Over the years I have tried out a number of ideas for a model of lute that is good for polyphony. Specifically, I wanted something for both playing and recording that reveals the maximum separation in the individual polyphonic parts, with tone and transparency. What I have now is a 65cm C36 lute copy, with shaded yew, and "double wide" spacing. The space is larger between the pairs of strings, and each pair is wider between the unisons and octaves. It does result in a more transparent sound for polyphony. However, not recommended for smaller hands. If you play the theorbo, it will seem small anyway. Actually, the transparency is also good for ricercars, even though the music is not as complex, but where you really hear the difference is in the multipart compositions, and also lute songs. The width takes some getting used to, and I will also try a model with the same spacing and a smaller mensur, when I get around to it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/42226428@N03/sets/72157635192655310/
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