Akonting

[rob bryon]

Hi has anyone actually built an akonting?......Just wondering how to scale it and what position to put the tuners....all the akontings I have seen have amazingly long necks....cheers

[john mackay]

never seen or heard of them till now.

canny instrument and sound good to.

heres a video clip of one.

https://youtu.be/lzt0v9roU6g

[Bluesheart]

I bet it is not critical, just make sure you can get strings long enough, like weed wacker line.

[rob bryon]

thanx for your help guys.....am sure its not critical, as such, the scaling.....trial and error as always.....might use some violin fine tuners.....rob

[Ron "Oily" Sprague]

Here, measurements and pics:

http://www.dennishavlena.com/akonting.htm

[rob bryon]

Nice......

[Jim_N]

Thanks, Rob. The attraction for me is that unusual instruments are a great introduction to different countries and cultures, etc.

“As long as I'm learning something, I figure I'm OK - it's a decent day.” – Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, journalist and author

[turtlehead]

Akontings are cool - I need to build one.

Anybody see the Bela Fleck documentary called Throw Down Your Heart?  He goes to Africa to find the origins of the banjo and there are a bunch of great examples of instruments like this.  Highly recommended.