Gambus

the Gambus or ARabian oud is a stringed instrument with a body shaped like a pear (sliced length wise) and a neck bent just below the tuning pegs.

It is usually played by traditional Malay musicians. It is primarily the lead instrument in Ghazal music.
It has 12 nylon strings which are plucked, much like a guitar.

According to historians, it was brought into Malaysia by the Persian and Middle Eastern traders.

The Gambus can be bought locally if there is a craftsman who can make it, just like those who can make sape. It usually takes two months to finish a 16 inch gambus.

The timbre produced by the gambus is very much a factor of the width and the thickness of the wood. The nyireh and the tengautengau are the two types of wood most often used to make the gambus.

There're two types of gambus commonly played in Borneo, the gambus ghazal, also known as the "gambus Johor", and the gambus Brunei, also known as the gambus asli, which is smaller in size.

The gambus asli uses actual fishing lines for strings while the gambus ghazal uses acoustic strings.

Prices for the gambus range from $300 to $500.