The Mandolin & Cittern Source

The Mandolin & Cittern Source



The Orpharion and Bandora



Illustration from William Barley's Book of Tablature, England, 1596.
The orpharion or opherion was a plucked stringed instrument of the English renaissance, a member of the cittern family. The metal strings are tuned like a lute and are plucked with the fingers. The nut and bridge of an orpharion are often sloped (fanned frets), so that the string length increases from treble to bass. Due to the extremely low-tension metal strings, which would easily distort the notes when pushed down, the frets were almost flush with the fingerboard, which was gently scalloped. The name orpharion comes from the ancient Greek dieties Orpheus and Arion. There was also a larger version, called the Bandora.




Details: 9 course orpharion.
Made by: John Marlow, Britain.



Details: 7 course orpharion without fanned fingerboard.
Made by: Ugo Casalonga, France.



Details: 9 course orpharion.
Made by: Daniel Furian, Austria.



Details: 7 course bandora.
Made by: Bruce Brook, Britain.