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Cittern Information Sheet | Dusty Strings Acoustic Music Shop (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-15) |
 | | The cittern comes from an ancient family of Western European and British Isles instruments, having in common a teardrop shaped body, wire strings typically grouped in pairs and a flat or slightly curved back. |
 | | The modern instrument is a recent hybrid development of older citterns such as the Portuguese guitarra, and American mandolin family instruments such as the octave mandolin and mandocello. |
 | | A second approach is suggested by historical citterns or by the twelve-string guitar, in which a lighter-gauge string is paired with a heavier to sound the same note an octave apart. |
| www.dustystrings.com /shop/cittern_info.shtml (955 words) |