Kabosy
The kabosy is a box-shaped wooden guitar commonly played in music of Madagascar. It has four to six strings and is commonly thought to be a direct descendant of the Arabic oud through the gambus played in Malay-populated areas of Southeast Asia. The kabosy has staggered frets, many of which do not even cross the entire fretboard, and is generally tuned to an open chord. • Illustration — A boy playing a mandoliny or kabosy with full fretting. • Illustration — Kabosy. • Illustration — A guitar-shaped Kabosy.
Kabosy
Jhob · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Field
- plucked string instrument · guitar
- Region
- Madagascar
- Related practice
- wood · nylon · steel
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Broader Term · outgoing
guitar
Term
[own]
Located In · outgoing
Madagascar
Place
Broader Term · outgoing
plucked string instrument
Term
Carolingian manuscripts, Württembergische Landesbibliothek Stuttgart, Germany ( http://www.thecipher.com/cythara_9th-cent_Stuttgart-Psalter_c830_deta.jpg ) Original image, Stuttgarter Psalter - Cod.bi
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q2895785
In this article
Overview
Overview
A kabosy-like instrument with standard frets is known as a mandalina or mandoliny. Kabosys are frequently handmade from scavenged materials, and their form varies greatly depending on the builder and materials available. Kabosys may be strung with nylon (often used fishing line) or steel (often from scrap wire or cable).
Materials recorded for it are wood, nylon and steel. It is associated with Madagascar.
Places
Named by the record
Places
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Madagascar
Country
Kabosy is associated with Madagascar.
Country
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Kabosy, revision 1222832690 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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Connections
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Broader subject
1- guitarTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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