[LUTE] Christmas Music
Performed the Messiah twice yesterday. This morning my fingers and my butt are still sore and I can't get the sounds of the Messiah out of my head. What a wonderful Christmas gift. Merry Christmas everyone. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Bare spot on soundboard.
Tony, It really depends on the angle your arm enters the soundboard and the length of your pinky relative to the index finger. If your arm enters the lute top well behind the bridge, the pinky naturally falls on the sound board. So it makes a good anchor point for finding the strings as well as keeping the lute in position. As the baroque necks got longer and peg boxes got heavier, the weight of the neck could be eased by raising the neck toward your head. Unfortunately that changes the angle your forearm comfortably makes with the bridge. Watch some of the hot shots and you will see what compromise they have reached between the two. Also watch the pinky lift on the big chords that involve both the very top and bottom strings. As my lutes got bigger I found my pinky raising more and more often, and eventually I stopped putting it down. One learns how to place the thumb for each chord without putting down a pinky by the relative position to the other fingers. My arm now enters the lute soundboard from a position directly above the bridge and I pluck the strings just below the rosette. The lute rests between my legs with a 45 degree neck angle to my body. I have to warm up a bit for my right hand to correctly find the basses, but after that I just recognize the chord and the thumb finds the note. A big benefit of this position is I sit upright in the chair and both arms find a comfortable position, allowing me to play longer, without shoulder or wrist discomfort. With the pinky up you can tolerate a taller bridge and closer spaced strings. My swan neck I play now has an beautiful englemann spruce top with no finish, touching it for any reason leaves a mark. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Scottish
Rob, My sincerest apologies for any hint of insult. I didn't recognize the fact that you were Scottish and would take umbrage. I do play the lute, bagpipe, and tuba among others. Keep up the good work on the new instrument. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: All this talk of other instruments
Cello-banjo sounds great, but wait till you hear my bagpipe tuba. I think I can awaken "nessie" with it in "also sprach loch ness" Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE-BUILDER] order of operations
Bill, There are several ways to do this. The way you mentioned works fine and gives a good clamp surface under the bridge. I have found that I like to glue the bridge on after the top is partially glued on. To get the first string to align with the edge of the fingerboard to the tolerances I like (the bridge is already drilled), I glue the soundboard to the front block and part of the way around the sides. I can then bend the soundboard up like the sole of an old shoe to get the clamps under the bridge area. This allows me a final inspection of the fingerboard action, the string alignment, and the fit of the important load bearing braces around the back half of the soundboard with the position of the soundboard set in its final position. Enough of the top is glued to basically fix the angle of the neck. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: -->Mechanical Pegs
I have no Idea why the `M' is dropped after Re:? in my responses. I added some characters above to see if some LEX is interpreting Re:M as a format command. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: echanical Pegs
I wonder if they sell the mechanism so you could use something other than ebony. Most of my lutes use boxwood. The pegs also taper in size down to very small ones on the upper peg box of my swan neck. On a related topic, I use a tee handle peg wrench which allows very delicate tuning, even on the upper box on a swan neck at arm's length. If you fear a peg slipping, something is not right with your peg/pegbox. Keep the lute in the case and add a humidity gauge. When the case drops below 40% RH put water in the humidifier. This keeps the pegs round and the soundboard happy. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: echanical pegs
I wonder if they weigh a lot more? An 8 course lute with pegs that are an ounce heavier means a pegbox that is pound heavier. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Eleonore von Schlieben-Sanditten
Jaroslaw, Just conjecture, but I would not use a working instrument to pose for many hours for a painting of this detail. I keep mine in a case at all times it is not being played to help keep it in tune. Do you think she would tolerate a lute of her own that dirty? In that dress? Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Eleonore von Schlieben-Sanditten
Jarislow, Certain things do stand out as accurate: 1) Lay a ruler down the edge of the fingerboard on both sides, these coincide with edges of the bridge. The neck was originally a baroque lute with a bent neck. The artist does not bother to correct the un-esthetic crossing of the neck angle with the extended bass strings. This concept is reinforced by the strap connecting to the body of the lute. This could not have been a theorbo or arch lute, the strap would then likely be attached to the back of the lower pegbox. The weight of the upper pegbox would have been too great to use a shoulder strap. 2) She could not have played the instrument at that angle because she would have to support the weight of the neck with her left hand, despite the articulate looking pose. 3) Strings placed on the unused nut slots would not lie on the fretboard unless moved over toward the center of the bridge on the other end. The bridge was intentionally re-drilled for this configuration. I would conjecture that this was done because the real user found the top string too close to the side of the fretboard, or wanted more string spacing on the bridge. 4) The entire string set is centered on the rosette. Someone altered the bridge holes to get the string set centered, and most likely to get more strings on the bridge. We can't see if the bridge extends beyond the bass strings, I think it might. 5) The artist has unusual dirt drawn on the top. There is the expected dirt where the higher frets are played, where they rest their head on the upper side of the belly, dirt around the bottom from handling it, and a faint line from the occasional pinky touch. The knee stain around the bottom looks like sweat that was cleaned off. The person who actually played this used the strap over the shoulder and rested the lute on the (at times sweaty) knee. In my opinion, this was a modified 10 or 11 course lute converted to a swan neck Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE-BUILDER] Re: calloped Ribs
Paul, The originals used what they had, linen or paper. The material has to absorb the glue and should shrink while drying. That leaves synthetics out. The silk I use is for larger model airplanes and I get it from [1]http://www.darehobby.com/, the #4 is heavy enough. This silk is thinner than paper, but stronger than kevlar. I cut it into 1/2" to 3/4" strips and use a small cup to soak the silk in glue. Allow the silk to expand for a few minutes in the glue before applying it to the ribs. Smooth it out with an artist brush. Do the odd joints and let dry, then do the even joints. When dry, you will barely be able to see the fabric. Trim off the frayed threads. To make a believer out of yourself, make a trial joint and use paper, linen, and silk. You will split the wood before the silk ever splits. Louis Aull -- References 1. http://www.darehobby.com/ To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE-BUILDER] Re: Scalloped Ribs
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Bill,
A lute rib tapers at each end, which means the outer fibers that would have
made it down to the fastening point on each end are cut. As a result, there
is no circular binding force to hold them down like the center fibers of the
rib have. As the wood naturally tries to straighten out of its bend, the
scallop occurs since there is nothing to stop the outer fibers from
straightening. To enhance this naturally, don't bend the rib completely to
the form, and use some force to pull the rib onto the form to complete the
curve. The edges will curl up away from the form more. To defeat this, over
bend and heat twice so the rib is over curved, and the scallop will lay flat
when forced onto the form. Cut the rib roughly to shape before bending .
Another trick is to fasten the rib at each end on the form and use a heat
gun on the outer edges of the rib. The heat will cause the bent curve on the
outer portions to relax and the rib will curl up more. All these methods
produce a mild scallop. It helps to bend all the ribs before installing them
so they are consistent and will meet up on the form. For a brutal scallop,
you would need a shaped forming iron to force the complex curve (yuk). The
thinner the rib, the more the scallop. However, get too thin and you risk
plastic deformation of the shell at the neck block, and the neck will come
forward, ruining the action.
I use aircraft silk on the back of rib joints and have never had one crack.
I can actually heat the inside of the shell before putting on the soundboard
to relax out any stress in the shell. This also enhances the scallop.
I have seen lutes (60's and 70's) where the maker made the ribs thick and
scraped the scallop out.
Louis Aull
Phone: 770.978.1872
Fax: 866.496.4294
Cell:404.932.1614
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Bill,
A lute rib tapers at each end, which means the outer fibers
that would have made it down to the fastening point on each end are cut. As a
result, there is no circular binding force to hold them down like the center
fibers
of the rib have. As the wood naturally tries to straighten out of its bend, the
scallop occurs since there is nothing to stop the outer fibers from
straightening. To enhance this naturally, don’t bend the rib completely
to the form, and use some force to pull the rib onto the form to complete the
curve.
The edges will curl up away from the form more. To defeat this, over bend and
heat twice so the rib is over curved, and the scallop will lay flat when forced
onto the form. Cut the rib roughly to shape before bending . Another trick is
to fasten the rib at each end on the form and use a heat gun on the outer edges
of the rib. The heat will cause the bent curve on the outer portions to relax
and the rib will curl up more. All these methods produce a mild scallop. It
helps to bend all the ribs before installing them so they are consistent and
will meet up on the form. For a brutal scallop, you would need a shaped forming
iron to force the complex curve (
[LUTE-BUILDER] Re: Englemann Spruce
James, The high grade Englemann I have used produces a very warm full sound. It is also by far the best looking wood. It has to be about 20% thicker than Alpine for the same strength. I have not worked with Alpine because the few pieces I have purchased (top grade) were of poor quality by comparison. I like to use Sitka spruce on ren lutes for it's brightness. Now some words of caution: the soft part of the wood is very soft and will pull out with tape. Chip carving on Englemann is extremely difficult due to that softness. It would rather tear than cut. Other rosette carving produces a lot of fuzz and is difficult. I don't bother with the chip carving and focus on perfecting the rosette. The only tape I have found that will not pull the soft wood out is drafting tape, used and removed with great caution. I usually leave a few tenths of mm around the edges for the final sanding to get the divots in the soft wood flat again. It soaks up dirt, stain, and varnish like a sponge so plan on being more cleanly. That same sponge effect makes it glue better. Anyone who plays one of my Englemann lutes wears a pinky protector or does not touch the top. (Including Hoppy Smith) Is it worth it? To me, no doubt. After my first Englemann top, I wouldn't play the others. I have since replaced all the other tops. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Why no active historical lutes?
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The violin has an overhanging lip around the top and back. This make removal
of either much easier and allows the repairman to move or replace the end
block to effect the neck angle. When the sides are moved, the violin does
not run out of material to cover that. On a lute or guitar, nothing can be
moved without a new top to fit the resulting new shape. You can adjust the
angle of the neck by pulling out the sides or pushing them in. This would
shorten or lengthen the center braces and width of a new top (as well as
it's length).
Historically, the lute soundboard construction does the worst thing you can
do with wood, glue pieces cross grain. So when a lute moved from damp Venice
to dry heated Helsinki, the rapid uneven expansion/contraction of the cross
grain braces opened up cracks in the soundboards or broke the braces loose.
When a crack was repaired, the exposed top of the lute was frequently sanded
to produce a better looking repair, but thinning the area of the repair. In
time, the quantity and size of these cracks affects the sound and a new top
was needed. Look at some of the museum tops in Lundberg's book and see all
the repairs inside. Non-working lutes were not moved around by working
musicians and probably survived better.
I have seen lutes with thin tops that produced a very bright sound when
new, but in a few years, sank in front of the bridge loosing tone. Fixing
this requires thicker braces and a thicker top.
Finally, when lutes were built in Europe, virgin stands of high quality
spruce were available. Now they are all farmed out. But there is lots of
very superior wood available in Canada and the Northwest. The last tops I
bought were $ 120 each and were flawless. Very tight grain, even grain
pattern all the way across and a lovely slight hazel pattern in cross light.
My experience with 2 ren lutes and 3 bar lutes, has been two tops each on
the ren lutes (sinking tops, cracks) and one baroque lute that is on it's
third top in 25 years. That one was kind of a laboratory, it went from thin
Sitka, to thicker Sitka, to thicker Englemann, I'm still not happy with it.
The new Bruner swan neck is 3 now and is just right. The others will die the
lonely death of neglect as decorations.
Louis Aull
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The violin has an overhanging lip around the top and back.
This make removal of either much easier and allows the repairman to move or
replace the end block to effect the neck angle. When the sides are moved, the
violin does not run out of material to cover that. On a lute or guitar, nothing
can be moved without a new top to fit the resulting new shape. You can adjust
the angle of the neck by pulling out the sides or pushing them in. This would
shorten or lengthen the center braces and width of a new top (as well as
it’s length).
Historically, the lute soundboard construction does the
worst thing you can do with wood, glue pieces cross grain. So when a lute moved
from damp Venic
[LUTE] Re: hy no active historical lutes?
The Strads, Amatis, Guans survive because they are used and maintained. Lutes that were fancy survived as decorations, working lutes fell into disrepair through lack of use. The only reason Mozart's piano forte is in Salzburg is because one of his children saved it. Otherwise it would have been firewood on a cold Vienna night. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Davidgarchy
David, In this quote: " However, I would add that most lutes made nowadays are not copies of originals. They are rescaled, resized, rebarred, rebridged, reglued, revarnished. Available is everything: everything-except-original. Now, you may want that. Personally, I think everyone needs a reality check instrument that is a copy of an original. Otherwise, it is just a guitar, basically, with wonky pegs. " You have insulted lutes, guitars, builders, glue, wood and varnish. In your discussion of lute problems you have demonstrated why each original builder would make a lute to suite the buyer (even Stradivarius did). In the time of the lute, they took the necks off and added longer, wider necks and more strings. Your original was reworked to match the owner as you demand now. How would that have maintained an original. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE-BUILDER] Re: Lute Neck has risen
Anthony, That is a lot of movement. If the neck itself has not warped, then the ribs below the attachment to the neck block have. The dome shape of the ribs will not distort unless the ribs are very thin (1.2 mm for instance). Look carefully at the shape of the ribs just behind the neck block. If that area has sunken in any, that is your problem. If a straight edge reveals that the neck has warped, that is your problem. Also, if the soundboard is thin, it can distort in front and behind the bridge. The cheap fix is to shave off the fingerboard and put a tapered fingerboard on in its place, the problem will continue until the shell begins to crack or the neck becomes unplayable again. The correct fix would involve opening it up and rebuilding it. Good luck. Louis Aull Atlanta -Original Message- From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of Anthony Hart Sent: Friday, March 23, 2012 10:36 AM To: lute-buil...@cs.dartmouth.edu Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Lute Neck has risen I have a 14c. liuto atiorbatto where the neck has risen (I have nearly 10mm at the ninth fret. do not believe the instrument has had any damage as such. Is there any suggestions of a remedy (without opening it up)? There is no lute makers in the area and a local keyboard maker is reluctant to touch it. Any suggestions welcome Thanks Anthony -- __ Anthony Hart MSc, LLCM,ALCM. Musicologist and Independent Researcher Highrise Court 'B', Apt 2, Tigne' Street, Sliema, SLM3174, MALTA Tel: +356 27014791; Mob: +356 9944 9552. e-mail: [1]resea...@antoninoreggio.com; web: [2]www.monsignor-reggio.com STOP PRESS: My new book, 'Concertini per Quattro Voci' has just been published. Go to [3]www.monsignor-reggio.com/Concertini-book.html for information and special offer -- References 1. mailto:resea...@antoninoreggio.com 2. http://www.monsignor-reggio.com/ 3. http://www.monsignor-reggio.com/Concertini-book.html To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Karl Kohaut
Lute List: Spoletto planning is underway and the baroque consort I play in asked me about the Karl Kohaut pieces. I have facs. of these but the violin players (modern violin) are balking at the appearance of the violin parts. (I would redo the lute tab in Django or play from score) Does anyone know if these suites are published in modern print? Thanks, Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Theorbo strings
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To all,
Chris, at Boston Catlines has been keeping my variety of instruments in
strings of all types for years. Excellent service.
Louis Aull
Phone: 770.978.1872
Fax: 866.496.4294
Cell:404.932.1614
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To all,
Chris, at Boston Catlines has been keeping my variety of
instruments in strings of all types for years. Excellent service.
Louis
Aull
Phone:
770.978.1872
Fax:
866.496.4294
Cell:404.932.1614
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[LUTE] Broken swan neck
David, The swan neck with two peg boxes suffers from a design flaw that was corrected in the tripple peg box models. In a tripple box, a large main spar of wood runs in almost a straight line up the left side of the first box right through the second box. That provides the strength in the joint to the second box. The double peg box often is cut from a single piece of wood, and the left side of the lower box does not continue into the second box. It is cut with the end grain exposed so the fibers of the wood do not keep their strenght past that point. The offset between the upper and lower box creates a torque to the left (twist in the axis of the neck) on the upper box in addition to the forward (to the bridge) pull of the strings. It is that torque that pulls the top box off, more than the pull of the strings. It "peals" the repair open. There a many examples of these boxes on the internet, some of the best are on the Barber and Harris web site. If you look at the double box swan neck models there, you will see that they have widened the joint area to the top box to get the spar on the right side of the upper box to be one piece to the left side of the lower box. Some unwanted weight is added with the extra large joint area but there will be no twist problem warping or breaking the top box joint. There are other lutes on the web with small joint areas already twisting and bending to the left, leaving a gap between the 8th and 9th courses. Solutions: 1) If the repairman is sharp, explain the nature of the forces involved and slice a larger piece of wood between the two boxes that adds more strength and mass to the right side of the joint as well as the left side where the break is obvious. 2) Graft a larger piece of wood between the two boxes. If you have seen how a violin or cello neck is grafted to a peg box, you will see what kind of joint is required. This requires a skilled repairman, and some esthetic redesign. 3) Go to the local woodcarvers and have them make a new complete box with the improved wood mass between the two boxes. The old peg box can be sawed off close to the joint and then the remnants carved off to the original neck wood. A luthier could then match the new box to the old lute and refit the pegs. If you do this you should consider converting to a tripple peg box. 4) And now for the best one: glue the box back on and use much lighter strings (yuck). Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Stability of lute in playing fast.
Hi Joe, The continued discussion of finger position brought to mind some of the mechanical aspects of the lute as well as well. Robert Lundberg in his wonderful book on lute construction insists that the bowls of historical lutes were shaped down on the sides from in front of the bridge to the rose to allow more clearance for the strings. I know that this lowering of the sides could also have been due to repair or correction of the neck angle. Raising the neck angle without removing the neck causes the sides of the bowl to bow out and lower slightly. But in looking at pictures of players hand's and instruments of of all kinds, guitars, lutes, banjos, a perfectly made instrument may wind up in the hands of anyone. A bridge low enough to allow the pinky to rest on the soundboard will find itself torn to shreads by the pick of a strum player (see Willie Nelson). Perhaps Robert was actually seeing the truth here. Look at the finger rest that Chet Atkins used to get the rest point up to his very short pinky, yet keep the clearance for pick work. As the necks got longer and peg boxes got heavier, the neck angle naturally rises to reduce this weight. At 45 degrees, the weight is half that of 90 degrees. As the neck comes up, the right wrist rotates to a position more in parallel with the strings and the pinky has a natural tendancy to come off the sound board. This allows the builder to raise the bridge to get more sound and protect the soundboard from pick damage. Lutes in the 18th century tend to have higher bridges. Once the bridge is raised, it's over for the pinky without a finger rest or placing the pinky on the bridge. The smudge would have been left on some strings. (could the smudgeless soundboards have had a Chet Atkins finger rest?) At the end of a three hour set, hows your wrist? Louis Aull Phone: 770.978.1872 Fax: 866.496.4294 Cell:404.932.1614 -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: lute nut
Mark, A dab of glue works for me, just enough to keep it from slipping side to side, but easily knocked off when needed. Louis Aull Phone: 770.978.1872 Fax: 866.496.4294 Cell:404.932.1614 -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Google Art project - more evidence of fluted ribs
The fluting is a natual effect of the wood having no support through it's curvature for the outer (wider) posrtion of the rib. The inner portion of the rib is continous for the entire length of the rib. As the rib tapers inward at the ends, the support is lost for the outer curvature and it tries to bend back to it's original shape. The thinner the wood, the more pronounced the fluting. At 1.7 mm thick in maple, there is not much fluting. At 1.2 mm thick, the fluting becomes pronounced. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re; See through soundboard
Herbert, You are better off soldering one of those very bright LED's (or several) to a stiff set of wires. Both the wires and LED fit through the rosette and can be positioned right next to the braces near the soundboard. I make a template out of sheet aluminum with a hole smaller than the selected rosette hole, so the rosette is not touched during this procedure. The template is taped to the top. In a dark room, this method can spot loose braces and can measure both the thickness and height of a brace, by it's shadow. With the LED, you don't run the risk of burning the top, or electrocution. They are getting those little USB cameras smaller and smaller. Soon maybe you could put a USB camera through a rosette hole. Louis Aull Phone: 770.978.1872 Fax: 866.496.4294 Cell:404.932.1614 -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: geared pegs
If only the gear mechanism could be placed inside hand turned pegs. I get more compliments on the swan neck peg box than anything else about any lute. Each boxwood peg is a different size and they gently taper down to the smallest in the 3rd pegbox. Geared pegs would all be one size, and all black. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: pegs
Herb, The string players in the band are constantly moving the pegs while frequently tuning. Some of them go down several notes and then come back to the note. All that motion keeps the peg dope distributed around the peg, and allows for constant readjustment of the peg tension. If you have not noticed, each of them also attempts to keep the instrument humidified with a humidity source in the case. It is humidity that causes the pegs to vary in shape with regard to the pegbox. When the pegs get out of shape, they do not present enough surface area to the sides of the peg box hole, and require a lot of pressure to secure. This is a good way to crack a peg box. When the humidity in the case begins to drop below 45%, start feeding your humidifier with daily water. This means you need a humidity/temperature gage and a humidifier in the case. There are some great little hygrometers for cigar boxes that will work fine. A guitar humdifier will work as well. Keep the lute in the case when not in use. After the pegs smooth out, take an afternoon and put fresh peg dope on all of them. All that pressure will force all the old dope off the friction area of the pegs. I have forgotten about the anoyance of unspun pegs since maintaining the humidity. I have 3 lutes up to pitch right now, all at 47% humidity. That's 67 pegs, and no slipage. Louis Aull Atlanta -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Lute Factories
Dana, With modern resaw blades and thickness sanders, you would be shocked at how small a block will make a complete shell. My last Bruner was made using curly maple and was sawn from a block of 3" by 2". This was done on the diagonal to get the best figure, so there is still wood left for a bent peg box or two. (the Bruner swan head requires a large block to carve) Guitar backs and sides must come from very large blocks without flaws. Louis Aull Phone: 770.978.1872 Fax: 866.496.4294 Cell:404.932.1614 -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Lute factories
Fellow Luters, Those lute inventories suggest that: 1) Repairs were more frequent than purchases. 2) Lute bellies died first. 3) The repairman with more "loaners" did the most business. Louis Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: longbows lutes and Gruyere cheese
While preparing for a concert on ren lute years ago at Emory University, in the Law School building, I stepped out into the hallway to practice a few quiet licks while the consort practiced another piece I didn't play in. This was at 8pm. The hallway was cavernous and made a nice echo. Within a minute, a crowd of angry law students with a security officer appeared and began to verbally assault me. Yes and even threatened to sue for damages. How dare I pluck a lute in a law shool with future lawyers in the torture of studying! I told them I would stop, but the shouting peresisted on into the lecture hall where the concert was to be. The concert was cancelled by the Law School faculty and I got letters. The library was a floor down through two sets of fire doors. And you though you had tough critics. "I didn't know the lute was loaded" Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: hang 'em high
David et al. Holding an instrument and breathing on it humidifies them a little, placing that instrument in a relatively airtight case helps hold moisture. I keep a few older lutes hanging on the wall de-strung for decoration, but my playing lutes I keep in the case with a humidity gauge and a humidifier when needed. When the relative humidity in the case falls near or below 45%, I start putting water in the humidifier, sometimes once a day. I keep the lid closed after the lute is removed to hold the moisture in. Everything in the case must remain humidified, especially the lining. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Wedding gig
To all, Boy does this bring back memories. Good friends in the Baha'i faith had me play/sing at their wedding held in their front yard. Right in the middle of "O Mistress Mine" a neighbor two doors down fires up the chain saw. O for a steam calliope when you need one. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: alza - Calata ala Spagnola
Wow, everybody must use the same Cliff notes. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: lute repair question
Laura et al. Most lutes can be opened around the bottom edge below the bridge, this allows access to both the bottom of the bridge and the larger braces, if required. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] The dirt on tops
I usually use rubbing alchohol and a clean old t-shirt. For really weird stains (the roar of the grease paint and the smell of the crowd) I'll carefully use a Qtip and laquer thinner, followed by the alchohol. Obviously this is for raw spruce tops only. I loaned an 8 course to Theater Atlanta for a production of Cyrano once. His belt buckle ruined the finish and theater makup just about ruined the top. Something on his thumb ate through the finish on the back of the neck. The top cleaned up and I refinished the back and neck, it's playing again. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: microphones
Alan, I nearly stopped playing because of a congenital hearing loss. Amplification saved the day. Ask any performing acoustic guitar player and they will swear by internal pickups over external mikes. Easy if you have a hole large enough in your soundboard. I find two mikes are needed because on a good lute, the sound source wanders around the top as you change registers. On my baroque lute, a mike about a foot from the soundboard and even with the lower back corner picks up most of what I want. This is below the lute in my lap, a foot in front of it, even with the back edge of the soundboard and aimed just behind the treble side of the bridge. A second mike anywhere near the rose picks up the rest. Without two mikes, the trebles start fading in one postion, and the basses fail to be heard in another. I feed this through a bandpass filter (equalizer) to correct my loss, to a set of studio grade headphones. Your setup will depend on your instrument and ear. You hear good even in a crowd, and you can sit upright. For performances, I hide the earphones using little bose earpods. You can quickly pop these out before the forthcoming thunderous applause between the mooshu and the pot stickers. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: s there a non-spruce topwood in your past/present/future lute?
I have built lutes with both the cedar and sitka spruce tops. The cedar was tried in an attempt to get the thing to stay in tune better, with less expansion due to humidity. This was done on a light instrument with a thin top. It produced a soft, damped tone and did stay in tune well. Within 5 years, all the spring was gone and the top was tonally dead as well as warped. This is why aircraft spars are spruce and not cedar. The sitka spruce tops produced a very strong bright tone, make excellent rosettes, and crack easier. These seem to me to be better suited for bright ren. lutes. The last top I put on this summer was softer engelmann spruce, this produced a rich full tone for the bar. lute. I like the brilliant white apperance, I don't like the fuzzing while cutting the rosette. This one had a definite "break in" of about 4 weeks, during which it sounded tight. Now I like it just fine. I'm not rich enough in time to keep a set of lutes with different tops for side-by-side comparison. I make my lutes for myself, and this represents only my opinion. The swan neck Brunner I've started will have the engelmann top. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Too soft to live
The finish on my 13 course lute has faded a little and taken on a patina of age. That forms part of the beauty. It is a deep chestnut red over a yellow base color. Two places are really faded, the back of the neck from my thumb, and where my cheek rests softly on the side of the lute while playing to hear better. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Hip and Sting
Doesn't anyone recall that real HIP playing led to the evolution and demise of the lute in it's own time? That the paying audience might have had some influence over this choice rather than the scholars? Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: EMS lutes Good or Bad
Don't forget that a $ 300 guitar tuned like a lute will probably be better that the EMS lute as far as sound goes, and allow a student to learn to justify the cost of a good lute. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: strings: direction of vibration?
Only a bowed instrument has ANY control over the direction that a free string will vibrate. An optimist says the glass is half full, a pessimist says the glass is half empty, an engineer says the container is improperly sized. Engineering in Atlanta Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Strings which ring too long.
Mr. Ward, A look inside a piano, or some harpsichords will reveal that they dampen the vibration of the unstopped strings with pieces of felt wound between the strings. I would try a piece of felt about 2mm wide. Wind it between the offending strings at the bridge. For more dampening, move the felt forward, away from the bridge. If 2mm of felt is too much, try a piece of yarn. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Cedar sound boards (Chris Witmer)
Chris, I made a few lute tops with cedar to try to stabilize the tuning, since cedar swells less than spruce. It worked pretty well in that regard. No cracking or warping, but cedar is not strong enough to be made thin enough for a really bright tone. In a year or so, all of them began to sag. They were all replaced with spruce. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Humidity
Ariel, The one I use is made by planet waves and can be had at : http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Accessories?sku=421100 This has two velcro pads on the back which hold it in the case. You add water with a syringe. I made a platform across the neck brace in the case and placed a clock insert electronic humidity/temp indicator. I got that at Klock Kit: http://www.klockit.com/products/dept-74__sku-15656.html Open the case and the insert is imediately visible, you can pop it out to change the battery. Pull the humidifier away from the velcro and fill it near a sink to keep the case velvet dry. You could also mount both to the top of the case. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: umidity
Leonard, That 45 to 40% works for me. The manufacturer of the humidifier pod I use also suggests that. I start to notice that the octives on the low basses start to drift, and the pegs begin to loosen as the lute dries out. At 45%, I water every 2 or 3 days, below 40% I water daily. This is preventing the shock of opening the case to see loose string from pegs that have let go. Keeps the lute in tune, and the pegs smooth between uses. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Sound vs studiness trade-off
Gernot, You understand perfectly, Vance did not understand the orientation given in the book. He thought parallel ment with the grain in the belly, not with the surface of the belly. The braces and their grain lines run across the width of the soundboard, slab cut or not. The slab cut allows long runs of the thin braces to be of consistent strength and mass throughout the entire brace length. If the grain was up and down in the brace, it would be stronger, if you got more than one or two of the grain lines to run the entire length. While thinning them, if you cut into one of the grain lines, the strength would be reduced considerably in that area. Because they are so thin, slab cutting insures that many grain lines are included, and so consistent strength though not as strong. The brace is made a little wider to compensate for the lower strength. When a brace can be thick enough, the grain is always turned vertical as in aircraft spars and violin/cello bass bars. Merry Christmas. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Sound vs studiness trade-off.
Vance, Lundberg says: "Bars are split from ... with the grain running parallel to the belly" Photo 36 page 103. He is saying that the grain lines i.e. yearly growth rings in the braces should run parallel with the belly surface, not the belly grain lines. This is called slab cutting. The grain lines in the belly will be at a right angle to these braces. It is the top that will have the problem. The wood will swell more in the wide direction than in the long direction. The braces will swell at basically the long rate since they are oriented with the grain "longwise" along the width of the belly. If braces were cut with the grain running in the same direction as the belly they would look like they had vertical zebra stripes all along their length and the braces would not have any of the required lateral strength. They would only add mass to the area attached. The bridge itself is cross glued, and most cracks originate near the bridge. Refer to Photo 1 Page 34 and Photo 2 on page 36, these clearly show the orientation of the grain, so does figure 8. ( note cracks and repairs ) Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Sound vs studiness trade-off.
Vance et. al. The wear factor causing thinning of the instrument has two parts, lutes and instruments continually played since. Having personally repaired a Nicolo Amati violin, which was built then and played ever since, the sides, back and pegbox did not appear to have any of this thinning. But the top was only about 1/2 original wood. The hyde glue dries out and the instrument gets re-glued every 75 years or so, the bass bar looses its elasticity and must be replaced. Concert A rises and the neck gets longer. All these operations tear away some of the top material, and so after a while the top is "plated" so that a lot of the wood is put back in around the edges. The lute has the top braced so that the reinforcing wood runs at a right angle to the grain of the belly. A recipe for disaster. Any wood worker will tell you that wood expands farther in one direction than in the other and cross glueing is to be avoided at any cost. The tradition of an unfinished belly is said to allow for the frequent repairs. Have a lute made in cold dry Helsinki and then send it to warm humid Venice and oops, many cracks. The easiest way to do major repairs inside is by parting the belly at the bottom, below the bridge. All this work causes the resulting repairs to be easily visible on the top surface of the belly. The repairman would naturally sand or scrape the top flush again so as to get paid for a good repair, thus thinning the belly. My 13c lute needs a new top after 15 years now. I have repaired a few cracks, and after the last repair, decided not to remove any material and let the repair remain visible, or the top would get too thin. As soon as the strings give out, I'll put the new top on. ( the new top is in fact a little thicker, with a little stronger bracing ) An instrument is a high performance structure. Like a boat or and airplane. There is just enough material there to do the job. If the airplane were heavy enough to insure no damage in a crash, it wouldn't fly. If a boat were heavy enough to never need repair, it would require too much energy to propell and wouldn't be used. Thinner lute tops are intially brighter but require frequent repair and replacement when they warp and turn dull. Thicker tops stay in tune better and don't break as easily. If you are not a builder or know one, the answer is in the middle. If the Amati was not in use, it would become a wall decocration, with the repair cost being to high for restoration. One has to consider that unplayed instruments that remain today may just be heavy enough or ornate enough to survive. Working instruments, airplanes, and boats just get beat to hell. Lou Aull -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Flightcases
Ben, I had just discussed this with Lynda Sayce after reading her laments on the same subject. I had built a "one case fits all lutes" fiberglass one that carries any instrument I own. It has made many flights and I have watched the baggage handlers drop it out of a commuter jet onto the tarmak with only minor scratches to the case. It looks more like an off shape box than a lute case. Roadie cases are plywood with a metal edge protection meant to be stacked in trucks. Airline boxes need rounded edges and more impact strength. Here is some of what I wrote to Lynda: By the way, good rules concerning airline transport for large delicate checked items: 1) Too awkward to throw. ( must pick it up with 2 hands ) 2) Absolutely no protrusions. ( handles, latches, wheels ) 3) Rounded corners. 4) Crush proof. ( must support a person or two or a transport carrier truck ) 5) Interior support must protect to 30g's ( 10 foot drop ) 6) Waterproof. (sometimes big luggage sits on flat cars in the rain ) Many companies make heavy polypropolene containers that meet these kinds of specs. The handles, latches, and hinges are recessed, and all corners are well rounded. We transport items like telescopes, spectrographs, and delicate scales in these. These cases are heavy. For my own lutes, I made a "one case fits all lutes" from fiberglass. I can check any lute in it ( no theorbos yet). I used fiberglass to lighten it. Normal fiberglass cello cases are made from blown or "chopped" glass that is used to make boats and car bodies, quick and cheap. Woven fiberglass is more expensive and is used to make gliders, formula 1 cars and kayaks. A kayak uses a solid layup for high impact resistance, a glider uses a foam sandwich construction for the highest strength with the least weight. The foam sandwich was what I used, to minimize the weight. This case is a little bigger than a normal lute case, but weighs about the same. You can jump on this one, or run over it with your car. It floats. You might contact a local glider repairman or kayak builder and interest him in a project like this. There is no mold involved. We stacked blocks of styrafoam, shaped the stack to look like the case we wanted using coarse sandpaper, then did the layup on the outside of the block. After it hardened, we cut out most of the foam and glassed the inside. Viola, foam sandwich case. If you can interest anyone, I'd be glad to send pictures. By the way, good fiberglass work is not for cadets. Lou Aull Atlanta -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
