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Machete

Machete, a small Portuguese guitar with five strings. Front one-piece, wide-grained, stained, with two transverse bars; soundhole with collar of mother-of-pearl diamond shapes in mastic, between single lines; five lines as purfling/edging. Pin-bridge of rosewood tipped with mother-of-pearl pins. Ribs and one-piece back of pale ?rosewood; back arched on two transverse bars. Neckblock, neck and peghead from one piece of wood, the neck and peghead ebonised. The fingerboard, a rosewood veneer, is flush with the front which runs onto the neck, ending in a dart shape at the tenth fret; the front of the peghead also has rosewood veneer. Bone nut and slotted ebony pegs with mother-of-pearl inlays; hole for missing tailpin.

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  • Repository:Royal College of Music Museum
  • Measurements:Length: 502mm. Width: 129mm.