Brazilian Cavaquinho

Brazilian Cavaquinho aka Cavaco
The Brazilian Cavaquinho or Cavaco as it has become known, is not directly related to the Ukulele but does come from the same Portuguese root instrument the Cavaquinho.

The Brazilian Cavaquinho history is for the most part fairly simple. It came across as the Cavaquinho from Portugal with the colonists and being small it was easily carried to all of the settlements around the country. Because of the nature of the colonisation with only Portugal sending the the European element, who employed West Africans as slaves, (so heavily subjugating their culture), and not integrating with the local population at all, outside influences on the instrument were very few. The rise of Samba as a dominant musical theme throughout Brazil brought with it the almost percussive use of the Cavaquinho as a rhythm instrument and so popularised the Cavaco in the culture of Brazil. Quite why the body size of the Brazilian Cavaquinho grew is not documented but the fashion for this size of Cavaquinho followed the Samba as the instrument to play.

As the name suggests it is produced and used mainly in Brazil, but the idea was exported to the Cape Verde Islands in the 1930's where there is now some production of Cape Verde, (Brazilian), Cavaquinhos. They are now made back in Portugal too, (and Musikalia in Italy makes some as part of its collection of world instruments), and manufacture of them has now spread to the big Chinese chordophone makers who export them, (mainly back to Brazil).

The instrument itself has a scale of around 350mm (14in) is usually steel strung, (some of the Chinese made ones are nylon strung), and is suppose to be tuned D~G~B~D. Though the scale length can vary from about 330mm to 370mm (13½ to 14½in - so in Ukulele terms between a large Soprano and a small Concert Scale though they generally veer toward the smaller end of the scale). They are all considered the same with no larger or smaller scale variants. The instrument however is noticeably larger that an equivalent Portuguese Cavaquinho or Ukulele in the body, being much wider, a bit longer and usually deeper too. It usually has a thinner, more Mandolin like neck and comes with a zero fret, no truss rod and a fretboard that overlaps the body and runs down to the sound hole. For most of its existence and still the majority made today there is a very traditional look; Figure 8 shape, large central circular sound hole with a large rosette around it, saddled bridge glued to the soundboard, slot head headstock, spruce, cedar or occasionally pine soundboard with darker mahogany, rosewood or similar back and sides. This tradition is breaking down a bit now with things like moving the sound hole, cutaways and decorated soundboards, but its still not as free as some of the Guitar and Ukulele designs. There are also some solid body electric Cavacos being made and these definitely go more along the electric guitar line in terms of design.

The Cavaco is still very popular in Brazil, far more so than the Ukulele, and so is widely made there. It is much easier to find them on sale or find local luthiers who make them than it is a Ukulele. However because the Cavaco is much less famous outside of Brazil that the Ukulele, as soon as they are taken from Brazil they are assumed to be Ukuleles.

Banjo Cavco
The Banjo Cavaco was developed like all Banjo related instruments as a way of making it louder in the era before electronic amplification. Banjo Cavaquinhos are also very traditional in their look but their tradition goes back to the Portuguese Banjo instruments so they are all bracketless and enclosed with a metal resonator extension grill that is set flush to the, (usually quite large), Banjo head.

Cavaco Vibrante
The Cavaco Vibrante was also developed as an attempt to increase the acoustic volume in much the same way as in Cone Resonator instruments, however it is a truly Brazilian invention and nothing directly to do with the Doperya Brothers inventions, (it may have been inspired by them?). Quite how it works I don't know? but apparently it doesn't work as well as a resonator cone which is the main reason the technology has never travelled outside of Brazil and these days you often see them with a pickup as well. That said I have never seen a Cavaco with a traditional US cone resonator?