The first lute I purchased back around 2000 is a Bella Gemza. It was in a music
store on consignment and I knew next to nothing about lutes at that time except
that I wanted to play one. It is an 8 course lute, huge and heavy, similar in
weight to my Guild F50-BL guitar, that being about 2 to 3 times the weight of
any other 8 course I've played. I have taken some photos of it if you have some
place I can email them for archival uploading. I don't recall if this list
allows file uploads. If it does let me know and I'll just attach them on
another email.
The lute has metal frets on the finger board, and wooden ones on the body. The
peg box has a rider for the chanterelle and very large ebony tuning pegs. It
also has a gilded metal rose. All the wood used is very thick, attributing to
its weight, even the belly is thicker than one normally sees. I think the body
is rosewood, and the belly is some kind of spruce. It has a very deep tone,
almost what one hears in a theorbo or bass lute.
Beyond knowing that Gemza worked out of Cleveland and was mainly a maker of
guitars I know nothing of him. Somewhere I have some newspaper clippings that
came with the lute but having moved several times over the past 18 years they
are likely in a box in storage.
The history of this lute as I was told by the music store owner is that it was
built on commission with another similar instrument by a fellow who later
decided that rather than play the lute he wanted to restore antique cars and so
was selling these instruments to raise money to but parts.
Please let me know where I can send the pictures if anyone is interested.
Regards,
Craig Allen
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