>We take it more or less for granted that the reason so >many ivory or
>ebony lutes have survived is because of their price, rarity >and
>decorative qualities, rather than because they were >common in the past.
>I wonder whether yew comes into the same category >(though it is
>undoubtedly a better material for the job than ivory or >ebony).
From reading DAS History of the lute I get the impression that Yew
was very common, if not the most common for lutes.
In the inventory Magno Diafaberker it lists... 140 lutes of yew and
maple, 100 ordinary lutes, 110 lutes of yew and other, 10 lutes of
alternating sandalwood and ivory, 4 lutes of ivory, on and on.
Also, it lists by far, much more yew rib material than any other. 8800
yew ribs to be exact.
In the inventory of Fugger, it shows that he collected more lutes made
of ebony, ivory, and other exotic woods, rather than the common lutes made
of yew.
Michael Thames
www.ThamesClassicalGuitars.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "Martin Shepherd" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Lute Net" <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, June 27, 2005 2:52 AM
Subject: Re: Built-in action? Double frets
> Dear Chad and All,
>
> The question of what effect different woods have on lute tone is one
> which I am often asked but I don't have any easy answers.
>
> But I just wanted to say something about yew. Some modern makers are
> convinced that lutemakers started to use yew because it was simply the
> ideal material, even though it was often difficult to get. There is no
> doubt it is an excellent material for lute backs, but I wonder whether
> its main importance was decorative. Nearly all of the old yew lutes are
> multi-rib instruments where the use of heart/sap yew gives a wonderfully
> stripey appearance - the lutes look almost as though they have twice as
> many ribs as they actually have. I just wonder whether this wood was
> prized because it was rare and beautiful, rather than because it was
> better acoustically than anything else? I can't find the source at the
> moment, but there is a letter from a lutemaker complaining that he could
> only get enough yew to make three or four lutes a year - so what did he
> make the other 996 lutes out of?
>
> We take it more or less for granted that the reason so many ivory or
> ebony lutes have survived is because of their price, rarity and
> decorative qualities, rather than because they were common in the past.
> I wonder whether yew comes into the same category (though it is
> undoubtedly a better material for the job than ivory or ebony).
>
> Best wishes,
>
> Martin
>
> Chad McAnally wrote:
>
> >Michael,
> >Fleta was a really interesting chap. Years ago I had chance to play a
colleague's Fleta, it almost played itself to was so co-operative!!!
> >
> >In lutes, I've read that 1.) the harder the wood the ribs are made of,
the louder the lute, and 2.) towards the end of the 16th century makers
started to use Yew for the ribs, simply because large amounts of it had been
freed up from military uses. It seems that the use of woods like ebony
increased as well.
> >
> > Were these makers looking for more forward projection in their
instruments Or was it just a matter of having new "exotic" materials to
experiment with? ( or both? ) Imagine the advertisements: "New for 1587
Ebony and Snakewood 7 course models!!!"
> >
> >Chad
> >
> >
> >
> >Original Message -----
> > From: Michael Thames<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > To: lute<mailto:[email protected]> ; Chad
McAnally<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2005 6:15 PM
> > Subject: Re: Built-in action? Double frets
> >
> >
> >
> > > I've built both harps and guitars and it seems less >important what
the
> > back and sides are made of versus >how they are made;( ....within
> > reason....I wouldn't make >guitar sides of delrin or concrete!)
> > >I.e. that they are of the right thickness to resonate and still >be
strong
> > enough to support to the soundboard seems the >real key.
> >
> > >Chad
> >
> > Chad, I second that emotion. Each wood contributes to the tone in
one
> > way or another. But who can really say one is better than the other.
Maple
> > makes great guitars and lutes, as does ebony or rosewood.
> > Lacote, thought so little of the effect of the back and sides that
he
> > just used pine, with a veneer over it.
> > Fleta, actually made his own plywood from rosewood and spruce, for
the
> > back, and sides, and used this on what he called his "international
models",
> > to prevent cracking of the back.
> >
> > Michael Thames
> > www.ThamesClassicalGuitars.com<http://www.thamesclassicalguitars.com/>
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Chad McAnally"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>>
> > To: "lute" <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>>
> > Sent: Saturday, June 25, 2005 10:50 PM
> > Subject: Re: Built-in action? Double frets
> >
> >
> > > Hi Tony,
> >
> >--
> >
> >To get on or off this list see list information at
> >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
