Octavina

The octavina is a special Philippine instrument : it is a guitar-shaped laud, so it has 14 metal strings in 6 courses : 6th single, 5th and 4th double, 3th, 2nd and 1st three double. The tuning would be like the laud, so one octave lower than the banduria : F# BB ee aaa d'd'd' g'g'g'

The octavina is a bit smaller than a guitar, but the construction is the same. The 14 strings run (like on the laud) over a loose wooden bridge to a mandolin-like stringfastener at the edge of the body. Playing is with a plectrum, often with a mandolin-like tremolo.

It is not very clear where the name octavina arrived from - as the name is also used for a small spinet (plucked 17th century keyboard). However, in Spain used to be a small guitar-like banduria instrument with 6 double strings, called octavilla; very likely that is the origin of the name.