Help: Citterns & lutes

Subject: Citterns & lutes
From: Rob the Ranter
Date: 26 May 00 - 01:59 AM

Citterns & Lutes???

I have wanted to play both these istruments for ages. Can Anyone give me an idea of what to look for. Prices for good beginner's instruments. Good lutiers etc. I am grateful for any information you can share.

I play the guitar; what diferences should I expect in terms of tuning chord forms and scales? Are they drastically different from the guitar?
Thanks!
Rob

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: Chicky
Date: 26 May 00 - 02:34 AM

Hi Rob

We have a lutenist in our band (who has just bought a new vihuela, and a cute little thing it is too!) who may be able to answer your query, so I'll pass it on to him tonite.

BTW, where are you? The price will be different (we're in Oz), and the recommended luthiers will be too.

Cheers

- Chicky

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: Brendy
Date: 26 May 00 - 02:57 AM

Try Here, Here, and Here

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: Brendy
Date: 26 May 00 - 03:03 AM

And again, and finally, Here

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: Rob the Ranter
Date: 26 May 00 - 03:46 AM

Yes, it may be helpful to let you know where I am:

CALIFORNIA

-Rob

A lark in the Morning lists one for beginners marked at $500 US but I wonder about the quality and would like to get a bit of knowledge before going to try them out. Prices average about $1400.00 on the web sites I've visited.

Cheers!

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: KathWestra
Date: 26 May 00 - 10:15 AM

Nick Apollonio of Maine makes beautiful stringed instruments of all kinds, including citterns. I just bought one from him at the New England Folk Festival (5 sets of double strings, tuned DADAD), and it's a beauty. Send me a private e-mail and I'll give you Nick's e-mail address if you're interested in getting in touch. Nick has made lots of Gordon Bok's guitars, and is also a wonderful musician. He and his wife Kristin have a CD called "More Music of the Maine Coast" that's lovely (and features Nick's instruments as well as Kristin's harp).

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: GUEST,Prezmyra
Date: 26 May 00 - 11:21 AM

Salvete!

When you're picking a lute, look carefully at the pegs and frets. On a "real" lute. the pegs will be just that- pegs stuck in holes in the pegboard. If the pegs & holes aren't individually, carefully fitted, the strings will slip with great regularity. This makes a really good lute quite expensive- I talked to one gentleman who restores stringed instruments, and he said he charged about $200 *per peg* to fix a poor fit. If you've got an 8-course lute, that's 15 pegs. Be careful with really inexpensive lutes, as they're usually made "assembly-line" fashion and fit isn't that good. The instrument I play (which belongs to my college; I can't afford a nice one of my own yet) was made that way, and cost about $800. Whenever it gets rather damp or dry, I have a lot of trouble with keeping it in tune for that reason. Also, the frets on a "real" lute will be tied on, actually wrapped around the neck of the instrument. They sometimes slip, too, and need to be re-tied. (This may not be a problem on a higher-quality lute; it is on the one I use.)

Your alternative to an authentically constructed lute is to get one made with guitar construction. If you're not terribly concerned with historical accuracy, this might be a better idea. The pegs are the screw-type guitar pegs, and frets are inset. Keeping these in tune is easier, and (though I'm not positive) I believe they might also be less expensive than a comparable-quality "real" lute, because the pegs don't have to be individually carved.

And, on a lighter note:

How do you define a lutenist?

A musician who spends half their time tuning and the other half playing out-of-tune.

Good luck! Prezmyra

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: Jim Krause
Date: 26 May 00 - 12:27 PM

I found a gentleman out in California, Petaluma, to be exact, who is a supurb craftsman. Lyn Elder, Elder Instruments made an 18th century English guittar(sic) for me a couple of years back. You can see pictures of it here. He specializes in Renaissance stringed instruments. His address is Lyn Elder, Elder Instruments, 1696 Eastman Ln., Petaluma, CA. I'm sorry I don't have the zip code in front of me.

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: GUEST,T in Oklahoma (Okiemockbird)
Date: 26 May 00 - 01:17 PM

Here is what looks like a not-too-expensive beginner's lute. It has a flat back, rather than a tortoiseshell back.

HHere is a Spanish luthier, Jesús Reolid.

Here is an index page to his instruments.

Here are his lutes and vihuelas, though I think two of those "lutes" should probably be classified as medieval guitars, a.k.a. gitterns.

T.

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: Rob the Ranter
Date: 26 May 00 - 04:38 PM

Wow Soddy!

The Baltimore Consort play Lyn Elder's citterns and Petaluma is only about thirty minutes west of me. I'll look him up.

Thanks you have all helped tremendously!

Rob

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 May 00 - 05:14 PM

Check out what Hobgoblin International have to offer (and here is a link to their USA website - including Citterns). It's a great catalogue, by post or on the web, even if you don't end up buying from them.

Citterns and Irish Bouzoukis have converged - both have courses of doubled strings; citerns tend to have five courses and bouzoukis four courses. There aren't really standardised tunings, but if you play guitar you won't be at sea. Especially if you go in for funny guitar tunings to start with.

Subject: RE: Help: Citterns & lutes
From: Gypsy
Date: 28 Jan 03 - 10:57 PM

Well, rather than start a new thread, i'll just drift with this one. New member of the group is enamoured of the handsome mando players 12 string, but wants to smuggle it in to Ren Faire. Whattaya think, can a lute be tuned to a 12 string tuning? Would the neck length allow this? Any advice greatly appreciated.