Gardon

Gardon [*bourdon], folk instr. of the Komitate Czík (Siebenbürgen), Hungary, like a violoncello, formerly handmade by the peasantry out of a single block of wood. Older specimens have a very short neck, elongated body, very long tailpiece. Some modern ones have cello-shaped bodies, but the usual form is that of a large med. fiddle, either with sound slits or FF. The 3 or 4 strings are secured by lateral pegs in a conventional pegbox. All are tuned to d0. They are not bowed, but are struck with…