The SOROF GUITAR BOARD

The SOROF GUITAR BOARD, designed by Milenko Katanic of EGD-Cologne, is a headless 11-string-tapguitar, which follows the tapguitar-approach of pioneer Mathias Sorof. The SOROF GUITAR BOARD is developped in cooperation with Mathias Sorof.

Mathias Sorof uses his special tuning on another well known tapinstrument since 1980. After 35 years of experiences in playing tapguitar as musician, teacher and composer he public his tuning-approach and his experiences as one further possibility to play tap guitar on a special instrument. The SOROF GUITAR BOARD is not a invention or a new musical instrument. But it is a contribution and an advancement of other well known invented tapguitar instruments.

The SOROF GUITAR BOARD provides two stringsections (regions), which are used uncrossed:

Lower Lefthand Region: 5-string-Section for bass, chords, counterlines and other accompaniment patterns in the left hand, tuned in ascending 5fth in the steps ,C ,D G A e (see the picture next page).

Upper Righthand Region: 6-string-Section for melody, chords, arpeggios and anything else possible. The tuning is like classical guitar but 1 wholetone lower: D G c f a d‘ (see the picture next page).

The assigment of the hands to each region is meant as principle orientation. The changing and mixing of hands and regions is absolutly possible.

The SOROF GUITAR BOARD is a very compact instrument. The short measures, the headless form and the light weight is a allows a very comfortable handling. So it will very comfortable as instrument for journeys.

The current models have a short measurescale. It makes it easy to use each finger (within the pinky). Bass-scales in the 5fth Tuning can be played more easyly with one hand with less leaping. Stringbending is generally easier. At the preferred positions you can pull the strings about 3 halftones and reach a right intonation of the bended note, that is not well possible with longscale instruments. The distance between the single strings is very comfortable and supports the uncrossed approach

First performance of the MANTA and the SOROF GUITAR BOARD happened at the Musikmesse Frankfurt 2016 in Frankfurt.