The kabosy is a wooden guitar shaped like a box that is often played in Madagascar's music. It has four to six strings and is believed to have come from the Arabic oud through the gambus, an instrument used in Southeast Asia by people from Malay regions. The kabosy has unevenly spaced frets, many of which do not span the full length of the fretboard, and is usually tuned to an open chord.

A similar instrument with evenly spaced frets is called a mandalina or mandoliny.

Kabosys are often made by hand using found materials, and their appearance can vary widely based on the builder and available resources. They may be strung with nylon (such as fishing line) or steel (like wire or cable from scrap).