User:Andaloucio

In North Africa (mainly in Algeria), a special plucked instrument is getting popular since the 1960's, which is a combination of an oud, a guitar and a mando-cello. It is known as the mondol, or mandol or mandole. It developed from a large mandola, with 4 double strings, but now it often has 5 courses. It is mainly used in popular music, especially in Chaabi and Kabylie music.

The mondol is a mando-cello, with a guitar-style neck, and raised fingerboard. The body has always a flat back, not rounded like an oud. The soundhole is often diamant-shaped, but you may also find round rosettes and even multiple rosettes (like on the oud). There is usually a scratch-plate between soundhole and bridge.

The neck has metal frets like a guitar, but the modern mondol can be recognized by two extra (halftone) frets : between the 1st and 2nd, and between the 3th and 4th frets. Some players use even more. These are mainly used in Kabylie music.

The 5 double metal strings are tuned with guitar-like tuning machines on a slotted peghead.

The strings run over a thin loose bridge to small pins or a string-holder on the edge of the body. Tuning of a mondol can be (EE) AA dd gg bb (lower strings of a guitar), or like an oud, or similar to a mando-cello : (DD) GG dd aa e'e'.

It is played with a plectrum, to accompany singing.