Fred Carlson is one of those rare breed of luthiers with that unusual inspiration, churning out instruments that exists beyond ordinary imagination. A common feature in Fred Carlson's creations are amalgamation of western/European and eastern/Asian/Indian instruments, resulting in creations such as the Sympitar, the H'Arpeggione, and the Flying Dream. One of Fred Carlson's patrons, multi-instrumentalist Todd Green, has given up for sale one of Fred Carlson creations, the Beyond The Trees Guitaringi Da Gamba.

If you want to know what this instrument is all about, its name offers clues. The Guitaringi Da Gamba is both a plucked and a bowed instrument owing its inspiration from the guitar, viola da gamba, and sarangi. This instrument has most similarity with a bass viola da gamba upon inspection. It can be played fretless or fretted with tied-on frets and is strung with gut, very much like period instruments. The eastern part of the equation has to do with its sarangi-like qualities. It has 24 sympathetic strings in two groups that support the sound of its six main strings. The first group of sympathetic strings is 10 in number and run inside the neck from the peghead, and terminates in the butt end. The second group numbers 14 in total and are strung across the body which can be played or allowed to sympathetically resonate freely. These sympathetic strings run into jiwari -- Indian-style bridges. The totality of this instrument gives it a tone that meets both east and west.

There is only one unit of the Beyond The Trees Guitaringi Da Gamba in the whole world. If you would like to own it, bear in mind that this could be a very serious investment that is due much thought. Better think quick as it is the only one of its kind but be prepared to shell out a considerable amount for it. You may send email to wildsols@BeyondTheTrees.com to express interest and to know the pricing for this one-of-a-kind instrument.