I had to look this electric lute up since it was interesting (Dao Yu)

[mettelus]

I had seen this video a few times then it popped up again this morning, so decided to dig into it deeper since the design of the electric lute she used last always intrigued me (is in the video thumbnail).

Turns out that it gets even more interesting. That instrument (she dubbed a Dao Yu, or Jade Sword) was actually a kickstarter project that was set up so that fans could help her make it. The project page is interesting because the guy who took it on describes more behind the story of its design. Bottom line, her fans helped pay for the instrument before it was featured in the AGT audition. I always thought that design had a little more versatility since it gives easy fretboard access, but can also be supported on your leg sitting (unlike a Flying V). It is a technically a 4-stringed lute (electric Pipa* really... the very first instrument she played in the audition), but the body design always caught my eye when I saw it in passing.

There are several shorts of her playing it when she first received it (even an unboxing one!), but she only had it about a year before it got on national TV.

*More technically, it is a Ruan, since they are specifically sized for the register they can play.

Edited Wednesday at 03:52 PM by mettelus

[lɐʍdlɐʍd]

from the thumbnail pic it looks like a fancy electric ukulele