Just a note.... There is substantial evidence of wound strings used on late 18th & early 19th century guitars..on the title page of many works published in Vienna shows this very clearly.
Also, if my memory serves me well, there is a reference to the use of wound strings (of some sort) in the preface to Lecoq's book (1729). Finally, I recall having seen a 17th c. or 18th c. painting that shows silver strings on the neck of a small archlute. As I am not at home (in rehearsals in Denver for Handel's Giulio Cesare with Opera Colorado....) I can't lay my hands on this now.....but it might be in a private collection. This is not to say that any of the above supports the thesis that this was the norm.....but I some times wonder how much is dependent on personal taste. RS -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
