C Brac (Tamburitza Family Croatian-style tenor guitar)

[Ed Goist]

A friend of mine has gotten his hands on a C Brac (a Tamburitza family Croatian style tenor guitar) custom made by Nick Orehovic from Pittsburgh. It seems to be in pretty nice shape (see pic below). It's got five strings, including a double course on the high end. He's pretty sure it's in guitar tuning (E-A-D-GG) now, but I'm sure it could also be tuned in OM tuning (G-D-A-EE).

Of course, he thought I might be interested in it.

Does anyone have any idea how much one of these things would go for in today's market (assuming it's in as good a shape as it appears to be in)?

I probably shouldn't even go and play it...No good can come from that!

[ambrosepottie]

http://www.vintageinstruments.com/ph.../tambo5ful.jpg

From Players Vintage Instruments. There's a youtube vide of it being played on the site as well as pricing info etc... Sounds good.

[Paul Kotapish]

There used to be several tamburitza-oriented forums online. Nothing as elaborate as the Cafe, but useful. All of them seem to be closed down at the moment, but you might try monitoring the Tamburitza Association of America site and see if they get the forum up again. Or you might be able to contact one of those folks more directly for some info.

http://www.tamburitza.org/

Meanwhile, check out this very cool site with loads of vintage tamburitza recordings (digitized from old 78s) available for streaming. Lots of tamburitza orchestra dance instrumentals and songs, but some duets and small-combo recordings, too. Great stuff.

http://tamburitza78s.blogspot.com/p/...-contents.html

You might even decide--once you succumb to TAS--to leave it in brac tuning.

[Paul Kotapish]

Found a site with a (slightly) more active forum: http://www.tamburaland.com/site/

Check it out.

[multidon]

Tamburitzan music is very popular in the Pittsburgh area, largely because there is a large concentration of folks of Serbo-Croatian descent. The Duquesne University Tamburitzans are the most famous, but there are numerous youth oriented groups around SW PA dedicated to the preservation of Eastern European folk culture. The brac is indeed very tenor guitar like. There is a mandolin-like instrument called a prim and a guitar-like instrument called a bugarija. These instruments serve a relatively small niche market so are usually luthier-made, which is a good thing, but low demand keeps the prices of used instruments down. There is a bugarija made by a different luthier from Pittsburgh on eBay right now at a buy it now price of $689.00. I would speculate that your friend's brac is in this general value range, perhaps 500-700 dollars depending on who wants it. You really need to be hooked into the Serbo-Croatian community to sell one of these.

[Atbean]

Did this ever sell?

[Ed Goist]

Funny you should ask...
I was just talking to my buddy this past weekend, and he told me the Brac just recently finally sold for ~$300.
Looks like somebody got a nice deal.

[Jim Garber]

For your entertainment...

[Ed Goist]

Another C Brac has been posted on ebay (NFI).
I just sent a message to the seller telling him what he has (as best I knew).
Pretty cool instrument.

[Jim Garber]

Nice MOTS on that one, Ed. I think your friend's looks like a higher quality instrument. I like the funkiness of that one but not so sure that the workmanship is up to your friend's.

[Charles E.]

For your entertainment...

Wow, that is cool. I wonder what the bass instrument looks like? You gotta love those boots!

[mrmando]

I don't think that one is a brac ... more likely a celo (the next biggest tamburitza instrument).

[Jim Garber]

This might clear up some confusion. From the Tamburitza Association of America:

[Ed Goist]

This might clear up some confusion. From the Tamburitza Association of America:

Wow, the C'elo is a double octave mandolin! That's some low end. I wonder what the scale on these is?
I've suggested to the seller of the instrument above that he list the scale. That would help determine the identity of it.

[Bruce Clausen]

Nice to find this thread. I've just come across an interesting old instrument being advertised as a brac here in Vancouver. It's a different body style but I guess plays in the same tenor range. Looks like the four strings play as two two-string courses, but that may not be the original set-up. Also the fretting seems to be partly diatonic.

Crummy photos, but I think I'll drop by and get a look. I do love that music.

[Bruce Clausen]

Much as I suspected. Visited the vast (and somewhat depressing) local flea market, and found the instrument; it seems to have endured decades of amateur repairs, and is now held together with two shiny new woodscrews. Sound of the open strings was very impressive, but the rest of the notes can't be played due to high action. Too bad, as I do love that music. A couple of samples of different styles:

[jim simpson]

Today I found this at a PA antique flea market. I'm guessing it's a Brac based on what I've read in this thread. I wondered how it should be tuned. It's in great shape, makes me wonder about it's age. There is no name indicated anywhere in or on it.

[StuartE]

According to Atlas of Plucked Instruments and String Instrument Database



E A d gg (equals bottom 4 strings of guitar)

It seems to be tuned in fourths rather than fifths.

[StuartE]

According to Atlas of Plucked Instruments and String Instrument Database



E A d gg (equals bottom 4 strings of guitar)

It seems to be tuned in fourths rather than fifths.

[Jim Garber]

There is an echo in here.