Charango

Charango a small guitar of S. America, made of an armadillo shell dried in a mold to give it the desired shape, with 5 single or double strings, rib or belly fastened, and flat pegdisc with rear pegs. Tuning: g1 c2 e2 (and e1)a1 e1. Distributed in NW. Argentina, in Bolivia, and Peru. Not a native instr. Cf. charranga (192). Vega, Carlos. Los Instrumentos musicales aborigines y criollos de la Argentina. Buenos Aires, 1943.