I haven't been taking in a lot of this stuff, but looking at the plans, any assymettry in the body/soundboard shape looks fairly minor, and the question really arises with the neck. Isn't this simply a question of the number of strings, as with the theorbo? The 'ribbon' (for want of a better word) appears to be correctly placed over the body only when the neck is skewiff, because some of the strings don't go over the fingerboard.
Anyway, isn't this lute builder list material? I'm sure I had a couple of responses from Martin and David (Shepherd and Edwards respectively) when I first decided to have a go at a theorbo. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Michael Thames" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "lute list" <[email protected]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Vance Wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 6:44 PM Subject: Re: symm/asymm & perfect/imperfect > >Vance said > > The point here is that the > >use of asymmetry was to create the illusion of symmetry. > > Why would anyone want the illusion of symmetry, when one can have the > real thing? Stradivari obviously thought very highly of symmetry, since all > of his moulds are symmetrical. > > Michael Thames > www.ThamesClassicalGuitars.com > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Vance Wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "lute list" <[email protected]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Sunday, May 29, 2005 9:28 AM > Subject: Re: symm/asymm & perfect/imperfect > > > > After reading Mr. Lundbergs book several times I have come to the > conclusion > > that he must be correct. He claims to have examined actual instruments > that > > all show the same asymmetry, the neck cocked toward the base side of the > > Lute. He goes on to explain that the body does indeed have a center line, > > and the neck does indeed have a center line, but the juxtaposition of both > > elements does not extend the two center lines so that they become one > common > > center line. Can anyone site an historical instrument where a common > center > > line is obvious? > > > > I realize the argument can be made that the instruments have become warped > > and twisted over time but knowing wood as I do, if that were so, there > would > > be evidence in a dramatic distortion of both the treble and base sides of > > the bowel. The base side would show evidence of compression causing an > > obvious kink near the joint of the neck and bowel. The treble side would > > show evidence of separation at the same point understanding that wood this > > old cannot be stretched, it only cracks and separates. > > > > Vance Wood. > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> > > Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 3:15 PM > > Subject: RE: symm/asymm & perfect/imperfect > > > > > > > Ron Fletcher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said: > > > > > > > Hi Michael, > > > > > > > > Going back to your initial posting about lute symmetry. In the > > > > Stradivari workshop on your recent trip to Italy, you saw a paper > > > > template for a lute body, folded along the centre-line. > > > > > > Is it clear how this template was used? > > > > > > I can see many possibiltys, including the possiblity of other templates > > > now missing. > > > > > > Perhaps this was part of a study, and represents another makers work; > > > are there any strad-made lutes surviving to compare this template to? > > > > > > Sorry, i suppose lots of this has been discussed already, I have been > > > skipping lots of email the past few weeks, too much apparant flaming, > > > not enough time to indulge in reading, let alone responding. > > > -- > > > dana emery > > > > > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
