Here shown is the excellent craftsmanship from the Cambodia musical instrument makers. From the exquisite bone inlay, to the snake skin cover, the Tro U is a traditional musical instrument of Cambodia. It produces a very distinctive high pitched sound that is not irritating but extremely sweat in all its overtones. The bow string actually sets in between the two strings. By pressing the fingers on the strings and either playing on the lower string or the upper string changes the pitch.

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Here is a except from a review by Michael Simmons, review editor for for Fiddler Magazine.

The Tro is ubiquitous in Cambodia and it's nearly impossible to escape its plaintive wail. It's the standard instrument of blind street muscians, it's a featured instrument in both classical and folk ensembles, and it even turns up regularly on the pop songs that pour from every bar, cafe, and karaoke joint. There are three kinds of Tro: the Tro U (offered on the Portal Market) which has a small, round wooden or horn body and a snakeskin head; the Tro So, a larger baitone version with a coconut body; and the Tro Khmer, which has three strings.

The Tro U and Tro So originally came from China and are very similar to the Erhu, while the Tro Khmer probably originated in Malaysia, or perhaps Indonesia. The bow passes between the strings on the two-stringed versions. The player presses down on one string to get the high notes and pulls up, using the "underside" of the bow, to play the low notes. The strings were once made of silk but these days they are made of metal.

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