ed ▁instrument ▁of ▁the ▁l ute ▁family ▁of ▁folk ▁origin ▁popular ▁in ▁Roman ian ▁and ▁Mold ovan ▁fol kl ore ▁( it ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁oldest ▁accompan iment ▁instrument ▁in ▁the ▁region ). ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁used ▁in ▁the ▁Hung arian ▁folk ▁music ▁rev ival ▁movement ▁( end ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 th ▁Century ). ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁distinct ▁from ▁the ▁Ukrain ian ▁Kob za , ▁an ▁instrument ▁of ▁a ▁different ▁construction ▁and ▁origin . ▁ ▁Over view ▁▁ ▁The ▁Roman ian ▁Cob za ▁is ▁metal - str ung ▁( although ▁modern ▁n yl on - str ung ▁models ▁exist , ▁mostly ▁in ▁Hung ary ), ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁very ▁short ▁neck ▁without ▁fre ts ▁( although ▁a ▁newer ▁fre tt ed ▁c ob za ▁can ▁be ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Mold avia ), ▁with ▁a ▁bent - back ▁p eg box . ▁The ▁back ▁is ▁rib bed . ▁It ▁is ▁usually ▁double ▁or ▁triple ▁str ung , ▁and ▁often ▁has ▁a ▁characteristic ▁flat ▁end ▁cl asp . ▁ ▁The ▁Cob za ▁is ▁played ▁with ▁a ▁p lect rum ▁( trad itionally , ▁a ▁go ose ▁fe ather ) ▁in ▁elaborate ▁and ▁flor id ▁mel od ic ▁passage work , ▁and ▁has ▁a ▁pick - guard ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁an ▁ou d . ▁Its ▁strings ▁are ▁widely ▁spac ed ▁at ▁the ▁bridge ▁to ▁facil itate ▁this ▁technique . ▁It ▁has ▁a ▁soft ▁tone , ▁most ▁often ▁tun ed ▁to ▁D - A - D - G ▁( although ▁tun ing