----- Original Message ----- From: "Vance Wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Rob Dorsey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 12:24 PM Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: 1733 ebay lute for a mere ...
> Thanks Rob for the non-sarcastic response. I agree with you as it seems you > agree with me. As to the dealer being duped, that one is kind of difficult > to swallow. If he/she is a reputable dealer in antique instruments he/she > must certainly know, and I like your term cobbled mess, this is not a Lute. > God knows that there are enough real Lutes around in Museums across the > world, in books, on the street that one would know this is not a legitimate > Lute of any configuration a serious Lute player would obtain for any purpose > other than to destroy it before it multiplies. > > Vance Wood. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Rob Dorsey" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "'Vance Wood'" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 11:32 AM > Subject: RE: [LUTE] Re: 1733 ebay lute for a mere ... > > > > Vance, > > > > Actually I have an original hurdy gurdy from the 18th century (don't know > > exactly when as the Flemish maker didn't see fit to attach a label) and it > > has a lute bowel purpose built for the instrument. This I deduced from the > > thickness of the shell. It's almost 3mm! > > > > I agree that the instrument on eBay is a cobbled up mess and I might give > > fifty bucks for it just for a wall hanger and curiosity. $20 large? > > Fuggitaboutit! Some of the pegs look to be whittled out and don't match > the > > others, the bridge is in the wrong place for a lute (the "rule of 6" not > > being applied), the end cap is huge (more like a galute or hurdy gurdy) > and > > the frets appear to be black wood of some kind either inlet into the neck > or > > just glued on. In all it's a muddled mess of instrument building styles > and > > parts. I adhere to the 19th century "rip-off" theory. Victorian dandies > > would buy anything that could be hung on the walls to make them look the > > renaissance man. > > > > My humble opinion (my wife says I should not say that, ever, since she > > claims that I've never had a "humble opinion") is that it looks authentic > > enough to fool this dealer and he's, perhaps innocently, passing on the > > subterfuge. > > > > Best, > > Rob Dorsey > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Vance Wood [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Saturday, April 08, 2006 11:18 AM > > To: Rob Dorsey > > Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: 1733 ebay lute for a mere ... > > > > It is possible that the bowel is an original 1733 bowel from an original > > 1733 instrument. It is possible that the glued in paper from an early > piece > > of manuscript or publication was used, that's not a stretch considering > that > > a lot of Bach's manuscripts were used to wrap fish in, or so the story > goes. > > Printed or manuscript music from this period is precious to us, but a > couple > > of hundred years ago it was salvageable garbage useful for the purpose we > > see here. > > > > I still think the sound board, neck with metal frets, and peg box are > > essentially modern additions, no latter than the Nineteenth-Century. The > > real issue is whether the instrument is worth the money as a collectible > > antique, which I doubt, or whether it is worth the money as a playable > Lute, > > which I really doubt. I will be the first to admit that I know little or > > nothing of some of the other instruments being discussed here, but if I > > remember the original post correctly the question was concerning a Lute. > > This is not a Lute as it is now configured. Neither is a Hurdy Gurdy, > which > > as I understand it was an instrument many of which were made from old > Lute > > bowels. > > > > The point is, having parts from an original 1733 Lute on some > non-descript > > instrument of questionable attribution or date, does not make it a 1733 > > Lute. I do not see how that argument can be disputed. If the instrument > is > > being sold as an original 1733 Lute then it is a fraud and a very bad one > > seeking to take advantage of the less knowledgeable. > > > > Vance Wood. > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
