Dear Stewart, Stewart McCoy wrote:
>However, I haven't pursued it, because > >1) I find it hard to keep the lute steady, when it is on the table, >and there is no need at home for the sound to be amplified. That would appear to be a major concern. Chris mentioned that the other position shown in paintings is the lute trapped between the edge of the table and the body of the player, though he admits that one must be careful not to damage the lute top by pressing to hard. >2) Extra volume would be useful for public performances, but I don't >fancy carrying a great big table around every time I have a gig. No, I suppose carrying a small dining room table around would be a bit inconvenient. However I did talk to Chris and Phil Rukavina, also of the VLQ, and I am in the process of designing a table for them that can be knocked down flat for easy stowage and carrying but would look nice on stage and fit well for the quartet. They currently play around tables when in concert but are usually stuck with metal and masonite cafeteria tables which don't resonate at all. What I am designing would be four distinct sound chambers built into a graduated arc and attached to each other to make one contiguous table. Assembly would be a sort of pintle and gudgeon affair of blocks and pegs. The table tops would overhang the back by enough for the players to comfortably put their knees in close and not have to lean over to get the lute to the table. Sorry if the description is a bit vague, drawings would better illustrate what I mean. Imagine the arc formed by half an octagon but with the angles less severe so that the curve is more shallow. I will be starting work on the prototype late next month and will be making several trips up to NY to Chris' for him to make tests and suggest alterations. Regards, Craig To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
