7 course renaissance lute

[Jo Dusepo]

Completed this week. Took a little longer than usual due to stopping for the recent holidays. Built this for a customer in Sweden.

[Karl Wicklund]

Another nice job! What woods did you use for the staves?

[Jo Dusepo]

Another nice job! What woods did you use for the staves?

This one has maple and meranti ribs. The customer asked for alternating colours.

[Marshall Dixon]

The contrasting colors work well. I'm not sure which colors to believe of the two backs, but I'm colorblind anyway.

I haven't heard much Renaissance music outside of Monteverdi, which didn't capture my heart. But I know that Resphigi's Ancient Airs and Dances were transcriptions of, or influenced by the lute music of the Renaissance. (Don't know exactly; just my recollection of the liner notes of my recording.) I love those pieces.

A beautiful instrument you made. It's inspired me to listen to some of that old time stuff.

p.s. what wood did you use for the tuning pegs?

[Jo Dusepo]

The contrasting colors work well. I'm not sure which colors to believe of the two backs, but I'm colorblind anyway.

I haven't heard much Renaissance music outside of Monteverdi, which didn't capture my heart. But I know that Resphigi's Ancient Airs and Dances were transcriptions of, or influenced by the lute music of the Renaissance. (Don't know exactly; just my recollection of the liner notes of my recording.) I love those pieces.

A beautiful instrument you made. It's inspired me to listen to some of that old time stuff.

p.s. what wood did you use for the tuning pegs?

If you're looking to get into that stuff, the obvious choice would be John Dowland, but I usually prefer the earlier stuff like Francesco Da Milano, Tielman Susato, Michael Praetorius, Marco Dall'Aquila, Guillaume de Morlaye, Luis De Milan, Luis de Narvaez, Enriquez de Valderrabano, Miguel de Fuenllana, Alonso Mudarra, Adrian Le Roy, etc.

Anyway, the pegs are boxwood.

[Marshall Dixon]

Thanks for the recommendations. I have several transcriptions in various anthologies. About 30 years ago I picked up Frederick Noad's ”The Renaissance Guitar” and tried some of those pieces. I couldn't get them to sound right. Now with the internet it's much easier to get another perspective.

[Brian Evans]

7 courses, 13 strings. Which string is not doubled, and why? You have me very curious!

[Jo Dusepo]

7 courses, 13 strings. Which string is not doubled, and why? You have me very curious!

The highest course is called the chanterelle and is always single on lutes. It's for playing faster passages.

[Jo Dusepo]

Here's another one I built:

and here's how it sounds in the customer's hands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phZBCwOfxas