Further to the recent mailings about using supports to the bar ends of
lutes (as commonly found on guitars) to avoid then becoming loose,
there were few responses and the gist seemed to bit that it was a good
idea and unlikely to injure the instrument's tone.
This may be the case, but I'd like to insert a note of caution: as far
as I'm aware no old lute has such bar end supports so we need to be
very careful before considering their general modern use. Perhaps the
slight angle between the rib and belly - a little less than a right
angle - provides sufficient end support if the bars are fitted
precisely to the rib and at the exact same angle (not possible on the
guitar which is a right angle). And, of course, the vast majority of
lute makers did not seem to make guitars - and vice-versa (few
exceptions such as Tielke of course and a some workshops) .
One other factor which provides more secure bar end fixing also occurs
to me: Mace speaks of a method of sticking on the belly in one
operation (and of ensuring the bar ends are very well applied with
glue). It's a procedure I now usually follow and, tho' it can be a bit
nerve-wracking, the capability of animal glue to be readily remelted
in-situ allows post fixing adjustments to be easily made (and indeed
Mace mentions this). If one makes a pig's ear of the whole business one
can remove again, clean up and try again next day. It occurs to me
that the (modern?) method of sticking on a lute belly by working slowly
round trying to get glue into the join is fine - except when one comes
to the bar end where it can be difficult to ensure one has worked in
sufficient glue - in short the bar end may be starved.
The latest original historic lute I've been able to examine inside in
detail is a 1773 instrument by Stautinger which exhibits all lute
construction features and has no bar end supports. Altho an internal
repair had taken place to the back which had suffered a serious dent,
access had been made by the rose being cut out (and crudely replaced
after) rather than the belly being removed; the original belly
fixing/gluing was still (I believe) in place - and the external wooden
liner (as commonly found on 18th century lutes) seemed wholly
undisturbed. All the bars were still glued securely to the sides (with
quite a bit of squeeze out evident on a few too).
In short, if the bar ends are closely fitted to the angled ribs and
sufficient glue is put onto the ends I think there is no need to
consider additional supports like those being suggested. But I
understand very high humidity, in the US especially, may be a
contributory factor to bar end failure with which we here do not have
to cope......
MH
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