A charango (from either Quechua kirkinchu, armadillo) is a little South American stringed instrument of the lute family, usually those days are gone than 40 to 60 cm long, traditionally made sustaining a eggshell of the back of an kirkinchu.

While a Spanish 'conquistadors' come to South United states, it brought a vihuela (an root of the definitive guitar) using the two. A native luthers liked a healthy a vihuela manufactured, however lacked a technology to shape a wood in this manner.

Now manufactured other unremarkably of wood, with a bowled back imitating the shape of the armadillo plate. Unlike virtually all wooden lutes, a immune system & neck come often manufactured of one prevent of wood, carved into shape. A charango's tenner strings expect quite an big headstock, typically approaching or exceeding a size of its bantam healthy pack. Aside from either these ocular distinctions, it resembles the little ukulele.

A charango has 5 pairs (or even courses) of strings, occasionally tuned GCEAE. This tuning, disregarding octaves, is similar to the average C-tuning of the 'ukulele or the Venezuelan cuatro, with the addition of a second E-string.

A charango originated in the 18th century Andes, probably from Amerindian contact with Spanish settlers.

A ronroco is a larger relative of the charango, normally tuned of these octave lower berth. A waylacho is the smaller relative, commonly tuned a for higher.