If it's your very first lute (i.e., you don't yet own a playable instrument), one important issue is how long you will have to wait. Some luthiers can satisfy an order within a few months to a year, others have waiting lists of many years. I recently received a lute from a well-known luthier that had been on order for eight years. It's an absolutely gorgeous instrument, and for me, well worth the wait, but I already had two lutes to keep me occupied in the interim (along with a serpent, a sackbut, a cittern...). You probably wouldn't want to wait that long for your first lute.
OTOH, you do want to go with a reputable builder, even if it does mean a bit of a wait. $300 lutes from e-bay are quick, but you are likely to regret it. The quickest good option is to find a decent used instrument (which is what I did), but that's easier said than done. I got lucky. For used instruments, check Wayne's list of instruments for sale, and also the (English) Lute Society. Guy -----Original Message----- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of seth.ap...@gmail.com Sent: Saturday, September 12, 2009 3:33 PM To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: [LUTE] Lute shopping advice? Hello! I am brand new to this list but have already been very entertained by the conversation. Recently someone asked for some advice on purchasing a lute and I was a bit surprised by the lack of responses. I am assuming a public forum is not a comfortable place to discuss the pros and cons of various luthiers. So, to take a step back and to reframe this from a larger view: how would one go about selecting a luther from which to commission a lute? All non-maker specific advice would be greatly appreciated. Regards, Seth Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
