Kotar - Koto Guitar
Discover the Kotar, an inventive hybrid of a koto style instrument that can be played in a very versatile way! It can be played off the shoulder with a strap like a guitar, or can simply be placed in your lap or on a table if you prefer playing it horizontally.
The Kotar includes simple guitar tuners at the top of the instrument to easily tune your instrument directly in a more traditional way, but even more exciting is how Ben has added markings on the bamboo body that allow you to simply slide the moveable bridges and change notes to create several different scales!
The triangular bridges are the signature feature of the Japanese Koto instrument. Because they raise the string up higher you can 'bend' the note but moving your finger up and down above the bridge to modulate the sound. It's super cool!
This instrument has an integrated pickup and so can be amplified which brings out the full potential of the natural sound, but also gives those who are more adventurous a way to add effects like reverb and delay to their playing.
The Kotar comes to us from the innovative maker Ben Ruch of Cascadia Instruments in Portland. We carry more of Ben's creations as well: Deep Peace Ocarina and Electro Lyra! All of his instruments are made by hand to order with great care and intention.
