Turkey
Turkish

Wood, metal, plastic
Late 20th century
Length: 35 in; Width/diameter: 12.5 in; Depth: 6.5 in
Chordophones – Lutes

The cümbüş is a Turkish stringed instrument that was developed in 1930 by Zeynel Abidin Cümbüş (1881-1947).   It was originally configured as an oud, that could be converted to other instruments.  This cümbüş is shaped like an American banjo with a fretless vinyl fingerboard.  It has a spun-aluminum resonator bowl with a plastic soundboard.   To convert this instrument, several other types of necks, including tanbar, saz, or ukulele, mandolin, and guitar with frets, can be switched out/exchanged as the neck is attached by a wing nut.  On this cümbüş there are geared metal tuning machines with a six double-string course, tuned in unison pairs A-B-e-a-d’-g’.  These metal strings cross over a floating bridge on the soundboard and attach to a tailpiece bolted to the rim.