> The lute isn't a single instrument EXACTLY. But a hundred people stop by here using the same plans, or the same set of information that isn't complete enough to let them know how to vary the parameters to make more than that single instrument. Which often, in my experience, seems to be a descant lute. I'd hate to have a whole generation of luthiers and luteplayers go by thinking that such a lute therefore represented a standard, when it more likely has to do with keeping prices down for those just starting out, or, possibly, for the person who sells the plans, costs of large pieces of paper and the equipment and availability of machines to draw on them being what they are. van Edwards, as always, seems to be the exception... I don't even know what to call the size of paper his plans came on. Most of the other plans I've received are on poster-sized paper, with plans scaled accordingly. I use their little cardboard tubes to hold down the edges of David's plans.
Which brings me to the start of the thread again: I was wondering how to bridge the gap between the starting builder and one who has made The Grand Tour of all of the museums and made drawings themselves. Buying drawings from those museums seemed like a plausible step. I do not doubt the value or skill of drawings from the 70s, but I have wondered if they were looking at things from a Hauser-like perspective or the budding historical authenticity movement that was going on then. If they were simply recording the data, that's great. Thanks for your input, Ben To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
