 |
|
|
|
|
|
Nine & Ten Course Lutes - from £2950
Ten Course (Renaissance) L
Praetorius's Syntagma Musicum, 1619PPraetorius's Syntagma Musicum, 1619raetorius's Syntagma Musicum, 1619
Thomas Robinson's School of Music (1603) refers to nine course lutes - "Again if you have 14. 16. 18 strings, those basses are called Diapasones.....
The following year John Dowland's Lachrimae calls for a ninth course. The tenth course was probably introduced sometime around 1610.Paintings of the early 17th century suggest that ten course lutes were found in a variety of shapes and sizes. Many no doubt were built as ten course instruments in the latest Italian fashion with multi ribbed backs, though increasingly the preference for old lutes (especially in France) favoured the re-necking of early 16th century instruments. Evidence to suggest that most ten course lutes had necks long enough for nine or ten tied frets.
1. After Hieber/Venere. g' tuning
String length: 62.5cm.
Courses: 9/10
The design is based on the chor lute illustrated by Praetorius (see left), which from his scaled drawings is known to have measured approximately 62cm. The body, based on a Venere form. can have either thirteen or 19+ ribs. NIne tied frets on the neck. The neck and pegbox can be veneered in ebony or similar Ebony soundboard binding
2. Magno Tieffenbrucker C.45
String length 64.5 cm
Courses: 9/10
Back of 19 ribs - preferably yew with ebony filets. The neck has room for nine fret spaces. Neck and pegbox veneered in ebony or similar. Treble rider optional. Nine or ten courses. The amount of camber on the fingerboard can be made to suit the preferences of the player.click here to see photos of nine course.
3. Hans Frei (Vienna c. 34)
String length: 65cm
Courses: 9/10
This is a relatively small bodied instrument, so even though the neck has ten fret spaces t he string length of 65 cm is compact. The back has 11 ribs. Neck and pegbox are veneered in ebony. Chanterelle rider optional. The amount of camber on the fingerboard can be made to suit the preferences of the player.
4. Warwick Hans Frei
String length: 71 cm
Courses: 9/10
Eleven ribbed back on a classic form. The ebony veneered neck has room for nine tied frets. Treble rider optional. The amount of camber on the fingerboard can be made to suit the preferences of the player..
illustration from Besard's Isagoge in artem Testuduinarium (1617)
