> From: ron fernandez <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 12:55:54 -0700 > To: [email protected] > Subject: [CITTERN] End pins on Andrade Guitarra > > Dear Roger, > > When I bought the Andrade guitarra the end pins were mismatched. Some of > them were wooden or plastic cribbage pins. I made an ebony pin by hand > to replace one. So, the pins are not original. > > There is no hole which could be used to attach a typical Portuguese > guitarra metal string bracket. There also were no markings in the side > or top which would evidence wear caused by a metal string bracket. > > There are indentations into the binding made by the strings. If there > had been a metal string bracket there would not typically be string > indentation at that place. I have placed a clear plastic strip over the > binding at the place the strings come across to reduce further damage. > > There are 12 end pin holes. Six are drilled about 12mm from the top and > 6 are drilled about 23mm from the top. They are fairly straight in line > and equally separated (+ or - 0.5mm in alignment). > > In short, I think that the end pin holes are original and that there > never was a metal string bracket as you have conjectured. > > As far as end pins are concerned, there are examples of similar end pins > on an 1870 Manuel Pereira guitarra made in Lisbon and an 1890 Manuel > Pereira dos Santos in Pedro Caldeira Cabral Collection. These > instruments are shown in exceptionally detailed photographs in a > "special and exclusive edition" put out by Caixa Geral de Depósitos (a > Portuguese financial institution) call The Portuguese Guitar published > in the 1990's or in 2000 (there is no date in the book). Pedro Calderia > Cabral kindly gave me a copy of this book along with a 2 DVD set of his > recordings entitled Portuguese Guitar Memories which was a special set > made for the International Monetary Fund Annual Meeting in Prague in > September 2000. > > I think that the historical evidence about the popularity of Portuguese > guitarra in Britain, the dates in which Alban Voigt imported such > instruments, the fact that the label identifies Alban Voigt as the > importer and the existence of the Havelock Mason book from the 1890's > speak clearly to the matter of dating the Andrade guitarra. > > Roger, I thank you for all of your questioning. For the moment I want to > discontinue this detailed discussion until I am finished with shipping > my Christmas orders. I should say that I intend to do a DVD in the new > year on playing the Portuguese guitarra which will include a section > showing my collection of Portuguese guitarras. I would like to pick up > these matters of dating in the new year after the DVD is out so everyone > can see the instruments and join in finding red flags. > > Abraços, > > Ron Fernández >
Hi Ron; I would like to see those pictures you mention above some day -- maybe you could scan one after Christmas and post it? That the current setup will necessarily cause damage without some kind of protection is something a good builder would have seen beforehand and made made some kind of accommodation for, I would think. That's why it still seems like an unprofessional design solution to me. [I did later see the piece of transparent plastic you've laid over the edge] The instrument has seen so much refinishing that I'll have to take your word about any markings that may once have existed on it. If it's true that none of the existing holes could once have been used to fasten some kind of tail hardware that's probably the best proof. For curiosity's sake, is there any reinforcing strip of wood on the interior behind the pegs, or is the thin wall of the sides material the only thing holding the pins and any forces exerted upon them? "cribbage pins" -- I'll be sure to remember that. Might come in handy some day ;-) later Roger To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
