For example, special string sets are available to tune the baritone ukulele in linear C6. Some players tune ukuleles like other four-string instruments such as the mandolin, Venezuelan cuatro, or dotara. Ukuleles may also be tuned to open tunings, similar to the Hawaiian slack key style. Related instruments Ukulele varieties include hybrid instruments such as the guitalele (also called guitarlele), banjo ukulele (also called banjolele), harp ukulele, lap steel ukulele, and the ukelin. It is very common to find ukuleles mixed with other stringed instruments because of the amount of strings and the easy playing ability. There is also an electrically amplified variant of the ukulele. The resonator ukulele produces sound by one or more spun aluminum cones (resonators) instead of the wooden soundboard, giving it a distinct and louder tone. The Tahitian ukulele, another variant, is usually carved from a single piece of wood, and does not have a hollow soundbox, although the back is open. The Tahitian ukulele generally has eight strings made from fishing line, tuned the same as a Hawaiian ukulele in four courses, although the middle two courses are an octave higher than its Hawaiian cousin. Inspired by the Tahitian ukulele, there is the Motu Nui variant, from France, which has just four strings made from fishing line and the hole in the back is designed to produce a wah-wah effect. Mario Maccaferri invented an automatic chording device for the ukulele, called Chord Master. Close cousins of the ukulele include the Portuguese forerunners, the cavaquinho (also commonly known as machete or braguinha) and the slightly larger rajão. Other relatives include the Venezuelan cuatro, the Colombian tiple, the timple of the Canary Islands, the Spanish vihuela, the Mexican requinto jarocho, and the Andean charango'' traditionally made of an armadillo shell. In Indonesia, a similar Portuguese-inspired instrument is the kroncong. Audio samples See also List of ukulele players Stringed instrument tunings References Bibliography External links An exhibition that details the ukulele's history and waves of mainstream popularity. Information about over 600 ukulele makers past and present. The differences between the word "ukulele" in Hawaiian and English. Ukuleles Hawaiian musical instruments Surf culture American musical instruments Guitar family instruments Necked box lutes Portuguese musical instruments Lute family instruments Guitars