Ukrainian Kobza

This came to me from a friend of a friend…. a “word-of-mouth” kind of thing from other folks who can’t stand to see instruments end up in landfill.

At first had had absolutely no idea what the heck it was …. a cittern, a lute, an oud, a bouzouki, a mandela, ?????? Twelve strings, a flat back, curved headstock … nothing like I’d ever seen before. With a ton of internet research and through the power of social media, I was able to determine it was a KOBZA, originating in the Ukraine and known throughout that region of Eastern Europe.

When I got it the bridge had torn off, the back seam had split and the back had opened up like a flower, coming loose from the braces. And there wasn’t any saddle (that became a whole other issue, because there wasn’t even a slot on the bridge for a saddle).