Hakim Hamadouche playing a 10 string mandolute in Marseilles

A Mandolute is a North African instrument derived from the more traditional Oud. The oud ( عود ʿūd, plural أعواد, a‘wād; kaban; Persian: بربط barbat; ud It is a ten string fretted instrument, sometimes called a mandoluth or mandol. It is slightly bigger than the mandola. The mandola (US and Canada or tenor mandola (Europe Ireland and UK is a fretted stringed Musical instrument. It combines the traditional Oud string format with western classical guitar frets, resulting in a shape similar to a Mandolin, only deeper and larger in the body, or sound box. A mandolin is a musical instrument in the Lute family (plucked or strummed A sound box or sounding box, (sometimes written soundbox) is an open chamber in the body of a Musical instrument which alters the instrument's tone quality

A Weymann mandolute from the 1920's or 1930's.

The term mandolute was also used as a brand name for an American mandolin made by the American company Weymann in the early 20th century. These American 'mandolutes' have 8 strings and are tuned exactly like a traditional American mandolin and their scale length is within the standard mandolin scale length between 13 inches (330 mm) and 13-7/8 inches (352mm).

External links

• Video of Hakim Hamadouche playing a mandolute
• Pictures of an ornate Weymann mandolute
• Interview: Rachid Taha