[LUTE] Re: Frets

[Martyn Hodgson]

Dear Anthony,

The only early source which gives comprhensive and detailed fret sizes is, as 
far as I'm aware, John Dowland's 'OTHER NECESSARIE Observations....' Varietie 
(1610). Here Dowland relates fret sizes to strings of the lute:

Fret 1 and 2: countertenor ie 4th course

3 and 4: as Great Meanes ie 3rd

5 and 6: as Small Meanes ie 2nd

7, 8 and 9: as Trebles ie 1st

You'll see that this gives much thinner frets than most commonly use today. It 
also enables a lute to be set very 'fine' with very low distance from the 
fingerboard even at the highest frets.

Interestingly, larger lutes (with as is said elsewhere ought to have thicker 
strings) will have thicker frets.

Of course, the sizes depend on the precise stringing but I can't see any 
reasonable stringing on a mean lute requiring a first of 0.70mm.  

MH

--- On Sun, 11/5/08, Anthony Hind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> From: Anthony Hind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: [LUTE] Re: Frets
> To: "Bruno Correia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Net" 
> <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
> Date: Sunday, 11 May, 2008, 10:42 AM
> Lundberg in his Historical Lute Construction says the
> following.
> 
> "The eight frets on a Renaissance lute are generally
> arranged so that  
> they descend in diameter towards the body. I would
> typically use the  
> following diameters:
> 
> Fret 1  1.00mm
> Fret 2   0.90mm
> Fret 3- 0.85mm
> Fret 4  0,82mm
> Fret 5- 0.79mm
> Fret 6- 0.76mm
> Fret 7- 0.73mm
> Fret 8- 0.70mm
> 
> However, gut varies, so don't worry about being really
> exact. The  
> main points to consider are that the first fret shoudl be
> large, the  
> second fret should drop considerably in diameter, and each
> of the  
> rest should be about .03mm smaller than the preceding.
>       If the lute has a very high action, that is, if the height
> of the  
> strings above the fingerboard at the neck/body join is, for
> example,  
> in the vicinity of 5mm, then it would be better to tie on
> frets of a  
> more constant size or even the same size. If on the other
> hand, the  
> action is low, then a larger 1st fret together with a
> bigger drop  
> between frets and ending with a .66mm might help."
> 
> This book is well worth having for its very reasonable
> price.
> Regards
> Anthony
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Le 11 mai 08 à 05:17, Bruno Correia a écrit :
> 
> > With so many gauges fretting the lute become quite
> expensive...  
> > What about
> > using te same gauge from the 4th until the last? Would
> you have a  
> > photo from
> > your lute with the fretting described below? I wish I
> could see it  
> > to try
> > myself.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
> >
> > 2008/5/10 The Other <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
> >
> >> Using Thomas Mace's method of tying double
> frets; locking forceps to
> >> pull the frets tight enough; Dan Larson fret gut;
> in One Quarter  
> >> Comma
> >> Meantone Temperament, with two 1st frets instead
> of using a tastini.
> >>
> >> Fret 1a (peg box side)- 1.00mm
> >> Fret 1b (bridge side)- 0.95mm
> >> Fret 2- 0.95mm  (yes, same size as Fret 1b)
> >> Fret 3- 0.90mm
> >> Fret 4- 0.85mm
> >> Fret 5- 0.80mm
> >> Fret 6- 0.75mm
> >> Fret 7- 0.70mm
> >> Fret 8- 0.65mm
> >>
> >> No buzzing.
> >>
> >> Regards,
> >> "The Other" Stephen Stubbs.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> > --
> >
> > To get on or off this list see list information at
> > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html


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