With apologies for not having read the entire thread, and for my lack of knowledge of the specifics of the main courses of a theorbo, may I say that the "maximum breaking stress" of strings is fixed at a pitch, but that is a pitch for each length. There is no way I could find a resonating string to octave string my second course on my 63cm "lute" tuned to G at the first course. It is difficult enough to maintain the G (but the nylon fishing line works quite well, it rings and it holds pitch).
> > Other than wishful thinking, there is no evidence for use of a theorbo > > second course strung in octaves; indeed, since the stress of a higher > > octave second would exceed the maximum breaking stress, it is highly > > unlikely. > > The second course at the upper octave was standard for English theorboes, > some of which were pitched in A. So either your "maximum breaking stress" > is overly pessimistic, or you've just proved that the English theorbo was > also a chimera. > > HP I recommend you all to look beyond your particular instruments, and at the ranges possible with strings when the length is varied. Not that I expect you to develop a harp from a lute, just realize that a lute, or theorbo, with a shorter base length could easily be strung as octave courses from 1st course to bottom. There would be a number of compromises involved, including the overall length of the instrument. And the sound quality would change, but it already does with the mandola and mandolin. The maximum pitch of a string is relatively fixed, as has been said. But that is relative to the length of the string, not the material. I work with strings of nylon (and wire) as short as four inches (what is that, 2.54x4). Obviously one can't so that with a lute, but the overall size of the lute (or theorbo) might allow the "octaving" of upper strings. Best, Jon
