If "this combination" refers to a scalloped fingerboard along with metal frets, the 6-string mandolino lombardo, popular in northern Italy in roughly the same time frame as the lauten of the wendervogel movement, also typically featured scalloped fingerboards. They were also strung in gut, usually with wound basses.
Eugene > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of Sean Smith > Sent: Friday, May 27, 2011 5:53 PM > To: lute > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Speaking of citterns.... > > > I don't know of any gut strung instruments (in the 16th century) with > metal frets --probably for just the reason you state. Metal frets > usually seemed to go hand-in-hand with scalloped frets, too. I had > assumed that it decreases any sharp bend north of the fret to prevent > wayward intonation although in doing so it could possibly increase the > stringlife. > > Guitars in the early 20th century used metal frets and gut together, I > presume. I remember seeing an old wandervogel lute with scalloped > frets. Are there more examples of this combination? > > Sean > > > On May 27, 2011, at 2:41 PM, Edward Mast wrote: > > I had a Hauser-model lute with metal frets. Worked fine with heavy > gauge strings. But when I decided to try some lighter gauge lute > strings (like what I'm not using on my more historical instrument), > the metal frets wore through the windings of the wound strings within > a week. I suspect they would wear down gut strings, also. So, I > assume metal frets would have been suitable for wire strung > instruments only. But I'm only surmising; I have no historical > evidence! > On May 27, 2011, at 5:31 PM, Sean Smith wrote: > > > > > Andrew Hartig has set up an all-things-cittern site at: > > http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/ > > > > have fun, > > Sean > > > > > > On May 27, 2011, at 2:14 PM, David Smith wrote: > > > > I understand that 16th century citterns had metal (wire?) frets built > > into the fingerboard rather than the tied-on frets used on lutes until > > much later. Is it known when metal frets started being used and what > > instruments they were used on? > > -- > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > >
