F G♯

C Hungarian Gypsy:
C D E♭ F♯ G A♭ B

E Hungarian Gypsy:
E F♯ G A♯ B C D♯

The structure of this scale is (w = whole-step, h = half-step, + = augmented

2 1 3 1 1 3 1

I also remembered it from “The Guitar Handbook” by Ralph Denyer. ( I bought a copy in Kuwait in 1983) A great book covering a multitude of guitar subjects.
Keith.

Keith.

I’ve found this in the book, which may explain it better.
Keith.

It is either strung backwards (to our way of playing) or else it is the left-handed model.

Andy Volk wrote:... It's almost like they shot all the parts out of a cannon and this how they landed.

Careful Andy, you may be giving away Trade Secrets.

The Hungarians were SO successful with this guitar they went on to invert goulash!
Erv

It's probably coincidence, but the inlays work out to be the same intervals as a major pentatonic scale, starting from the second note of the 5-note scale. So, if a D pentatonic major scale is

D E F# A B;

and, I make a huge assumption that one of the strings on the instrument is an E, then the inlays line up with those notes of the scale. A pentatonic major scale would start over again at the 10th fret and go up from there. This would sort of a be a "mode" of a pentatonic major scale. The intervals are the same.

We do use the pentatonic major and minor scales, both of which use the same notes in the relative minor key, starting at a different point in the scale.

I like Andy's theory that it's just a design feature.

Erv Niehaus wrote:I wonder what function those items on the back side serve?
Erv

Perhaps ornate non-slip surface?

It looks like there is some metal involved.
Erv