The octophone (or octofone) is a stringed musical instrument related to the
mandola family resembling an
octave mandolin. It was marketed by
Regal Musical Instrument Company, who introduced it 21 January 1928, as an "eight-purpose instrument".
The name "Octophone" came from the idea that the instrument could take on the "tone combinations" of eight instruments, the
tenor guitar,
tenor banjo,
ukulele
The ukulele ( ; from haw, ukulele , approximately ), also called Uke, is a member of the lute family of instruments of Portuguese origin and popularized in Hawaii. It generally employs four nylon strings.
The tone and volume of the instrumen ...
,
taro patch,
tiple,
mandolin
A mandolin ( it, mandolino ; literally "small mandola") is a stringed musical instrument in the lute family and is generally plucked with a pick. It most commonly has four courses of doubled strings tuned in unison, thus giving a total of 8 ...
,
mandola and
mandocello. Changing from one instrument to another was a matter of changing the tuning. The instrument came with an instruction book that told owners "how to use, how to tune and how to play" the instrument
[
]
Construction
The instrument measures 33.5 inches long, 10 5/8 inches wide at lower end, 3 1/8 deep at the end block. It has a scale of 21 3/8 inches.[
Owners of octophones have said that the instrument is made with birch neck, neck block, sides and back and a top made of spruce.]
Tuning
The tuning is done with the machine head
A machine head (also referred to as a tuning machine, tuner, or gear head) is a geared apparatus for tuning stringed musical instruments by adjusting string tension. Machine heads are used on mandolins, guitars, double basses and others, and ar ...
s located on the headstock, much like other stringed instruments, and the strings are arranged in courses
Course may refer to:
Directions or navigation
* Course (navigation), the path of travel
* Course (orienteering), a series of control points visited by orienteers during a competition, marked with red/white flags in the terrain, and corresponding ...
. ''All pitches shown here are estimates''; the book the company provided (to show customers how to tune their instrument) is rare. Tunings are based on the instruments advertised. These tunings using the stringed instrument tunings This is a chart of stringed instrument tunings. Instruments are listed alphabetically by their most commonly known name.
Terminology
A Course (music), course may consist of one or more Strings (music), strings.
Courses are listed reading from ...
notation include:
* C3 C3•G3 G3•D4 D4•A4 A4 tuned in fifths as tenor guitar, mandola, tenor banjo
* D2 D2•G2 G2•B2 B2•E3 E3 tuned a fourth, a third, a fourth as a tiple
* C2 C2•E2 E2•A2 A2•D3 D3 tuned a fourth, a third, a fourth as a tiple
* G2 G2•D3 D3•A3 A3•E4 E4 tuned in fifths as octave mandolin
* C2 C2•G2 G2•D3 D3•A3 A3 tuned in fifths as mandocello
* D2 D2•G2 G2•B2 B2•E3 E3 tuned a fourth, a third, a fourth (as a guitar's 4 highest pitched strings, down 1 octave)
Although it can be tuned to the same notes as a mandolin G D A E, it will be in tune an octave lower, like an octave mandolin.
Use in recorded music
*Nathan "Prince" Nazaroff album, recorded in 1945 ''Jewish Freilach Songs'', he sings "with octofone and accordion."
* Chris Cagle album, ''Cris Cagle'', Jonathan Yudkin is listed with the mandolin, mandocello, fiddle, cello, and ''octophone''.
*Joey Bochenek album "Musical Wizard", the artist Joey plays nine instruments including the octophone.Gurf Morlix
Gurf Morlix (born 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and music producer.
Career
Born in Buffalo, New York, Morlix moved to Texas in 1975 and performed with Blaze Foley. He moved to Los Angeles in 1981 and joined Lucinda Williams's band. He ...
plays an octophone on the title song of the Mary Gauthier album "Mercy Now
''Mercy Now'' is the fourth studio album by Mary Gauthier.
Track listing
All tracks composed by Mary Gauthier; except where indicated
Personnel
*Mary Gauthier - vocals, acoustic guitar
* Gurf Morlix - acoustic and electric guitar, bass, lap ste ...
", although the liner notes spell the instrument as octofone.
Perfume organ
An unrelated instrument, also called "octophone" was an instrument invented by a French chemist, in which the keys of a keyboard activated one of 46 perfume fragrances.
References
{{reflist
External links
Information on Regal, who made the octophone pictured in the article.Music Trade Review advertisement for Octophone.Picture of store displayDiscussion of Octophone construction with pictures of the inside and the neck joint and bridge.
Mandolin family instruments
Necked box lutes