Martina Rosenberger wrote: > Now here is a very odd theory, that dashed into my brain last night > about > the Gibson instrument in Amsterdam. .. > Does anyone have a clue, it that would be a possibility?
There are some very interesting possibilities in your theory, although it of course will have to be just speculations for now. We don't know nearly enough to draw any conclusions. I don't think the instrument has been converted to a modern cittern/bouzouki though, because: + A fixed bridge is not typical for the "Irish" bouzouki or the "Irish" cittern. There are a few that have it, but most don't. There are however plenty of examples throughout history of people gluing in place floating bridges on all kinds of instruments. (Some actually claim it doesn't affect the sound. ;-) + The stringing may well have been changed at some later date, but I seriously doubt the scale length would have been. That would have required a brand new neck and I'm sure somebody would have noticed such an extensive modification. 46,8 cm is much shorter than you would expect on a "Irish" cittern/bouzouki anyway. + The "Irish" bouzouki and the "Irish" cittern didn't appear until around 1970. If somebody modified the instrument at such a late date (which seems unlikely) they probably would have added modern tuners too. Apparently a ten string five course Gibson cittern isn't that unique btw. Not usre if it has been mentioned already, but there's one in the National Museum of Ireland: http://www.iol.ie/~didly-didly/Cittern2.html Here's another very similar one, but apparently with a more regular six course configuration: http://www.gitaarnet.nl/magazine/artikelen/snariteiten/cittern.php3 Not sure if it's an original or a replica. Of course, virtually identical instruments with either six or five courses may suggest that the former is a later date adaptation, which is more than interesting. But take a look at no. 30 on this list: http://www.vintage-instruments.com/catalogs/historic.htm It's a Perry, not a Gibson, but it's from the same time and place and it's got only nine strings. Surely that one must have had just five courses all the time? (No. 26 on the list is a bit unusual too btw. I wouldn't call that one an English guittar.) Frank Nordberg http://www.musicaviva.com http://www.tablatvre.com http://www.mandolin-player.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
