[LUTE] Re: Spanish harp in this whole mix

[Steve Ramey]

   Allan Alexander has some fine works in these volumes.  I just looked
   thru the indices and I see Ronn McFarlane has many of them in his book
   The Scottish Lute.
   Thinking more about it just now, some years ago, one of our esteemed
   members, whose name slips my mind at the moment, intabulated a bunch of
   Irish tunes.
   My 2 cents.
   Steve

   On Tuesday, July 21, 2020, 06:10:40 PM EDT, guy_and_liz Smith
wrote:
   I think this is what you are referring to:
   [1]https://www.guitarandlute.com/celtic.html .
   Guy
   -Original Message-
   From: [2]lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu
   [mailto:[3]lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf Of G. C.
   Sent: Tuesday, July 21, 2020 2:23 PM
   To: [4]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: Spanish harp in this whole mix
 Didn't Allan Alexander edit some  Turlough O' Carolan for lute?
 On Tue, Jul 21, 2020 at 10:12 PM David Brown
   <[1][5]arpali...@gmail.com>
 wrote:
   I haven't seen the saz and veena in Mersenne! That's great and
   shows
   how little they have changed. Where is the steel guitar?.
   I assume you mean Irish harp music Good question given
   proximity
   of Irish harpers to lutes at court.
 --
   References
 1. mailto:[6]arpali...@gmail.com
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [7]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

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References

   1. https://www.guitarandlute.com/celtic.html
   2. mailto:lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu
   3. mailto:lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu
   4. mailto:lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   5. mailto:arpali...@gmail.com
   6. mailto:arpali...@gmail.com
   7. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Double Top

[Steve Ramey]

   There is a viola d'amore with sympathetic strings that run from the
   tail piece, below the bridge, below the fingerboard, and up to the peg
   box that has an appropriate number of additional pegs.  There's also a
   baryton (a bit smaller than a cello) with several harp strings that run
   from the tailpiece to a large peg box.  They're plucked with the thumb
   of the left hand.  Finally, there's the Hardanger fiddle with
   sympathetic strings mounted in a manner similar to those of the viola
   d'amore.
   Steve

   On Thursday, March 26, 2020, 02:25:34 PM EDT, Nancy Carlin
wrote:
   Isn't there a viola da gamba type instrument that in arranged
   similarly?
   Nancy
   > Not at all sure myself, and I don't know chapter and verse with
   Mersenne, as Bailes didn't quote them. In my imagination, though, it's
   a double soundboard with metal strings for the inside and gut strings
   for the outside (I have no idea how they would keep the inside metal
   strings in tune). The metal strings probably were intended to resonate
   with the outside gut strings. Bailes quoted it in a row of examples of
   contemporaneous French experiments with sound.
   >
   > Mathias
   >
   >
   > -Ursprüngliche Nachricht-
   > Von: [1]lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu
   [mailto:[2]lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu] Im Auftrag von G. C.
   > Gesendet: Mittwoch, 25. März 2020 23:36
   > An: Lutelist
   > Betreff: [LUTE] Re: Double Top
   >
   >How in the world would such a lute look like? And how would you be
   able
   >to tune the second set? Maybe he meant something like the Mace
   double
   >lute? (Dipharion?)
   >
   >On Wed, Mar 25, 2020 at 10:05 PM Mathias RÃÆÃ ¶sel
   ><[1][3]mathias.roe...@t-online.de> wrote:
   >
   >  Anthony Bailes mentioned Marin Mersenne, Harmonie Universelle
   >  (1636), who speaks about the possibility of building a lute with
   two
   >  soundboards with strings on both of them, gut strings on one,
   metal
   >  strings on the other (that's about resonance, I suppose). (Lute
   News
   >  85, April 2008)
   >  Mathias
   >  -UrsprÃÆÃ ¼ngliche Nachricht-
   >  Von: [2][4]lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu
   >  [mailto:[3][5]lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu] Im Auftrag
   von
   >  David Smith
   >  Gesendet: Mittwoch, 25. MÃÆÃ ¤rz 2020 20:16
   >  An: Joachim LÃÆÃ ¼dtke; [4][6]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   >  Betreff: [LUTE] Re: Double Top
   >  I have heard both sandwiched and double top used. The term
   double
   >  top is more common in the states.
   >  David
   >  -Original Message-
   >  From: [5][7]lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu
   >  <[6][8]lute-...@new-old-mail.cs.dartmouth.edu> On Behalf Of
   Joachim
   >  LÃÆÃ ¼dtke
   >  Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 9:56 AM
   >  To: [7][9]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   >  Subject: [LUTE] Re: Double Top
   >  Dear David, dear list,
   >  I was a bit puzzled at first because I know the term double top,
   but
   >  only pointing to instruments like e.g. Marcard guitars with a
   >  second, 'interior' soundboard. What you describe is what I think
   is
   >  usually called a sandwiched soundboard. Is my terminology too
   >  limited or do I use it too strictly?
   >  A few weeks ago, before the darn Corona guy rode into town,
   there
   >  were guitar days here in the Hochschule fÃÆÃ ¼r Kunst und Musik
   in
   >  Bremen, and there were young builders showing their recently
   >  finished guitars, and one of the guitar teachers of the
   Hochschule
   >  playing a few measures on each of them. Most sounded excellent,
   and
   >  I am ashamed to say that I couldn't make much difference between
   the
   >  majority of the sounds, neither did I ask for prices à ¢Ã ¦
   >  Best from the Hanseatics
   >  Joachim
   >  -Original-Nachricht-
   >  Betreff: [LUTE] Re: Double Top
   >  Datum: 2020-03-25T17:44:36+0100
   >  Von: "David Smith" <[8][10]d...@dolcesfogato.com>
   >  An: "Tristan von Neumann" <[9][11]tristanvonneum...@gmx.de>,
   >  "[10][12]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu" <[11][13]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
   >  That cost is what a master builder charges for classical guitars
   -
   >  10k-20k is pretty normal. The cost of doing a double top is
   really
   >  not that high. The materials are not expensive and vacuum is
   used
   >  for a lot of other things in the shop. I use it for attaching
   >  bridges and holding instruments while French polishing. The
   Dammann
   >  price is based on his reputation and not on it being a double
   top.
   >  You should be able to find good quality double tops starting
   around
   >  3-4k.
   >  As to using it on a lute, you have to like the sound of it
   because
   >  it is 

[LUTE] Test

[Steve Ramey]

   Haven't got anything from the list for a couple days.  This is only a
   test.
   Steve

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[LUTE] Re: New music

[Steve Ramey]

   Ed,
   Lovely in every way.
   Thanks,
   Steve
 __

   From: Ed Durbrow 
   To: lute list 
   Sent: Friday, December 22, 2017 7:21 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: New music
   I've written a few compositions for the lute: ensemble, song and solos.
   I just feel that lute is my main instrument along with guitar, so it is
   quite natural. Of course, when I perform, the expectation is to hear
   early music.
   Here is a video I made of the river near my house to a recording of my
   composition Serenity with viola and viola da gamba.
   [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3u3jL_NgX0=13=PLkhGYMocg
   neRwrSH2UHdTzUBaejdugO04
   Ed Durbrow
   Saitama, Japan
   [2]http://www.youtube.com/user/edurbrow?feature=watch
   [3]https://soundcloud.com/ed-durbrow
   [4]http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
   --
   To get on or off this list see list information at
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References

   1. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e3u3jL_NgX0=13=PLkhGYMocgneRwrSH2UHdTzUBaejdugO04
   2. http://www.youtube.com/user/edurbrow?feature=watch
   3. https://soundcloud.com/ed-durbrow
   4. http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
   5. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Stringing Question (German Lute)

[Steve Ramey]

   I've had a few of these.  Most came to me with gut strings on them
   somewhere on the instrument.  Others a combination of gut, nylon, and
   typical silver wound on nylon filament for at least the lower two
   courses.  None came with metal.  Some had a pin bridge, some with a
   tie-on style bridge.  A couple had inset roses, a couple had the rose
   carved into the soundboard, and one has a plastic rose.
   Just my two cents.
   Steve
 __

   From: Tristan von Neumann 
   To: lutelist Net 
   Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2017 2:00 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Stringing Question (German Lute)
   Hi there,
   I'm currently repairing my old German Lute (6x1, 62cm), previously
   decorative only. Some ribs have come apart. I managed one connection
   already.
   I noticed that it has very thin ribs (about 1-1.5mm), however the
   soundboard is quite thick judging at the rose (about 4-5mm).
   There is one leftover string attached on the 4th course, it seems
   contemporary and is wound metal.
   The lute has a one piece carved pegbox with ornamented back plate and
   flowerhead, and mechanical pegs. The fingerboard has metal frets with
   arches in between. The strings are attached with wooden pins into holes
   in the bridge.
   It seems about 100 years old. No maker's plate is visible inside the
   bowl.
   After having it in ok condition I plan to string it -- what would you
   suggest? Metal or nylon (in the latter case I'll use my fishing line)?
   Is there a way to tell if it was metal or gut strung?
   Personally I would prefer metal for more cittern-like sound, unless
   anyone advises strongly against it.
   Cheers
   Tristan
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [1]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

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References

   1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: A Database of Manuscripts and Prints for Lute Instruments

[Steve Ramey]

   Is it possible to view, copy, or print the entire manuscript of an
   individual piece.  As an example, I'd like to print a copy of

D-B Mus. ms. 40642
[Herrn Deckerts] Geistliche Lieder, nr 2, Befiehl du diene Wege

I'd appreciate any help you can offer.

   Steve


 __

   From: Arthur Ness 
   To: matteo.o.tu...@gmail.com; lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Wednesday, November 8, 2017 3:53 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: A Database of Manuscripts and Prints for Lute
   Instruments
 Yes, that is Peter Steur's magnificent database.  We are so fortunate
 in having it.  At present it covers mainly baroque and classical
   period
 works.  He is, however, now including lute sources from the
 Renaissance.  As some might say, "Peter is pushing the frontiers of
 lute studies back to the 16th century"
 Arthur Ness
 [1]arthurjn...@verizon.net
 -Original Message-
 From: Matteo Turri <[2]matteo.o.tu...@gmail.com>
 To: lute <[3]lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
 Sent: Wed, Nov 8, 2017 3:36 pm
 Subject: [LUTE] A Database of Manuscripts and Prints for Lute
 Instruments
 Don't know if this has already been shared:
 Music for Lute Instruments
 A Database of Manuscripts and Prints for Lute Instruments
 Ca. 2 pieces with concordances and incipits from more than 230
 manuscripts/prints
 [1][1][4]http://mss.slweiss.de/index.php?lang=eng
 Not only has the all concordances, but for most of the manuscripts
   the
 first bars of the tablature are given for every piece.
 (On the other side, the design of the site is terrible ...)
 Matteo
 --
 References
 1. [2][5]http://mss.slweiss.de/index.php?lang=eng
 To get on or off this list see list information at
 [3][6]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
 --
   References
 1. [7]http://mss.slweiss.de/index.php?lang=eng
 2. [8]http://mss.slweiss.de/index.php?lang=eng
 3. [9]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. mailto:arthurjn...@verizon.net
   2. mailto:matteo.o.tu...@gmail.com
   3. mailto:lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   4. http://mss.slweiss.de/index.php?lang=eng
   5. http://mss.slweiss.de/index.php?lang=eng
   6. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
   7. http://mss.slweiss.de/index.php?lang=eng
   8. http://mss.slweiss.de/index.php?lang=eng
   9. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Mailing List

[Steve Ramey]

   Not only does he host this most valuable forum, but he runs the
   foremost lute-related classified ad service.
   Many, many thanks!
   Steve

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[LUTE] Re: Mace's lute-dyphone

[Steve Ramey]

   A quick Google search yielded this:
   [1]http://www.lastampa.it/2015/02/18/edizioni/biella/in-tour-con-il-dyp
   hone-il-recital-su-corde-iWlEtbfSSRE90tpksgEwuM/pagina.html
   Steve
 __

   From: G. C. 
   To: Lutelist 
   Sent: Saturday, September 2, 2017 4:48 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: Mace's lute-dyphone
 Thanks Matthew, I'll check it out. Impressive!
 Virusfri. [1]www.avast.com
 On Sat, Sep 2, 2017 at 10:42 PM, Matthew Daillie
 <[2][2]dail...@club-internet.fr> wrote:
   Yes this was done by Italian luthier Antonio Dattis and
   demonstrated to
   the Lute Society in London in November 2014, followed by a
   paper
   in
   Lute News No. 112 (December 2014).
   Best,
   Matthew
   On 02/09/2017 22:29, G. C. wrote:
   Question to the cognoscenti:
   Has any modern luthier yet been adventurous enough, to try and
   reproduce Mace's double necked lute-dyphone, and has any
   antique
   specimen survived, or is the figure in his book the only
   evidence
   we
   have?
   G.
   --
 To get on or off this list see list information at
 [3][3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
 --
   References
 Visible links
 1.
   [4]https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email_source=link
   _campaign=sig-email_content=webmail
 2. mailto:[5]dail...@club-internet.fr
 3. [6]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
 Hidden links:
 5.
   [7]https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email_source=link
   _campaign=sig-email_content=webmail
 6.
   file://localhost/net/ifs-users/lute-arc/L1700-8229TMP.html#DAB4FAD8-2DD
   7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2

   --

References

   1. 
http://www.lastampa.it/2015/02/18/edizioni/biella/in-tour-con-il-dyphone-il-recital-su-corde-iWlEtbfSSRE90tpksgEwuM/pagina.html
   2. mailto:dail...@club-internet.fr
   3. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
   4. 
https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email_source=link_campaign=sig-email_content=webmail
   5. mailto:dail...@club-internet.fr
   6. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
   7. 
https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email_source=link_campaign=sig-email_content=webmail

[LUTE] Sloan Guitar Book

[Steve Ramey]

   Thanks to all who expressed interest in the Sloan Classic Guitar
   Construction book.  Mark in Canada was first to contact me; the book is
   on its way to him.
   For those seriously interested, it looks like it's available on line.
   Best regards,
   Steve

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[LUTE] Lute Music for Lent

[Steve Ramey]

   Wim,
   Cathy Liddell's excellent book, Sacred Music for Lute, vol I, features
   an excellent selection of music for Advent, Christmas, Lent, Easter,
   Trinity, and other appropriate topics within the church year.  It's all
   in French tab with some pieces in mensural notation, as well.
   Hope this helps a bit,
   Steve

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[LUTE] [Lute] Fine Saws

[Steve Ramey]

   For making fine saw cuts in tiny things, the X-acto razor saw works
   quite well.  Perhaps not a cool sounding, but I suspect it costs a lot
   less than a bone saw.
   Cheers,
   Steve

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[LUTE] Capriola Lute Book on Ebay

[Steve Ramey]

   Just stumbled onto a Capriola lute book up for auction on eBay
   currently, should anyone be interested.
   http://www.ebay.com/itm/LUTE-BOOK-c-1517-COMPOSITIONE-DI-MESER-VINCENZO
   -CAPIROLA-1955-MUSIC-BOOK-/231126603039?pt=Antiquarian_Collectiblehash
   =item35d038151f
   Cheers,
   Steve

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[LUTE] [Lute] Re: What is the Name Given to this Instrument

[Steve Ramey]

   Check out the bottom of this page.
   http://www.atlasofpluckedinstruments.com/lutes.htm
   Best wishes for the New Year to all,
   Steve

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[LUTE] Re: Aquila

[Steve Ramey]

   I got three chanterelles for a 7C from Curtis some months back.  The
   first one I tried broke right at the bridge knot three times.  I think
   this one was minutely thinner than the other two, but within
   tolerance.  Don't remember the exact diameter right now.  Fortunately,
   I hadn't trimmed the string at the peg, so had plenty of spare string
   to play with.  Curtis sent me a replacement.  The string has been
   working just fine for several months now.  I have a NNG chanterelle on
   another 7C with no difficulties at all.
   Steve
 __

   From: Bruno Correia bruno.l...@gmail.com
   To: List LUTELIST lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Friday, March 8, 2013 9:48 AM
   Subject: [LUTE] Aquila
 Has anybody had problems with NNG placed on the chanterelle? Since I
 started using this new version, the chanterelle snaps very often - it
 doesn't break, simply snaps. My student is complaining about the same
 thing, it doesn't stay in place. I never had such problems with the
 white version.
 Any thoughts?
 --
 Bruno Correia
 Pesquisador autonomo da pratica e interpretac,ao
 historicamente informada no alaude e teorba.
 Doutor em Praticas Interpretativas pela
 Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro.
 --
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[LUTE] Re: lutes for theatre?

[Steve Ramey]

   Wayne,
   I loaned my early Paki lute to a local theater company a few years
   back.  I sort of knew the fellow who would use it (an accomplished
   clarinetist) and didn't really fear for its well being.  Not that I
   particularly feared for it anyway.  I secured it by holding his check
   for a few hundred dollars, which I returned to him when he brought the
   lute back.  I've since sold the lute.
   Steve
 __

   From: wayne cripps w...@cs.dartmouth.edu
   To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Thursday, February 7, 2013 7:18 AM
   Subject: [LUTE] lutes for theatre?
   Hi -
   I regularly get requests from theatre people to rent a lute for a
   play.  Are there regular theatre rental companies who would have prop
   lutes that a theatre company could rent?  Something tough that looks
   like a lute to the audience?  It seems like there must be a market for
   such a thing.
 Wayne
   To get on or off this list see list information at
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[LUTE-BUILDER] Guild of American Luthiers Quarterlies

[Steve Ramey]

   Hi All,
   Cleaning out excess stuff in my bedroom, I've come upon a small stack
   of old GAL Quarterlies.  Specifically, I have June 79, as well as
   March, June,  Sep for 81, 82, and 83.  There may be more I haven't yet
   found.
   If anyone is interested, you're welcome to the lot of them.  Let me
   know an address and I'll send them along.  Otherwise they'll go out the
   door.
   Cheers,
   Steve

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[LUTE] Re: My First Lute

[Steve Ramey]

   Anyone interested should check out Mel's web site:
   www.blackbirdstringarts.com.  It's full of enjoyable reading,
   particularly on the topic of the current generation of middle Eastern
   lutes and the Chinese lutes he offered a few years ago.
   Regards to all,
   Steve
 __

   From: wayne cripps w...@cs.dartmouth.edu
   To: Jim Ammeson jimastr...@yahoo.com
   Cc: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Wednesday, August 1, 2012 1:26 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: My First Lute
   A while ago Mel Wong, the lute maker, got a lute made in China, which
   he adjusted and offered for sale at a reasonable price. ($600). He told
   me
   that he didn't have to do very much to it.  This was two years ago.
   His email is [1]mel.w...@sbcglobal.net if you want to see if he can
   still
   get one.
 Wayne
   On Jul 31, 2012, at 12:31 PM, Jim Ammeson [2]jimastr...@yahoo.com
   wrote:
 So, I've been considering buying a lute for a few years now, but
   I've
 had trouble finding places I can really try playing one or many
   people
 I can talk to about them.  (Lutes are a bit of a niche thing, I
   know.)
 A lutenist at the local renaissance faire suggested this list, so I
 thought I'd post.
 So, I'll just explain my situation, right now:
 I've been playing classical guitar for about 5 years.  I play lots
   of
 baroque and renaissance music, love the stuff.  I'd really like to
   try
 playing a lute or two before deciding if I want to make the
   investment
 in buying one.  As of right now, I don't have much over $500 to
   spend
 (I know that's not probably enough for one that's really worth
   having,
 unless I get a good price on a used one or something), but I'm
 *willing* to spend more, just don't have it *now*.  (I'm a college
 student, nuff said?)
 I live in the Chicago area, and have asked around if there's
   anyplace
 in the area whatsoever that makes lutes, and have tried looking
   online,
 but haven't found anything.  I've asked around at renaissance
   faires,
 as well, and, again, just was directed here by one lutenist.
 So, any advice as to what a beginning lutenist should do?  Where to
   go
 to try a lute for the first time and see if it is really something
   for
 him?  I've been thinking an 8 course lute would be good for the
   pieces
 I play to play...Bach and Dowland and the like?  Any general advice
   is
 also appreciated.
 -Jim
   
 --
   
   
To get on or off this list see list information at
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References

   1. mailto:mel.w...@sbcglobal.net
   2. mailto:jimastr...@yahoo.com

[LUTE-BUILDER] Re: What about pear wood?

[Steve Ramey]

   As you progress, photos, photos, photos, please.
   TIA
   Steve
 __

   From: Alfred Eberle uruz...@sbcglobal.net
   To: lute-buil...@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Tuesday, May 8, 2012 11:58 AM
   Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Re: What about pear wood?
   I'll chime in here and mention that I've recently begun a lute with a
   bowl made
   of lightly-figured Swiss Pear.  This is the first time I've used it for
   a lute
   bowl.  I sourced and purchased a seasoned 'slab' of pear tree, enough
   for four
   lute bowls, six lute necks, and numerous bridges and pegs.  In density
   and
   hardness (and behavior) it seems closest to Big Leaf Maple.  Bending
   has so far
   been fairly easy, with the usual care needed when bending figured
   wood.  It'll
   be a while before the results are audible, but so far it's been
   pleasant and
   stable to work with.
   I did some tests on scraps of this wood for the finish.  I found that
   with an
   oil varnish the finish is very nice, but looks a little bit 'dirty'.
   French
   polishing with shellac has produced very beautiful results - looks
   cleaner and
   there's a bit more visual pop of the figure than with the oil varnish.
   I'm using holly spacers between the pearwood ribs.  With finish applied
   the
   color of the pear is a delicious warm red brown which contrasts well
   with the
   holly spacers.
   It's definitely tricky to source the figured wood in dimensions large
   enough to
   cut into lute ribs - I was very fortunate to find a piece that was a
   little over
   six feet in length x 19 wide x 14/4 in thickness.  But oh so worth
   it.  If
   anyone needs the source I got my pearwood from, please let me know
   offlist and
   I'll be happy to give you their contact info.  I believe they have at
   least one
   more slab near the dimensions of the one I bought.
   Alfred
   in the Bay Area

   - Original Message 
   From: David Brown [1]arpali...@gmail.com
   To: Timothy Motz [2]tam...@buckeye-express.com
   Cc: [3]lute-buil...@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Tue, May 8, 2012 6:21:57 AM
   Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Re: What about pear wood?
   Hello Timothy and Alexandros,
   I would tend to disagree that steamed Swiss pear is more dense and
   harder
   than hard maple.  I would describe it as closer to a softer maple but
   with
   different qualities and specifications support this.
   I would describe it as a very creamy wood with a very fine grain and
   an
   absolute (no pun intended) pleasure to work and carve. It is a fairly
   stable
   wood. You can find it with a wavy figure and sometimes slightly curly.
   I use
   it regularly and it makes a very nice lute bowl. It is easy to find,
   but be
   sure you don't get Australian pear as I've seen it listed. This is
   much
   harder to work than Swiss pear. Pear from the US is harder to find, but
   is
   also a wonderful wood. I have a whole trees worth that was cut from a
   19c.
   farm site that was destined to be terra-formed by the interstate
   system.
   As a somewhat obtuse historic reference, the Este harp which was built
   around 1581 has some parts made of pear and others of curly maple.
   Many rosette makers use it as the carved frame for the parchment and
   wood
   rosettes. At one point, many makers used it for pegs. It was often used
   for
   blocks for prints.
   Sincerely and respectfully,
   David
   David B. Brown, Luthier
   -Original Message-
   From: [4]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu
   [mailto:[5]lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On Behalf
   Of Timothy Motz
   Sent: Tuesday, May 08, 2012 8:27 AM
   To: Alexandros Tzimeros
   Cc: [6]lute-buil...@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Subject: [LUTE-BUILDER] Re: What about pear wood?
   Alex,
   Pear is both denser and harder than hard maple, so it would make a fine
   bowl
   for a lute.  I don't know how easily it bends, but since Mustafa says
   it's
   used for ouds, it must bend decently.  The one time I used it was for a
   flat-backed instrument, so I didn't have to bend it.  It took forever
   to
   sand it down to the proper thickness on my little sander, but it
   certainly
   helped project the sound.  I think it's used a lot for wooden flutes
   and
   recorders.
   I would think the reasons it's not used more is because it doesn't have
   much
   of a figure and isn't as dramatic looking as the tropical hardwoods and
   at
   least in the US it's rather scarce and expensive.  There are no
   old-growth
   rain forests of European pear to clear-cut.  I've never seen it in my
   local
   hardwood dealer's stock.  The pear that I used was from Luthier's
   Mercantile
   and I've never seen it in their list of available back and side woods
   since
   that one time.
   Tim
   On May 8, 2012, at 2:04 AM, Alexandros Tzimeros wrote:
Hi dear all,
   
after sorting out the disadvantages of mahogany in lute construction,
can we discuss about pearwood? It 

[LUTE] Re: My Lord Chamberlain his Galliard - Quatre Mains

[Steve Ramey]

   David,
   You are immensely creative.  Well done!
   Steve
 __

   From: David van Ooijen davidvanooi...@gmail.com
   To: lutelist Net Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Monday, April 16, 2012 4:13 AM
   Subject: [LUTE] My Lord Chamberlain his Galliard - Quatre Mains
   I had a productive YouTube weekend for my guitar students. But after
   all the Adele  Calatayud I suddenly came up with someting they might
   also enjoy, as might you:
   http://youtu.be/-A-qsfmBS30
   It's not perfect, but it should inspire some young guitarists to have
   some fun together.
   David
   --
   ***
   David van Ooijen
   [1]davidvanooi...@gmail.com
   [2]www.davidvanooijen.nl
   ***
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. mailto:davidvanooi...@gmail.com
   2. http://www.davidvanooijen.nl/

[LUTE] Re: Mace-- Not Mace Anymore

[Steve Ramey]

   All,
   OK, so with all this talk of baroque lute being somewhat easy to play,
   I need to do something useful with my 10C baroque lute, once I get a
   proper set of strings for D minor tuning.  Does anyone have any
   recommendations for easy pieces with which to begin--  something easily
   accessible, both in terms of laying ones hands on and playing it.  I've
   checked out the items on Wayne's Baroque Lute tab page and some look
   and sound possibly do-able.  I'm not an accomplished lutenist on the
   ren lute, so ideas for something easy would be most appreciated.
   Thanks!
   Steve
 __

   From: Thomas Walker twlute...@hotmail.com
   To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Tuesday, July 19, 2011 10:12 AM
   Subject: [LUTE] Mace
 Hey all,
 Interesting discussion.  I have to say, I'm with Sterling  Roman et
   al
 on this one.  I started on renaissance lute (actually, guitar before
 that), and D minor baroque lute is still a secondary instrument for
   me.
   But if you can find the basses (most of us can with some patient
 work), there is a vast repertoire that is available, and much easier
 than most of Dowland, for instance.
 From my perspective, the hardest lute music is Italian, c. 1580-1620.
 Piccinini's music, straddling the two epochs, is unrelentingly
 difficult. The bass work isn't too bad (even Toccata XX from his 1623
 print doesn't demand too much of one's thumb radar), but the left
 hand work is brutal.
 Zamboni's music for archlute doesn't spend a lot of time below the
   9th
 or 10th course (I think most of it you could play on a veil ton 10c
 lute), but even as his textures are leaner than Weiss', the left hand
 work is considerably more demanding.  D minor works!
 Cheers,
 Tom Walker, Jr.
 --
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [1]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Hand moisturizer.

[Steve Ramey]

   I like Eucerin Dry Skin Therapy Original Moisturizing Cream.  It's
   pretty thick.  I also use some Neutorgena; it's also thick.  I get it
   in the small, travel-size tubes and I can keep one in a lute case.
   With Eucerin, one must be careful, though.  I tried some at a friend's
   house; it wasn't quite the same thing as I have at home and my fingers
   squeaked horribly on the nylon strings.  Don't know exactly what it
   was.
   HTH,
   Steve
 __

   From: Herbert Ward wa...@physics.utexas.edu
   To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Mon, February 14, 2011 12:14:16 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Hand moisturizer.
   What is a good hand moisturizer for lute playing?
   Lubriderm moisturizes well.  But it leaves my fingers
   catchy, even to the point of squeaking slightly on
   the strings.
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [1]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Max safe temp for a lute.

[Steve Ramey]

   Probably just shy of the temp at which hide glue begins to soften.
 __

   From: Herbert Ward wa...@physics.utexas.edu
   To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Sat, July 24, 2010 8:47:14 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Max safe temp for a lute.
   What is the maximum safe temperature for a lute?
   A few summers ago, Dallas reached 100 degrees
   in the shade (actual air temperature) 30 days in a row.
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [1]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

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References

   1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Help identifying 40 year old lute!

[Steve Ramey]

   No, I don't mind that you've reposted my reply.  I sent it off-list due
   to its length and the fact I'd included several photos, which won't
   post to the list.
   Yes, my Penzel lute has a label inside.  It reads:
 Guenter Penzel
 Zupfinstrumentmachermeister
 Markneukirchen
   Made in Germany  1993
   On the label, his first name is spelled with an umlaut, not the ue
   convention used with keyboards without an umlaut.  The label has the
   19__ printed on it and the 93 filled in in blue ball point.
   On the back side of the peg box is a black ink on white paper label
   with the numbers 9993260, which I take to mean the instrument may have
   been begun on 9 September, 1993 and would be the 260th instrument/item
   built in the shop that year.  That's just a rather uneducated guess on
   my part.  The numbers 1093 are stamped into the wood on the treble side
   of the peg box right where the peg box joins the neck.  Again, just a
   wild guess, but I believe this may indicate the lute was completed in
   October, 1993.
   Check out www.museum-markneukirchen.de.  It's a place where you can ask
   questions about instruments from Markneukirchen and maybe (or maybe
   not) get some answers.  Send them a good, clear photo of the maker's
   mark on your lute--  pull the strings aside before you take this photo.

   Hope this helps an additional bit.
   Steve
 __

   From: Samuel Jacques dei...@yahoo.com
   To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Wed, May 12, 2010 8:26:09 AM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: Help identifying 40 year old lute!
 I received a very thorough reply from Steve Ramey, which I've
   included
 below.  I hope it is okay for me to repost his email so that the list
 may see it?  He replied to my email only.  This is my first mailing
 list subscription and I am not sure on protocol.
 I thought I would forward his reply as it has given me a very good
 indication of where this lute was made.  Althought he pictures are
   not
 included here, he is right - the case is VERY similar to his. My lute
 also has some very big similarities to his, indicating that perhaps
   the
 lute was made in Germany.  Steve, does your german lute have a label
 inside?
 I find it odd that the maker simply left initials on the instrument
 rather than placing a label inside with more information.  If the
   lute
 was made in Germany, that would complicate things for me, as i do not
 speak german and the lute was made many years ago.  I will perhaps
 contact that maker you reffered to.
 Also very good information on the strings - thank you.  that is an
   area
 I have not researched yet.  I do not mind having the instrument
 sounding like a guitar at this point, I am still learning the basic
 hand movements.
 cheers, and many thanks
 --- On Wed, 5/12/10, Steve Ramey  wrote:
   From: Steve Ramey 
   Subject: Re: [LUTE] Help identifying 40 year old lute!
   To: Samuel Jacques [1]dei...@yahoo.com
   Date: Wednesday, May 12, 2010, 1:59 AM
 Hi Samuel,
 I have a 7C ren lute that is somewhat similar to yours in appearance.
 String length (known as mensur) on mine is 62 cm.  It was made by
 Zupfinstrumentmachermeister (plucked instrument master maker)
   Guenter
 Penzel (you can google him) (or at least it was made in his shop) in
 Markneukirchen Germany, probably in 1993.  I've included some photos.
 The points of similarity begin with the case--  mine would appear to
   be
 virtually an exact duplicate of yours.  The treatment of the sound
 hole--  different color--  like smoked box wood is similar, as is the
 rider for the chanterelle (highest pitch string).  My Penzel lute
   has
 numerous guitar-like features--  the raised fingerboard--  it's not
 level with the top of the lute; plywood top (spruce over pine);
 guitar-style bridge with saddle; and you can't see them, but
 guitar-style braces inside on the top.  The neck on my lute is
   thicker
 than it should be for comfortable playing.  My Penzel lute weighs
   1415
 gm.  By way of contrast, my 61 cm 8C Dan Larson lute weighs only 677
 gm.  My Larson lute sounds like a lute should, even though I'm
   strictly
 a rank amateur at it.  My Penzel lute sounds good, but it sounds a
   lot
 like a guitar, no matter who plays it.
 You may note that the position of the bridge on mine is farther up
 the top than correct lute bridge position (much closer to the bottom
 end of the lute)--  see the photo of my 8C Dan Larson lute for
   correct
 placement of the bridge and sound hole.  It appears your bridge is
 similar to mine, except your bridge does not appear to have a saddle
 (the piece of wood or bone over which the strings pass)(real lute
 bridges have no saddle, rather

[LUTE] Re: Voices of Music Concert Photos

[Steve Ramey]

   Great Pics, David.  Thanks!
   Steve
 __

   From: David Tayler vidan...@sbcglobal.net
   To: lute-cs.dartmouth.edu lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Sun, March 21, 2010 7:52:42 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Voices of Music Concert Photos
 Concert Photos from the Charity Concert for the SF Food Bank last
 night--thanks to all those who came!
 [1][1]http://tinyurl.com/Stars2010
 --
   References
 1. [2]http://tinyurl.com/Stars2010
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. http://tinyurl.com/Stars2010
   2. http://tinyurl.com/Stars2010
   3. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Strange lute in French painting

[Steve Ramey]

   Thanks, Dan.  Ah yes, I see it, now.  With no holes, and that large
   ring around it, I took it to be a pestle.  The way the picture comes up
   on my screen, I can't see the reed-end of it.
   Steve
 __

   From: Daniel Winheld dwinh...@comcast.net
   To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Mon, February 15, 2010 1:55:24 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: Strange lute in French painting
   It's down at the bottom, next to what appears to be a plate on edge;
   dangerously close to the parsnips. It appears that the bell is of a
   different wood than the body; and on the whole it somewhat resembles
   an extraordinary oboe played extraordinarily well by Gonzalo X. Ruiz
   a few weeks ago- perhaps explaining David's interest :)  -he was
   part of the fine continuo support at one of his Voices of Music
   concert.
   And is that an early manifestation of a nice French Rose between the
   two pegboxes- I think only two senses are getting the most play here.
   When's dinner?
   I think the bird has seen the handwriting on the wall (so to
   speak) and
   is making good its escape before becoming part of the stew.
   David, I must be blind; where is the oboe?
   
   I find the oboe the most interesting :)
   dt
   At 10:59 PM 2/14/2010, you wrote:
   Count 'em again, folks- I'm counting 7 courses on the main
   pegbox.
   Treble rider, and 12 more pegs. I've got three courses- 6 pegs on
   the
   extension, the bottom one looks like a darker wood replacement
   (ebony?) -So we have a 10 course. There is a Dutch picture of a
   young
   man playing one of these double pegbox lutes, I will hunt the
   online
   iconography sources and get back to you all.
   
   It appears that a stuffed bird is trying to make an escape. No
   idea
   about that other thing, sausage/pepper grinder powder horn?
   --
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References

   1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Strange lute in French painting

[Steve Ramey]

   Not that I'm at all expert in any of these questions, but it does look
   like the artist has attempted to depict the bird in motion.  The lute,
   with it's second peg head reminds me a bit of the one Toyohiko Sato
   plays.  That thing under the bird looks like it might be some sort of
   sausage stuffer???
   Just my two cents or less...
   Steve
 __

   From: Ed Durbrow edurb...@sea.plala.or.jp
   To: LuteNet list lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Mon, February 15, 2010 12:14:00 AM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: Strange lute in French painting
 On Feb 15, 2010, at 12:31 PM, Nicolas Valencia wrote:
   I've found this lute in a painting by Jacques Linard, (France,
   1600-1645). It's called The Five Senses and the Four Elements, so
   I
   guess the lute represents hearing. What kind of lute is this?
   [1][1][1]http://www.wga.hu/art/l/linard/senses.jpg
 Looks like a 12 course. The loop on the back is very clear indeed.
   That
 is thicker cord than I've seen before. Also, the position of the loop
 is interesting. It is very near the neck. Others I've seen were more
   in
 the middle, IIRC. What I want to know is what is the thing on the
   table
 to the left of the lute under the bird. And is the bird supposed to
   be
 flying or is it stuffed?
 Ed Durbrow
 Saitama, Japan
 [2][2]edurb...@sea.plala.or.jp
 [3][3]http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
 --
   References
 1. [4]http://www.wga.hu/art/l/linard/senses.jpg
 2. mailto:[5]edurb...@sea.plala.or.jp
 3. [6]http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [7]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

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References

   1. http://www.wga.hu/art/l/linard/senses.jpg
   2. mailto:edurb...@sea.plala.or.jp
   3. http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
   4. http://www.wga.hu/art/l/linard/senses.jpg
   5. mailto:edurb...@sea.plala.or.jp
   6. http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/
   7. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] 13C Baroque Lute for Sale

[Steve Ramey]

   All,
   There is a 1980 L.K. Brown 13C baroque lute available on eBay at the
   moment with a buy it now price of $1500.  The catch, or maybe not, is
   it is a left-handed instrument.  I have no interest in it, but thought
   someone here might.
   Cheers,
   Steve

   --


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[BAROQUE-LUTE] 13C Baroque Lute for Sale

[Steve Ramey]

   All,
   There is a 1980 L.K. Brown 13C baroque lute for sale in eBay at the
   moment, with a buy it now price of $1500.  The catch, or maybe not, is
   that it is a left-handed instrument.  I have no interest in the sale,
   but thought someone here might have.
   Cheers,
   Steve

   --


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[LUTE] Baroque Lute Coming up for Sale

[Steve Ramey]

   All,
   Until last night, there was a gut strung, left-handed Larry K. Brown 8C
   ren lute for sale on eBay with a buy-it-now of $500.  Someone in
   Switzerland got it.  I've been in correspondence with the seller in
   Wisconsin, who apparently does not participate in the list.  He'll be
   offering another left-handed lute for sale in the very near future.
   Here's what he had to say about it in a note I received this morning:
   I am going to be selling another Larry Brown lute very soon. If you
   know anybody that plays left-handed and is interested, have them
   contact me at: [1]wmbauma...@live.com and I will send pictures and
   information on the instrument. It is a 13 course Baroque lute with a
   Rosewood back and maple spacers. The neck is made out of strips of wood
   consisting of ebony and Maple. It does however have a crack in the
   sound board going through the middle. I believe the crack is where the
   two pieces of wood come together. It does however play quite well I
   even thought that the crack opened up the sound just a bit.
   That's all I know.  I have no interest in it, but some of you folks may
   know of someone looking.  I had suggested he consider Wayne's list, but
   he didn't seem interested.
   Happy New Year to All,
   Steve

   --

References

   1. mailto:wmbauma...@live.com


To get on or off this list see list information at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

[BAROQUE-LUTE] Baroque Lute Coming up for Sale

[Steve Ramey]

   All,
   Until last night, there was a gut strung, left-handed Larry K. Brown 8C
   ren lute for sale on eBay with a buy-it-now of $500.  Someone in
   Switzerland got it.  I've been in correspondence with the seller in
   Wisconsin, who apparently does not participate in the list.  He'll be
   offering another left-handed lute for sale in the very near future.
   Here's what he had to say about it in a note I received this morning:
   I am going to be selling another Larry Brown lute very soon. If you
   know anybody that plays left-handed and is interested, have them
   contact me at: [1]wmbauma...@live.com and I will send pictures and
   information on the instrument. It is a 13 course Baroque lute with a
   Rosewood back and maple spacers. The neck is made out of strips of wood
   consisting of ebony and Maple. It does however have a crack in the
   sound board going through the middle. I believe the crack is where the
   two pieces of wood come together. It does however play quite well I
   even thought that the crack opened up the sound just a bit.
   That's all I know.  I have no interest in it, but some of you folks may
   know of someone looking.  I had suggested he consider Wayne's list, but
   he didn't seem interested.
   Happy New Year to All,
   Steve

   --

References

   1. mailto:wmbauma...@live.com


To get on or off this list see list information at
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[LUTE] Re: lute tasting, was Greenwich festival

[Steve Ramey]

   Ah yes, the never-ending search for the perfect instrument.  All would
   do well to keep firmly in mind the idea that our instruments sound
   different to the listener out in front of us than they do to us as we
   play them.  That is true whether we play a trumpet, french horn,
   recorder, guitar, lute, or whatever.  For brass and woodwind players,
   the search includes mouthpieces, too.  Yes, double reeds have their own
   issues and bassoonists search for the perfect bocal.
   The most unfortunate thing is although we can ask someone to listen to
   us play a particular instrument and we can ask someone to play an
   instrument in which we are interested, their ears/touch/technique will
   never match ours, so we remain without an objective way to arrive at
   that most subjective decision--  is this  t h e  instrument for me?
   Far as I can tell, David, with his recording set-up; and vast
   experience has the best way to solve this question--  at least for
   lutes.  I, for one, really appreciate his contributions to this list.
   Steve
 __

   From: David Tayler vidan...@sbcglobal.net
   To: lute-cs.dartmouth.edu lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 4:28:02 AM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: lute tasting, was Greenwich festival
   I have worked with many musicians, and I can tell in a few moments if
   their instrument will record well or not, and they usually are
   interested, but unable to change it.
   By the time the recording rolls around, it is too late.
   And the sad thing is, that after awhile we imagine the sound to be
   different than it is, and the recorded sound seems different.
   On the other hand, if you like the lute, and are totally happy with
   it, then all is well.
   Funny how so many professionals change their lutes so often (there
   are some notable exceptions)
   I wonder how much of that is a recent recording experience, and the
   lute is changed after the recording instead of before it.
   I mean, if the pros can't pick a winner, what chance do we have? And
   if advice were the important factor, who advised them?
   I think a lot of it is fashion, mystique and so on. Otherwise there
   would not be so many regional differences.
   To be fair, I was taught that we do not choose our instruments, but
   that they choose us.
   And I believe that is true :)
   dt
   At 12:02 PM 11/15/2009, you wrote:
   Choosing a musical instrument seems to me to be a tricky thing.  For
   years I owned two cellos.  After playing one for a few months I
   would switch and really like the new one.  A few months later and
   I would rediscover the things I likes about the other one.  In a
   way, it was a remedy for any boredom that might be creeping into my
   daily practice routine - a different sound and feel to the revisited
   instrument.  Ultimately I sold what I actually had concluded was the
   'better' instrument - those I played with thought so and it did
   project better than the other - simply because the top string was
   brighter than I could quite get used to.  So, yes, as David says,
   it's how the instrument sounds under your own ear that ends up being
   the most important issue.
   
   Now I'm finding a similar situation with two lutes.  One is a more
   expensive instrument than the other; finer craftsmanship and lighter
   construction, and more responsive to the slightest changes in
   touch.  But the other has it's own good points that make it
   enjoyable to play also.  Perhaps as I progress in skill and
   experience, the choice will become clearer.  Right now i wouldn't
   want to sell either one.
   
   Ned
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [1]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Manchester Gamba Book

[Steve Ramey]

   OK, I'll bite and display my hopeless ignorance, as well.
   What's an ffeff lute???
   Steve
 __

   From: Richard Yates rich...@yatesguitar.com
   To: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Mon, November 16, 2009 3:13:49 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Manchester Gamba Book
   I have been burrowing through the Manchester Gamba Book for a while and
   arranged 25 of the pieces for Renaissance Lute. Although they were
   composed
   for lyra-viol in many different tunings, they work pretty well in
   ffeff.
   Some of the authors and many of the pieces are unknown from aside from
   this
   manuscript.
   The link to download the file (250KB) is at the top of this page:
   [1]http://www.yatesguitar.com/lute/lute.html
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. http://www.yatesguitar.com/lute/lute.html
   2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: help for 'improving' lute and vihuela players

[Steve Ramey]

   David,
   Those are great!  They're just about my speed.  I'd have given anything
   when I started learning by myself for a few lute videos like your
   guitar videos explaining thumb under and some other things.
   Thanks!
   Steve
 __

   From: David van Ooijen davidvanooi...@gmail.com
   To: Rob MacKillop luteplay...@googlemail.com
   Cc: angevin...@att.net; lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2009 5:46:31 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: help for 'improving' lute and vihuela players
   Two days a week I teach guitar. For my really young pupils and their
   mothers (fathers?) I made a few videos explaining and showing basic
   techniques and exercises. These children are too young to remember my
   instructions for the week in between lessons, are often awed or
   distracted in the lessons anyway, and when mothers want to help at
   home they are at a loss because they don't know what or how either.
   The results are pretty good so far: little kids starting a discussion
   on correct guitar technique with me in stead of talking about their
   game computer, they at least _know_ how it should be done and will
   produce correct technique when asked (it's not that hey suddenly have
   become great guitar players, of course), I can skip some of the
   repetitive explanations in the lessons and somehow the upils take me
   more seriously when I ask them to play with 'correct' technique.
   YouTube is their world and they take that more seriously than some
   adult who is trying to teach them guitar. Even if the guy on YouTube
   is the same adult who's trying to teach them guitar ... Weird world.
   If I take the trouble of telling them even on YouTube how it how it
   should be done, I must be right after all, something like that.  And,
   for many, I'm suddenly 'cool' because I'm on YouTube. ;-) Some of the
   little older kids (10 to 12ish) think I'm silly and make a fool of
   myself, though they still see the point, and some adults definitively
   think I am making a fool of myself. I can't blame them, looking at
   myself, but it's an experiment and I'm willing to be the fool if it
   serves a good purpose.
   The videos are in Dutch, aimed at kids of 6 to 8 (max) years old, but
   you can get an idea of what it's about:
   [1]http://www.youtube.com/user/MeesterDavidGitaar
   enjoy
   David
   On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 9:23 PM, Rob MacKillop
   [2]luteplay...@googlemail.com wrote:
  This is all good food for thought. I'm sure there are players on
   this
  list who could help. For thumb under technique I would look at
   Valerie
  Sauvage's videos. I don't play thumb under myself, in fact I find
   it
  impossible. A close up video would indeed be helpful. I'll try to
   do
  some videos later, although my technique is probably not worth
   looking
  at too closely. No matter how many treatises I read on technique,
   no
  matter how much sound advice I get from professional players and
  teachers, I still end up, for better or worse, playing and sounding
  like me - I'm stuck with me. So maybe I won't be making technique
  videos, but I hope to help in other areas.
   
   
   
  Rob MacKillop
   
  --
   
   
To get on or off this list see list information at
[3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
   
   --
   ***
   David van Ooijen
   [4]davidvanooi...@gmail.com
   [5]www.davidvanooijen.nl
   ***

   --

References

   1. http://www.youtube.com/user/MeesterDavidGitaar
   2. mailto:luteplay...@googlemail.com
   3. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html
   4. mailto:davidvanooi...@gmail.com
   5. http://www.davidvanooijen.nl/

[LUTE] Re: Lute and recorder duo scores

[Steve Ramey]

   Not lute and recorder, but there are at least two vol's of a book
   called Bach for Recorder and Guitar.  There's also one of Teleman
   for Recorder and Guitar.  If anyone is interested, let me know and
   I'll dig at least one of them out to find publisher info.
   Steve
 __

   From: Jim Abraham jcabra...@gmail.com
   To: Nicolas Valencia niva...@gmail.com
   Cc: Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Thursday, May 7, 2009 4:04:29 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: Lute and recorder duo scores
 Hey me too. My wife is trying to play the recorder, and though I've
 found duets for recorder and guitar, nothing yet for recorder and
   lute.
 Jim
 2009/5/7 Nicolas Valencia [1][1]niva...@gmail.com
 Dear All,
 Im looking for music scores on Internet for lute (renaissance or
 baroque) and recorder (all registers). Any suggestion please?
 Regards,
 Nicolas
 --
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [2][2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
 --
   References
 1. mailto:[3]niva...@gmail.com
 2. [4]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. mailto:niva...@gmail.com
   2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html
   3. mailto:niva...@gmail.com
   4. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Inauguaral Music OT

[Steve Ramey]

   As a long-time brass player, mouthpieces with nylon rims or various
   plastic mouthpieces have been around for a long, long time--  at least
   since the late 50's.
   And yes, it's entirely possible for the valves to freeze--  breath
   moisture condenses inside that coil of brass and if it's cold enough,
   it freezes the valves.  Yes, even though we oil our valves; the oil is
   very, very light.
   Been there; done that.  Didn't like it at all.
   Danny, that new guitar is absolutely beautiful--  a work of art of the
   highest order.  And the sound...  How nice!!!
   Cheers,
   Steve
 __

   From: Daniel Shoskes kidneykut...@gmail.com
   To: Arthur Ness arthurjn...@verizon.net
   Cc: Lute Net lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Thursday, January 22, 2009 9:46:03 PM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: Inauguaral Music OT
 It was lip synced!!
 [1][1]http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/music/23band.html?_r=1
 On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 7:03 PM, Arthur Ness
 [2][2]arthurjn...@verizon.net wrote:
   I didn't hear about Yo-Yo Ma playing a carbon fiber cello.  But the
   army, navy and marine bands also have string orchestras (as well as
   a
   chorus) and they were planning on playing on the such string
   instruments because of the cold.  Alas, I missed out.  Just this
   month
   the music instrument lecture at the
   Boston Museum of Fine Arts was on these string instruments.
   They're
   made here in Boston, I think.  The MFA bought one.  Yes, here it is
   (item #13):
   [3][3]http://www.mfa.org/tours/package.asp?key=814
   You can have the picture sent to yourself.
   The picture is under the red MFA label.  These instruments are made
   of
   carbon fiber by the firm of Luis (sic) and Clark in Milton,
   Massachusetts.
   The brass players were using plastic mouthpieces to prevent
   freezing
   their lips.  And they had also rehearsed some piece that the
   brasses
   could play if their valves or slide froze up!!  Honest! that's what
   I
   heard on the news.
 =AJN (Boston, Mass.)=
   My Web Page: Scores
 [4][4]http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepq31c/arthurjnesslutescores/
 Other Matters:
 [5][5]http://mysite.verizon.net/arthurjness/
 [6][6]http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepq31c/musexx/
 ===
 - Original Message -
 From: David van Ooijen [7][7]davidvanooi...@gmail.com
 To: Lute Net [8][8]l...@cs.dartmouth.edu
 Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 5:41 PM
 Subject: [LUTE] Re: Inauguaral Music OT
 |I didn't see a thing, nor heard anything, but read the news paper.
   It
 | said Yo-yo Ma would play a graphite/composite/carbon/??? cello if
 the
 | weather would be Stradivarius-unfriendly. Anybody know anything
 about
 | this instrument? I have to play outside somtimes, and Dutch weather
 | can be as lute-unfriendly as it gets. Not to mention my Japanese
 | outside gigs where I steamed open an 8-course ... |-(
 |
 | David
 | --
 | ***
 | David van Ooijen
 | [9][9]davidvanooi...@gmail.com
 | [10][10]www.davidvanooijen.nl
 | ***
 |
 |
 |
 | To get on or off this list see list information at
 | [11][11]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
 --
   References
 1. [12]http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/music/23band.html?_r=1
 2. mailto:[13]arthurjn...@verizon.net
 3. [14]http://www.mfa.org/tours/package.asp?key=814
 4. [15]http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepq31c/arthurjnesslutescores/
 5. [16]http://mysite.verizon.net/arthurjness/
 6. [17]http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepq31c/musexx/
 7. mailto:[18]davidvanooi...@gmail.com
 8. mailto:[19]l...@cs.dartmouth.edu
 9. mailto:[20]davidvanooi...@gmail.com
 10. [21]http://www.davidvanooijen.nl/
 11. [22]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/music/23band.html?_r=1
   2. mailto:arthurjn...@verizon.net
   3. http://www.mfa.org/tours/package.asp?key=814
   4. http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepq31c/arthurjnesslutescores/
   5. http://mysite.verizon.net/arthurjness/
   6. http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepq31c/musexx/
   7. mailto:davidvanooi...@gmail.com
   8. mailto:lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   9. mailto:davidvanooi...@gmail.com
  10. http://www.davidvanooijen.nl/
  11. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html
  12. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/23/arts/music/23band.html?_r=1
  13. mailto:arthurjn...@verizon.net
  14. http://www.mfa.org/tours/package.asp?key=814
  15. http://mysite.verizon.net/vzepq31c/arthurjnesslutescores/
  16. http://mysite.verizon.net/arthurjness/
  17. 

[LUTE] Re: You Tube/Vimeo Question

[Steve Ramey]

   Rob,
   I tried this with DT's Bach Dm prelude on You Tube.  I think it may
   have helped a bit, but was not entirely successful.  After I let it
   load and play once thru, I played it again, but found more stuttering.
   Thanks for the thoughts.
   Steve
 __

   From: Rob MacKillop [EMAIL PROTECTED]
   To: Steve Ramey [EMAIL PROTECTED]
   Cc: Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Tuesday, November 25, 2008 5:12:03 PM
   Subject: Re: [LUTE] You Tube/Vimeo Question
   Try letting the video completely upload before clicking Play...

   Rob
   2008/11/25 Steve Ramey [EMAIL PROTECTED]

   All,
   When I click on the links to You Tube and Vimeo lute videos
 provided in
   the posts (and all other posts on those sites, as well), they
   invariably play, but with some brief sputtering in the audio
   accompanied by a freeze in the video at odd moments during the
   performance.  What causes that?  How can I get rid of it?
   My computer is an IBM Pentium III laptop running XP.  My internet
 is
   DSL.
   Thanks!
   Steve
   --
 To get on or off this list see list information at
 [2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
   2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: new Conradi/Kellner CD

[Steve Ramey]

   Yes,  beautiful music, each note beautifully played.
   Steve
 __

   From: Hermann Kelber [EMAIL PROTECTED]
   To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED];
   baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Thursday, November 13, 2008 6:14:05 PM
   Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] new Conradi/Kellner CD
 Hello everybody,
 Ed Martin just released a wonderful Baroque solo CD played all on gut
 strings.
 1)the allemande  recording includes the Conradi suites :
 A-major/ C-major and 2 D-Minor pieces
 2) also the D-Major Kellner suite and the Phantasia in F.
 congratulation Edand enjoy 
 I have no financial interest in this matter.
 contact Ed personally to order his CD
 Edward Martin
 E-mail Address(es):
   [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Hermann
 Hermann Kelber
 1050 Crystal Ct.
 Walnut Creek, Ca. 94598
 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 [3][3]www.mclasen.com/hermdergerm
 --
   References
 1. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 2. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 3. [6]http://www.mclasen.com/hermdergerm
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [7]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
   2. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
   3. http://www.mclasen.com/hermdergerm
   4. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
   5. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
   6. http://www.mclasen.com/hermdergerm
   7. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Re: Kapsberger Canarios

[Steve Ramey]

   Rob,
   Thanks for the thoughts.  I thought this might be right up your alley.
   As you see, Arto knew the one I had heard.  That said, I'll eventually
   track down the piano piece and try to make a version for my own use.
   I'll let you know if I have some success.
   Best,
   Steve
   - Original Message 
   From: Rob MacKillop [EMAIL PROTECTED]
   To: Steve Ramey [EMAIL PROTECTED]
   Cc: lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
   Sent: Tuesday, October 28, 2008 4:32:45 AM
   Subject: [LUTE] Re: Kapsberger Canarios
 Steve,
 Normally these pieces are played on the theorbo, so if it definitely
 was a baroque guitar being played, they must have been arrangements.
   I
 know Maxwell Davis's Farewell to Stromness, although I haven't heard
   it
 for a decade or so. I seem to recall it is a set of variations on a
 passacaglia. Doesn't sound to me particularly like any of the
 arpegiattas or canarios by Kapsberger, but I suppose there would be a
 similarity with his passacaglias. It might well fit the lute. The
 guitar version had to miss out much of the interesting dissonance of
 the piano original. Nice tune, though. Go ahead and make an attempt,
 then let us know the result.
 Rob
 2008/10/28 Steve Ramey [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 Dear Collected Wisdom,
 I just heard a fellow playing a baroque guitar solo on the radio.
 It
 was something called Arpegiatt and Canarios, by Kapsberger.  The
 Canarios sounded rather similar to the modern piano piece,
   Farewell to
 Stromness, which we may know as a guitar piece.  I've thought for
   a
 long time it might be interesting on the lute.
 Anybody know anything about this one?
 TIA,
 Steve
 --
   To get on or off this list see list information at
   [2][2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
 --
   References
 1. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 2. [4]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html

   --

References

   1. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
   2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html
   3. mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
   4. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/%7Ewbc/lute-admin/index.html

[LUTE] Kapsberger Canarios

[Steve Ramey]

   Dear Collected Wisdom,
   I just heard a fellow playing a baroque guitar solo on the radio.  It
   was something called Arpegiatt and Canarios, by Kapsberger.  The
   Canarios sounded rather similar to the modern piano piece, Farewell to
   Stromness, which we may know as a guitar piece.  I've thought for a
   long time it might be interesting on the lute.
   Anybody know anything about this one?
   TIA,
   Steve

   --


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[LUTE] Lute Sighting

[Steve Ramey]

All,  

If you can get to YahoohomecomicsWizard of Id, you'll see Bung's lute.  

Steve


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[LUTE] Re: Lute Bream Rubio?

[Steve Ramey]

- Original Message 
From: David Rastall [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: vance wood [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: Lute List lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Sent: Monday, March 3, 2008 5:35:33 PM
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Lute Bream Rubio?


On 
Mar 
3, 
2008, 
at 
4:24 
PM, 
vance 
wood 
wrote:

 
No 
one 
has 
mentioned, 
though 
I 
suppose 
some 
have 
noticed, 
it 
has  
 
metal 
frets.

Hi 
Vance,

Yes 
I 
noticed 
the 
frets.  
As 
soon 
as 
I 
saw 
the 
back 
of 
the 
neck 
I  
said, 
what's 
wrong 
with 
this 
picture?  
I 
like 
Rubio's 
monogram 
BTW.

DR
[EMAIL PROTECTED]




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get 
on 
or 
off 
this 
list 
see 
list 
information 
at
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[LUTE] Re: Lute Bream Rubio?

[Steve Ramey]

Pushed the button way too soon on my last post.  Sorry!  

What I meant to say was--  

A couple other guitar-like qualities include the classical guitar-like bridge, 
complete with saddle raised toward the bass end, the fingerboard height is 
actually above the level of the belly, and to my eye, the bridge looks like 
it's set a little far up the belly.  

Interesting treatment of the rose and back of neck decoration, though.  

Steve

- Original Message 
From: David Rastall [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: vance wood [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: Lute List lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Sent: Monday, March 3, 2008 5:35:33 PM
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Lute Bream Rubio?


On 
Mar 
3, 
2008, 
at 
4:24 
PM, 
vance 
wood 
wrote:

 
No 
one 
has 
mentioned, 
though 
I 
suppose 
some 
have 
noticed, 
it 
has  
 
metal 
frets.

Hi 
Vance,

Yes 
I 
noticed 
the 
frets.  
As 
soon 
as 
I 
saw 
the 
back 
of 
the 
neck 
I  
said, 
what's 
wrong 
with 
this 
picture?  
I 
like 
Rubio's 
monogram 
BTW.

DR
[EMAIL PROTECTED]




--

To 
get 
on 
or 
off 
this 
list 
see 
list 
information 
at
http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html




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[LUTE] Re: Good Friday music

[Steve Ramey]

I second Steve Stubbs' suggestions and would add a couple more from Lutheran 
tradition:  

O Dearest Jesus, What Law Hast Thou Broken, aka Herzliebster Jesu; tune by 
Johann Crueger (1598 - 1662; text by Johann Heermann (1585 - 1647).  

and, although more recent, nonetheless beautiful--

Stricken, Smitten and Afflicted, aka O mein Jesu, ich muss Sterben; tune from 
Geistliche Volkslieder, Paderborn, 1850; with  text by Thomas Kelly (1769 - 
1854).  

By the way, I found both of these in an Episcopal hymnal published in 1982 for 
use here in the US.  

Steve Ramey
 
- Original
 Message 
From: Charles Browne [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Lutelist lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Sent: Thursday, January 10, 2008 7:20:49 AM
Subject: [LUTE] Good Friday music


Dear all,
I would be grateful for suggestions, and music, for a Good Friday
 Service.
We have a quartet of singers (SATB) and I accompany on an archlute. The
service is meditative and we sing and play from the back of the church.
Thanks for your help
Charles

it's a long winding road without a map and compass.
 {MRY6STVMNzY9Gl7wis}




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[LUTE] Re: New Xmas recording

[Steve Ramey]

Too much to resist.  

If they're whales, they'd be a pod.  I believe there's an historical reference 
to them as giraffes.  If that's the case, wouldn't they be a herd ?  

Cheers,
Steve 

- Original Message 
From: Mathias R=F6sel [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: Robert Clair [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Cc: Lute List lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Sent: Saturday, December 1, 2007 6:41:00 PM
Subject: [LUTE] Re: New Xmas recording


Robert Clair [EMAIL PROTECTED] schrieb:
   Count 'em THREE theorboes (theorbi, theorbot?)
 
 Yes, but what is the proper collective noun for a ? of
 theorboes ?
 
 ..Bob
 --

Shoal? I mean they are the wales among the fishes, aren't they... B)
-- 
Mathias



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[LUTE] New eBay Phishing Scheme

[Steve Ramey]

Hi Folks,  
   
  One of my other lists is the Takahashi List.  It's a list for a particular 
brand of high-end astronomical telescopes.  This evening one of our members 
reported a new phishing scam on eBay.  
   
  He'd seen a very, very nice Tak scope advertised on a 24 hour auction with a 
ridiculously low buy-it-now price.  He responded to the ad (I guess using an 
email address in the ad) and found the seller responded at lightning speed 
with payment information.  He then contacted the real individual listed in the 
ad as the seller and learned it was not the real individual's ad.  EBay pulled 
the ad.
   
  Once again, we see that if it's too good to be true, it probably isn't true.  
  
   
  Best regards to all,
  Steve

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[LUTE] [Lute] Re: Shipping

[Steve Ramey]

I've had equally good service from UPS, FedEx, and DHL, so I can't recommend 
one delivery service over another.  However, I can add my two cents to what Rob 
has said about packing.  
   
  First the instrument should be wrapped in as much bubble wrap as possible and 
still fit in its case.  In the case (NPI) of lutes, particuarly the peg head 
should be wrapped in bubble wrap.  Many instruments are damaged in transit when 
the whole box takes a hit and the instrument, loose in its case, hits the side 
of case.  
   
  Next, the case should be wrapped in bubble wrap.  
   
  Finally, the instrument, in its case, should be burried in lots and lots of 
plastic peanuts.  In fact, the box should be overfilled with peanuts, since due 
to shaking during transit, the peanuts will settle and the instrument may tend 
to settle within the peanuts until it is next to a side or corner of the box 
and little protection remains.  
   
  The overkill version is to pack the box mentioned above in yet another box, 
also overfilled with plastic peanuts.  
   
  Hope this helps a bit.  
   
  Steve

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[LUTE] Re: 1733 ebay lute for a mere...

[Steve Ramey]

I'm with Thomas.  The very open rose and the moustach-looking bridge remind me 
of the wandervogels we see on ebay regularly.  How about the frets?  They 
certainly aren't tied.  Are they fret slots cut with a very fine saw and 
intended for modern metal frets?  
   
  On the one hand, the guy has a great feedback rating and he seems to 
specialize in rare instruments.  On the other hand, the words introducing the 
ad offer you a ...chance to buy a very rare musical instrument... ...which had 
been converted at a later date  Converted from what to what???  Not to be 
cynical, but could this be among the most artfully conceived disclaimers of all 
time? 
   
  Regarding the label, would the handwriting on an original be in the 
relatively modern-looking style shown, or would it be in the old German cursive 
script?  If the latter, the upper case Ch, the H, the o, and the a 
would take quite different forms than those on the label in the photo.  
   
  My two cents,
  Steve
   
   

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[LUTE] [Lute] Re: Happy Camper with Her First Lute

[Steve Ramey]

Why are we attracted to them???  They are things of beauty and we all know the 
line about a thing of beauty being a joy forever.  
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[LUTE] [Lute] Lamento D' Arianna

[Steve Ramey]

Dear Collected Wisdom,  
   
  Looks like I have the opportunity to play lute with a local university's go 
at Monteverdi's Lamento d' Arianna in a couple months.  The music says it's for 
mixed chorus, a cappella, but the fellow putting it together has mentioned 
accompanying the singers with a small organ (organetto?) and lute.  The chorus 
there consists of about eight or nine folks, half students and half community 
members; they'll need all the help we can give them.  
   
  Is there a bonafide accompaniment for this, or am I on my own with my modest 
(read:  meager) abilities to create something based on the vocal parts?  For 
the moment, I'm more fluent at reading bass clef than tab.  I welcome your 
comments and suggestions.
   
  Thanks,
  Steve

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[LUTE] [Lute] OT Re: Shawms etc.

[Steve Ramey]

Greg,  
   
  Unless your wife is also an accomplished high trumpet player, the zink, in 
either form, will be a real bear--  think angry, surly polar bear, not just 
plain black bear or grizzly bear.  We've all read how they finger just like a 
recorder.  Well, they don't!  They finger sorta, kinda like a recorder, but 
they're generally in D or A and pitch centers are sufficiently broad that the 
bottom two notes are both played with all holes closed.  You can get any number 
of other notes with this fingering as well.   
   
  Cheers,
  Steve

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Re: Osage Orange, was Yew

[Steve Ramey]

Hi All,
 
Don't know about making a lute from Osage Orange, but 20ish years ago, I read 
about a guy who made a lap dulcimer from it.  He did it for the yellow color of 
the wood.  Think he noted it gave a bright tone.  Beyond that I don't think he 
commented on the wood.  He mentioned nothing about rushing to make many more 
from it.  
 
If I recall correctly from my Kansas days, something over 40 years ago, it's 
terribly hard, heavy, dense, tough stuff--  just barely floats, hard on tools.  
The only tool I ever tried to work it with was a hatchet while attempting to 
gather fire wood during a camping trip.  This, to no avail.  Fortunately, I 
found plenty of other wood that yielded to my hatchet and saw.  
 
Many years ago, farmers all over planted the trees as hedge rows along the 
edges of fields--  thus the common name of the green fruit they drop, hedge 
apples.  Totally inedible by anything.  They exude a sticky white juice/sap 
that is difficult to get off your hands, too.  
 
I've heard ranchers in Texas call it Bois d' Arc, pronouncing it BOW-dark.  I 
think I also remember reading somewhere plains (and possibly other) Indians 
used it for bows.  
 
About two miles from where I live, there's about a quarter mile of it along a 
fence.  I've been waiting quite a few years for the farmer to clear it so I can 
try to talk him out of some of it.  No luck yet.
 
Cheers,
Steve   

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Re: rebuilt baroque lute on ebay

[Steve Ramey]

Hi all,
 
Looks a lot like a really nicely done guitar-lute.  I have a number of them and 
the peg head and apparent almost black color of the ribs are the only 'unusual 
for guitar-lute' aspects.
 
Best,
Steve 

Mathias Rösel [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=7331352015

 whatever the neck and sound board may be, the belly once upon a time
was
 of a baroque lute.

 How are you so certain, Mathias? Do you know this piece itself?

no. to be sure, I don't get any royalties for this :)

 At first look, the whole appears to me to be consistent with quality 
 lauten/guitar-lutes of the early Wandevogel era.

well, by and large that may be so. The pegbox is a bit exceptional,
perhaps (no bent pegboxes on wandervogel lutes, usually).

However, if you take a closer look to the back of the belly you will
notice a difference. The shape of the belly is more oblong, and the ribs
resemble those e. g. of a Stegher lute much more, than those of
wandervogel lutes.

I don't know the intrument myself, but I was startled at the pictures.

Best,

Mathias
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Re: Hot Lute

[Steve Ramey]

Wayne,
 
Playing 12 string guitar in a highly un-airconditioned church in Bangkok in the 
early and mid-1970's gave rise to a similar problem--  that and sweat just 
plain pouring off the top of the guitar where my right arm contacted it.  I had 
my then-wife sew a cover from one piece of sort of gold-colored towel and two 
pieces of red-brown towel.  The cover covered the area from the waist, 
diagonally to the bridge, then a couple inches along the bridge, then to the 
end pin end of the top.  It also covered the rib from about the waist to the 
end pin, and an area on the back somewhat larger than the area on the front.  
It stayed in position simply with the weight of my arm on the top and the 
pressure of my arm holding the guitar against my belly.  
 
Seems a somewhat similar, but lute-shaped chunk of cotton towel might do the 
trick, or at least help.  Yes, I know it might attenuate the sound and 
resonance, but if you, like I, don't have the option of adding tons of 
airconditioning (Do they still measure airconditioner out-put in tons? (grin)) 
we beggers can't necessarily be choosy.  Sigh!   
 
The advanced version of the carefully sewn and shaped towel might include a 
layer of fleece between the towel and lute ribs/top that wouldn't hold moisture 
and might be less likely than cotton towel to stick to the varnish.  The high 
tech version might include a layer of chamois or soft leather next to the lute 
to keep it from slipping around.  Yes, with even greater attenuation, probably. 
 
 
My two cents.
 
Cheers,
Steve

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Re: Tuner Recommendations

[Steve Ramey]

Tim,
 
Re:  Ronn's tuner.  He may have had something like the Intellitouch tuner 
clamped on the peg head.  A quick search on eBay for 'lute tuner' in musical 
instruments should get you a look at it.  It would surprise me if WoodWind  
BrassWind didn't have some of these, too.  
 
Cheers,
Steve 

timothy motz [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
I also have a Korg CA30 and have found it to be quite satisfactory
and within my price range. I bought a clip-on pickup that plugs into
the input jack on the tuner, which I've found to be very helpful,
especially when my teacher and I are tuning up right before a lesson.
The tuner no longer picks up his lute when I'm trying to tune mine. 
I just clip the pickup on the peg-head, although it works equally
well if I just clip onto a peg key. 

The CA30s are cheap enough that I will probably buy a second one to
keep in the case with my new lute when it's finished.

I remember at the 2002 LSA conference sitting slightly behind and to
the side of Ronn McFarlane as he performed (it was a packed room) and
seeing red lights blinking on the back of the peg-head of his lute. 
It took me a bit to figure it out, but he must have had a very
compact tuner attached to or embedded in the peg head, which I
thought was really cool. I wonder what kind it was?

Tim


 Original Message 
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED], lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Subject: Re: Tuner Recommendations
Date: Sun, 3 Apr 2005 21:53:30 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Rob,
 
I have three Korg CA 30 tuners-- one in my trumpet gig bag, one in
my horn case, and one for the lutes. I've found them less
susceptible than some of the others, (particularly, I believe, my
quick tune), to harmonic spoofing. Its range runs from C1 to C8. 
It's among the smallest at about 60mm wide, 103mm long, and 15mm
thick. It will calibrate from at least A=415 to A=460 and has a
standard 1/4 inch jack in which you can plug a tuner pickup. It will
also give you a tone for an A or a Bb. Finally, it's among the least
expensive of the bunch at about USD 20 here in the States. 
 
A good source for them can be found at www.wwbw.com. That's The
Woodwind  The Brasswind, a large music store in northern Indiana. 
You can search on Korg CA30 in the upper left hand corner of their
home page. You can also read reviews by folks who've bought these
tuners. Most seem to have given it a five (out of five) star rating.
 
 
Best regards,
Steve Ramey

Ramon Marco de Sevilla wrote:
What tuners have you had experience with or would you recommend?

Korg, Arion, Sabine?

Thanks!
Rob



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Re: Tuner Recommendations

[Steve Ramey]

Hi Rob,
 
I have three Korg CA 30 tuners--  one in my trumpet gig bag, one in my horn 
case, and one for the lutes.  I've found them less susceptible than some of the 
others, (particularly, I believe, my quick tune), to harmonic spoofing.  Its 
range runs from C1 to C8.  It's among the smallest at about 60mm wide, 103mm 
long, and 15mm thick.  It will calibrate from at least A=415 to A=460 and has a 
standard 1/4 inch jack in which you can plug a tuner pickup.  It will also give 
you a tone for an A or a Bb.  Finally, it's among the least expensive of the 
bunch at about USD 20 here in the States.  
 
A good source for them can be found at www.wwbw.com.  That's The Woodwind  The 
Brasswind, a large music store in northern Indiana.  You can search on Korg 
CA30 in the upper left hand corner of their home page.  You can also read 
reviews by folks who've bought these tuners.  Most seem to have given it a five 
(out of five) star rating.   
 
Best regards,
Steve Ramey

Ramon Marco de Sevilla [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
What tuners have you had experience with or would you recommend?

Korg, Arion, Sabine?

Thanks!
Rob



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Re: Printing and Binding

[Steve Ramey]

Hi Donatella,
 
Your binding technique sounds interesting.  Speaking only for me, I'd always 
like to see works of art such as the way you describe your bindings.  I'll bet 
the rest of the folks on the list would, too.
 
Best,
Steve Ramey 

Donatella Galletti [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Strange...I've just done it after years I had quit... I use a light folder,
cut it in two A4 pieces, line them with kind of Florence paper, '500 -'600
like, glue the edges of the lined A4 to a cotton ribbon, the kind which is
cut in diagonal and with two folded edges (sorry, I don't know the English
name for that..and even the Italian one, but it certainly has..), fold the
upper and lower external edges of the ribbon and glue them, then cut another
piece and glue it on it in the inner side of the folder. I also glue cloth
triangles on the angles, 8 silk light ribbons to close the book, and if I
feel like, a painting of the period in the inside cover . I group the
papers, I glue the edge and press it on the ribbon inside the book Done.
Pattex or Uhu glue will do.

I can't play Baroque or Renaissance if I see plastic around the pages..

I was thinking of putting some pictures on my website, might they be of use?

Donatella


http://web.tiscali.it/awebd



- Original Message -
From: Charles Browne 
To: Lutelist 
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 8:58 PM
Subject: Printing and Binding


 And now for something completely different!
 given that there is so much tablature available in downloadable form, I
have
 found that printing and binding of A4 sheets is becoming a regular chore.
I
 have been using plastic comb binders to complete the process, which
creates a
 document that opens fully on the music stand, but I am going to get a
thicker
 file professionally bound with thermal 'glue' binding. I also wondered
about
 using professional printing services to print larger documents as my
domestic
 printer takes hours to print in best quality, especially when I use duplex
 printing.
 What does everybody else use and are there some ideas that could be of
benefit
 to us all?
 best wishes
 Charles




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Re: Humidity Pegs

[Steve Ramey]

Ed,
 
I think there's a dot somewhere on the card, maybe upper right or upper left, 
possibly about 12mm in diameter and you use the Mark I eyeball to compare the 
color of the dot with the scale of colors and relative humidity along the left 
hand side of the card.  Don't have one in front of me, or even in the house to 
check for certain.  
 
Best,
Steve 

Ed Durbrow [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Hi All,

A few moments ago, I consulted the web page Shar Music operates. 
They're probably the major catalog purveyor of stuff for bowed 
stringed instruments. You'll find their site at www.sharmusic.com. 
It offers some interesting reading. 

Regarding humidity, if the relative humidity outdoors is in the 
range listed in the first column below, they suggest maintaining 
humidity in the environment in which the instrument is stored 
according to the second column. They don't offer any info for 
locations where the humidity hovers around 70 to 80 percent; maybe 
that's not seen as a problem. 

Outdoors Inside
0 - 20 percent 30 percent
30 - 40 30 - 40
40 - 60 40 - 50

Interesting. I better get a second hygrometer to put outside.

They sell quite a range of hygrometers and humidifying devices. 
Among them are the Dampit products known to all players of 
violins, violas and cellos. The Dampit comes with a card that has 
something like litmus paper on it that shows humidity.
 Those cards recommend 50 percent as an ideal humidity to maintain 
inside the instrument case.

I've never figured out those cards. Just what color is it supposed to 
be, and where on the card is it supposed to be that color?

-- 
Ed Durbrow
Saitama, Japan
http://www9.plala.or.jp/edurbrow/



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Re: Humidity Pegs

[Steve Ramey]

Hi All,
 
A few moments ago, I consulted the web page Shar Music operates.  They're 
probably the major catalog purveyor of stuff for bowed stringed instruments.  
You'll find their site at www.sharmusic.com.  It offers some interesting 
reading.  
 
Regarding humidity, if the relative humidity outdoors is in the range listed in 
the first column below, they suggest maintaining humidity in the environment in 
which the instrument is stored according to the second column.  They don't 
offer any info for locations where the humidity hovers around 70 to 80 percent; 
maybe that's not seen as a problem.  
 
OutdoorsInside 
0 - 20 percent 30 percent
30 - 40   30 - 40
40 - 60   40 - 50
 
They sell quite a range of hygrometers and humidifying devices.  Among them are 
the Dampit products known to all players of violins, violas and cellos.  The 
Dampit comes with a card that has something like litmus paper on it that shows 
humidity.  Those cards recommend 50 percent as an ideal humidity to maintain 
inside the instrument case.  
 
Regarding pegs, they sell Hill peg dope to ease pegs with too much friction and 
peg drops to cure peg slippage.   
 
Cheers,
Steve


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Re: Music Stands

[Steve Ramey]

Hi All,
 
Just me with my highly imperfect knowledge of music and history, but is it 
possible the use of music stands has something to do with the rise of ensembles 
larger than those that could comfortably gather around a table?  
 
Best, 
Steve

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Re: Lute on eBay

[Steve Ramey]

Hi All,
 
My first thought when looking at this lute was it sure looked like my Paki 
lute.  This based on the apparent raw pine soundboard not quite quartersawn (or 
quartersawn from young trees), and its grain orientation--  not quite 
parallel with the long axis of the lute.  Although it wouldn't be conclusive, 
the materials in the back appear the same.  Finally, the pattern of the peg 
ends is the same.  The real major difference is the pattern of the rose--  
something fairly easy to change where the price of hand work is really low.  
 
I also looked at the harps he has for sale.  There is a small 'world music' 
instrument store not for from where I live.  They have a collection of 
similarly made and decorated harps.  They are from Pakistan.  
 
Sooo...  I took the bull by the horns and sent an email to the guy who runs the 
shop in Germany offering the lute, etc.  His answer to my question about the 
origin of the lute:  These lutes are made by musical instrument makers in 
Asia, especially for me...  He didn't get more specific.  
 
I think he's pretty proud of his stuff because his prices are way high, even if 
one considers the dollar and euro at one to one.  There are a couple music 
stores in Florida selling a similar inventory--  Paki lutes, harps, bagpipes, 
practice chanters etc.  They advertise essentially the same lute on US eBay 
frequently for prices in the three to four hundred dollar range.  
 
My two cents worth.
 
Best,
Steve


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Broken String

[Steve Ramey]

Hi All,
 
I've never had much luck with the pencil lead/graphite business on the string 
or nut to ease passage of the windings of a string over the nut.  However, not 
long ago I tried a pinhead-sized spot of anhydrous lanolin rubbed into the 
portion of the string passing over the nut and in the groove in the nut.  This 
seemed to ease things a bit.  
 
You could probably obtain a dollar's worth of anhydrous lanolin from your local 
pharmacist/chemist and it would be a lifetime supply.  
 
Best, 
Steve 

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Re: Perhaps of interest

[Steve Ramey]

Alain,
 
The instrument is often called a Waldlaute; sometimes a Wanderlaute; and frequently, a 
lutar or guitar-lute.  This list has featured fairly thorough discussions of them 
within the past year or so.  Sorry, I can't quote dates.  Apparently, they were 
associated with the Wandervogel movement in Germany in the late 19th (I believe) and 
early 20th centuries.  I saw a new one in a large music store in Paris in the mid 
1980's, but don't recall many of its details.  
 
These instruments frequently show up on ebay, in various states of disrepair, under 
the heading of lute.  Commonly, they feature a scalloped fingerboard, fixed frets, 
individual tuning machines for each string, and a decorative soundhole treatment not 
necessarily carved from the top.  Some have a flatter back.  All are strung, tuned, 
and played as nylon-string guitars.  They pretty much sound like nylon-strung guitars, 
too.  As I recall, someone on the list who knows a lot more about them than I, 
suggested they were constructed so those who played guitars could play a lute-like or 
lute-appearing instrument, without having to learn a whole new instrument and notation 
system.  The idea on not having to deal with twelve friction pegs undoubtedly holds 
some appeal, as well.  
 
The major drawback of many of these instruments as they are found on ebay is the neck 
has risen, thus the action is too high for correct intonation.  
 
Others on the list will have far more info on these instruments than I.  
 
Best regards,
Steve  

Alain Veylit [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
This item for sale on E-Bay seems to have some characteristics of the 
English guitar, but with a lute bowl, and the ornamentation seems to me 
more late 19th century than late 18th...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemcategory=10179item=3749859419rd=1
Any luthier cares to comment??
Alain



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Re: Sources of Wood

[Steve Ramey]

Herb,
 
What others have mentioned is accurate.  In addition, those who build are always on 
the lookout for different sources.  
 
Recently, I've seen someone on ebay advertising bookmatches sets of wood suitable for 
use as lute ribs.  They show up once in a while when doing a search on 'lute' in the 
musical instrument category.  Haven't bought any and therefore, don't know what the 
quality is.   
 
Back 20 or so years ago when I was building a few instruments, I bought some nice 
spruce for a soundboard from a fellow in Washington DC.  In his tiny shop, I recall 
seeing woods appropriate for classic guitars, violins, violas, and dulcimers.  I 
believe his name was Joe Wallo.  Don't know if he's still around or not.  Got some 
funny looks getting on the plane with a piece of spruce about 1/8 inch thick, about a 
foot wide, and three feet long, but it got home with me OK.  
 
About that same time, I had contact with someone, whose name completely escapes me 
now, based I believe, in Sheboygan, WI.  My parents lived there at that time, so while 
up for a visit, I made arrangements to see the guy.  We met at his warehouse--  a 
former factory, I believe.  He had small log-cabin style stacks ebony and rosewood 
fingerboard stock for guitars, other similar stacks for dulcimers; the stacks were 
about 18 inches to 2 feet tall.  All the ends were waxed.  Each stack was about 4 - 5 
feet away from any other stack--  plenty of room for air circulation.  He also had 
several stacks of laminated rosewood guitar back stock as well as solid book matched 
rosewood back stock.  I believe he had quite a selection of bridge blanks also.  Don't 
recall seeing any mahogany, spruce, or violin/viola-shaped chunks of maple.  I believe 
he was doing business under a name that had the word 'Viking' in it, but I don't think 
I'd bet a quarter on it.  
 
I might have bumped into both the foregoing guys from something I read in a Guild of 
American Luthiers publication.   
 
One day, while in a local lumber yard, I spotted a piece of fine grain, quarter sawn 
redwood.  It was a plank about a foot wide, 12 feet long and a nominal inch thick.  
Had to saw it in half to get it in the car.  It eventually contributed a soundboard 
and back to a hammered dulcimer I built.  
 
Bottom line--  There are suppliers, but tone woods can be where you find them.  Twenty 
years later, I'll bet 30 seconds of Googling would net you at least a dozen suppliers, 
probably lots more.   
 
Best,
Steve   


--

Internet Gig Bag

[Steve Ramey]

Hi,
 
Regarding a lute gig bag, I bought one of the ud gig bags available on ebay a while 
back.  The padding in it is there, I think, but it's quite thin--  better than a basic 
canvas bag, but nowhere near as good as some of the current guitar bags.  The handle 
is just one thickness of nylon webbing; otherwise, it seems reasonably well made.  It 
has an adjustible shoulder strap, as well.  If you were to carry it with the strap 
over one shoulder, the strings would be against your back.  It has a zippered 
accessory pocket over the belly that runs from about the rose down to the end.  I 
don't think you'd get an 8.5x11in sheet of paper in it without creasing the corners.  
It zips (to me) backwards--  with the peg head to the right vice to the left.  If 
you're left-handed, it would probably feel quite natural.  It feels odd to me.  
 
As I hook the tape measure on the far (small) end of the 8C lute's peg head (where the 
pegs for the middle strings are) and stretch it to the nut, then to the 'bottom edge' 
of the lute (a few inches beyond the bridge), it measure 94cm or 37in.  It looks like 
the bag would still hold it if that measurement were as much as 5cm (2in) longer.  Any 
greater overall length and it would not fit.  This combined measurement, not the 
string length will govern fit in this case (no pun intended).  Overall, the bag 
measures 100.5cm (40in) long.  However, the last three inches of the neck/peg head 
portion are round, not square across.  Thus, if the lute is close to the max length 
and has long tuning pegs out at the end of the peg box, it might present fit problems. 

 
For me, the bottom line is this:  The bag provides a handle/strap to carry the lute.  
It will keep the dust and light mist off while you carry it somewhere.  Beyond that, 
it offers virtually no protection, but it's better than nothing.   
 
If anyone else has a source of better/more appropriate gig bags for lutes, I'd be 
interested, too.
 
Best,
Steve


--

Re: Aquafortis Stains

[Steve Ramey]

Dan,
 
I've not made any myself and it sounds like an adventure.  However, the technique of 
applying the stain with heat and the really nice brown color sounds like something I 
used on a cornamuse kit I built some 20 years ago.  
 
My memory is a bit dim on this one, but the stain was dark, dark brown in color and 
came in a clear medicine bottle from a store that specialized in stuff for pioneer 
re-enactors.  They were selling it to stain maple musket stocks and their results 
looked like well cared for museum pieces, with the clear part of the wood a golden 
honey color and the figure in the fiddle back maple a handsome dark brown.  The verbal 
instructions were simple--  more heat, darker results.  
 
The cornamuse was made of plain, unfigured hard maple.  I think I used a bare, 100watt 
soft white bulb held about 3 inches away from the wood after I'd applied the stain 
either with a foam brush or rubbed it on with a rag (don't remember which).  I let it 
dry a few days then finished it with a couple coats of Formby's tung oil, also a few 
days apart.  It really looked good.  Rich, warm brown, with the grain areas darker.   
Over the years, I've wished I could get my hands on more of the stain for other 
projects, but the store closed not long after I bought the stain.
 
The rest of the story is that somehow in the kit maker's making of the plastic reed 
or in my drilling the finger holes, something didn't work out right and just wouldn't 
play at pitch.  One drill size at a time, I drilled the holes ever larger, until I had 
completely ruined the middle joint; I never could get it to pitch.  I wrote the maker 
and they sent me a new middle joint and reed.  I took great care positioning the 
holes, but it still doesn't want play at the proper pitch and it's excessively hard to 
blow.  In finishing the replacement joint (probably something over a year later), I 
used the same stain, but the thing turned out sort of an unattractive gray-brown.  
Thus, I tend to think this type of stain has a limited shelf life.   
 
I've glanced quickly thru some of the blackpowder shooting magazines I've seen at gun 
shows, but haven't had any ads for this type of stain pop out at me.  I tend to think 
somewhere in the blackpowder shooting community or pioneer re-enactment community, you 
might find some of this stuff already mixed.  
 
Good luck with your project.  
 
Best,
Steve
 

[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Hello. Hopefully this list is still active. 

I would like to know if anyone has any experience in formulating their own 
ferric nitrate stain and if anyone would like to offer practical observations 
regarding use of this staining technique. The recipe I have come across is 300mL 
nitric acid and 240mL hydrochloric acid combined with a handful of iron nails 
or scrap and then qs'd in a gallon of water. The reaction is a bit exothermic 
yielding ferric nitrate in an aqueous low pH solution which when applied to 
figured maple or sycamore with heat gives a nice figure enhancing brown color 
to the wood.

Any comments on past experience with this as a stain? I'm aware of the 
various toxic hazards.

Thanks, Dan.

--
--

Lute by Haldon Chase

[Steve Ramey]

All,
 
First question--  Just acquired an 8C student lute made by Haldon Chase in 1970.  At 
that time, he was based in Rancho San Ignacio, CA.  I've seen a later reference to him 
in Paso Robles, but so far, haven't found any current contact info.  Does anyone have 
info on him or contact info for him?  
 
Second question--  the pegbox is loose.  It feels like if I were to unstring it and 
wiggle it seriously, it would come off.  Is this normal, or should I remove it and 
reglue it?  I presume Titebond would be the goop of choice.
 
Thanks!
Steve

--

Composers

[Steve Ramey]

As a performer, on either horn or trumpet, my favorites include:
 
1.  J.S. Bach
2.  F.J. Haydn
3.  W.A. Mozart
4.  Handel
5.  Beethoven
6.  Brahms
with Wagner, Bruckner and Mahler giving Brahms a run for his money, and G. Gabrielli 
needing a place in the list as well for his brass choir literature.   
 
However, as a listener:
 
1.  J.S. Bach
2.  W.A. Mozart
3.  Handel
4.  Beethoven
5.  Boccherini
6.  Vivaldi
with Hildegard v. Bingen, D. Scarlatti, and J.C. Bach being favorites also.
 
Cheers,
Steve





--

Re: Archlute damage

[Steve Ramey]

Hi,
 
There are a couple lutheirs on the list and I hope they'll respond.  In the mean time, 
crazy glue or the cyanoacrylate glues are both bane and blessing to luthiers and 
repairmen.  Blessing in that they work wonders for fast repairs and really stick 
things together that nobody wants to come apart, ever, ever again.  Bane in that if 
they have to take a crazy glue joint apart, it's no fun at all.  
 
I'm new to lutes and hardly know what an archlute is, but if it comes down to just 
gluing things back together, Titebond, a U.S. market woodworkers' yellow glue, makes 
joints stronger than the wood itself. 
 
I wish you all the best on completing the repair.
 
Steve

--

Re: no subject (file transmission)

[Steve Ramey]

Wayne,
 
Lots of guys set up a low budget rig whereby they direct the flame from the torch into 
and through a piece of 2 pipe 8 - 12 long.  Mostly this is used as a bending iron 
to aid in bending wood for instrument ribs.  With a little prior planning, it keeps 
the flame away from anything that might catch fire and still provides some serious 
heat.  I've never used one, but I suspect it might provide sufficient heat for 
gluing/ungluing purposes without the fright of turning a torch on an instrument.
 
Steve   

Wayne Cripps [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:


Hi -

so there are questions about using jello as glue... well here is 
my experience based on gluing the bridge back on a cheap 
ukulele and gluing the peg box back on my lute..

1) using hide glue is tricky, try it on scrap wood until you get the feel
for it.

2) this discussion really belongs on the lute-builders list where all the
professionals are. I have used hide glue twice, they all use it every day.

3) using hide glue is tricky, try it on scrap wood until you get the feel
for it. especially using jello as hide glue!

4) read these web pages and understand them before you start..

http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Technique/Glue/UseHideGlue/usehideglue1.html
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/Data/Materials/hideglue.html
http://www.frets.com/FRETSPages/Luthier/TipsTricks/KitchenGlue/kitchenglue.html

be sure to follow all the links and references and read them too! The third
link is specifically about using Knox unflavored gelatin.

5) using hide glue is tricky, try it on scrap wood until you get the feel
for it.

6) this addresses some earlier questions... Hide glue sticks in two ways.
to prepare it you mix it with water *and* heat it till it becomes a
liquid. When you apply it it cools and becomes jello. This forms
a bond which is strong enough to hold the parts together without much
clamping, but not strong enough for a working joint. Then over the next
day or two the water evaporates or is absorbed into the wood and
the joint becomes strong. You will find that when a hide glue 
joint is set up that heat won't loosen it, until you get close
to the charring point of wood, but gentle heat with moisture will
loosen the joint up very quickly. Because the hot glue sets by
cooling you will need to warm up the pieces that you are going to join
(over a propane torch flame - be sure to practice on scrap wood!!)
When the pieces cool to something like 90 f they bond enough to hold
in place while the joint dries. While the glue is moist you can reheat
the joint and try again. (You can re-stick old joints by getting them
wet, to activate the glue, then heating the joint and applying pressure.)

Hide glue is rated by gram strength, glue is mixed with a certain weight
of water, and allowed to cool, and tested by sticking something into it
to see how many grams of pressure are necessary. The higher gram
strength is therefore a thicker glue. Unflavored gelatin has a high 
gram strength which means that as glue it is thick, and sets quickly,
while your more typical instrument maker's glue has a lower gram
strength which means that it is thinner and takes more time to set up,
which gives you more working time.

7) I use Knox unflavored gelatin which comes in packages of about 7 grams
(a quarter of an ounce). First try I first mixed it with 14 grams water, which
was a good consistency to apply but was too thin to have much tack, 
so I tried 7 grams glue to 7 grams water. This was very thick,
and I had to work really quickly before the glue set up. Really
quickly means seconds, not a minute! I heated it to 140 f in the microwave,
by putting the glue and water in a custard cup, which was in a
small bowl filled with water, to even out the heat. I think it took a
minute in the microwave to get to 140 f. I had previously removed
the Titebold glue from the uke bridge by moistening it with
warm water and scraping, a long and tedious process. I heated the bridge
and uke top with my propane torch. Then I brushed some glue on 
the bridge, put it on the top, and held it for a minute to let it cool.
There you go.

I used real hide glue for the lute neck, as I felt that I needed
something that would not set quite so fast!

8) using hide glue is tricky, try it on scrap wood until you get the feel
for it.

9) there is nothing quite like turning a propane torch on your 
beloved lute!

Wayne


--

Re: Do pegs get smooth and begin slipping?

[Steve Ramey]

Herb,
 
Friction pegs work, not because of roughness between the peg and the hole but rather 
due to the precision of roundness and taper between the peg and the hole.  
 
Can't speak to how long pegs last, but I do know violinists, violists, cellists and 
such folks have peg jobs done on their instruments every few years.  Mostly, I think 
the pegs and peg holes go out of round due to uneven wood shrinkage.  They have their 
friendly repair man shave the pegs ever so slightly back into round and ream the peg 
holes back into round and that works for a while.  Eventually, the repairman drills 
out the peg holes, glues in boxwood bushings, redrills the holes, and reams them and 
shaves new pegs to fit.   
 
Ebony and rosewood, both common peg woods, tend to shrink more than boxwood.  That's 
why boxwood was the wood of choice for sliderules--  remember them?, engineers' scales 
and such.
 
Don't recall exactly where I saw it last, but there's a relatively common illustration 
of how wood shrinks.  It's a drawing of a log, end-on, with outlines of various planks 
as they could be sawn from it and how they shrink differently.  As I recall, one of 
the examples shows something like a 1x3 cut horizontally from about the 12 o'clock 
position on the log.  The illustration shows the 3 surfaces shrinking only slightly 
(toward the center of the plank) with the 1 surfaces shrinking more (again, toward 
the center of the plank).  Thus, for purposes of illustration, we might assume the 
final dimensions of the plank to be something like 7/8 x 2 1/2.  Although lute woods 
are well cured before the building process is begun, the shrinking process continues.  
   
 
My $.02 worth.  Hope it's a little clearer than mud.
 
Best,
Steve

Herbert Ward [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

How long do pegs last? Do their friction surfaces wear smooth (become
polished), and lose their ability to hold the strings at tension?



--

Girl with a Pearl

[Steve Ramey]

All,
 
You've probably all seen it already, but on the chance you haven't, I recommend it 
highly.  I saw it this evening and can report we get to see about three seconds worth 
of a ten (or more) course lute lying on a chair (?) in his studio.  We get to hear a 
few moments of harpsichord playing (don't know what), I don't think we see any lute 
playing, and we hear no lute music.  
 
However, the visuals are worth twice the price of admission.  The cinematographer's 
handling of light is masterful.  I'd go to see it again even without sound.
 
Cheers,
Steve  

--

Re: More on tuning

[Steve Ramey]

All,
 
About 20 years ago, I used 1/8 diameter delrin rod for the bridges on a hammered 
dulcimer I built.  It's a self-lubricating plastic along the line of teflon, but 
harder.  If I recall correctly, I believe I was told its hardness is something like 
Rockwell c 62.  
 
When I made the instrument, I failed to measure twice before cutting once and got 
things out of proportion to the extent I had to use bronze wound guitar strings for 
the lower courses.  Admittedly, I haven't played (or tuned) the dulcimer for a few 
years, but when I was playing it regularly, I don't recall any particular difficulty 
tuning those strings as compared with tuning the plain music wire strings in the upper 
courses.   
 
There are grooves where the strings cross the bridges.  I can barely see them, I can 
feel them with a fingernail, and I can hear the strings click into them if I slide the 
string away from its normal position.  I believe a delrin bridge would last a long 
time and might alleviate some of the quantum leap unpleasantness we all experience.  
 
I found the delrin rod at a plastics distributor in the Dayton OH area where I live.  
It shouldn't be too terribly hard to come by.
 
Best,
Steve
 


lutesmith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:

I'm a little out of the loop on metal-wound strings but what gives the 
teflon its smoothness/lubricant properties may not be compatible w/ the 
hardness and ribbed surface of those strings. I'm just wondering if the 
strings will cut into the nut over time--especially at the 4th course. Any 
experiences or advice from other folks w/ plastic nuts and modern 
strings? (I realise the combination is used on modern guitars but not with 
the lute's pegbox angle.)

Sean



At 01:41 PM 1/25/04, you wrote:
Also, Stewart-MacDonald carries guitar nuts in a number of different
materials; some of them are supposed to be self-lubricating. I don't
think they come in lengths that would fit anything larger than a 7
course lute, though.

Tim

On Friday, January 23, 2004, at 05:29 PM, Leonard Williams wrote:

  Luthiers (and tinkerers):
  Has anyone tried making a nut from Teflon? The material can
  be had in various sizes and shapes, and
  is easily worked. Unless it is too soft, perhaps it would make the
  perfect non-sticky nut? And it comes in
  white to simulate bone or ivory.
 
  Leonard Williams
  []
  (_)
  ~
 
 

Tuning and Nut Technology

[Steve Ramey]

All,
 
Back about 25 years ago, I saw a rather extensive catalog of stringed instrument kits. 
 Among the viols and other things there were a couple of lute kits.  I believe one of 
the options for the more expensive lute was a rather unique nut.  It consisted of 
several tiny rollers shaped like pulley sheaves, all set on what must have been a 
really rigid axle of some sort, or one supported between each course.  I believe there 
was one roller per string.  The rollers looked to be no larger than about 3mm in 
diameter and about 1 to 1.5mm thick.  The idea was the roller formed the nut and the 
string passed over the roller on its way to the tuning peg.  Any friction and binding 
at the nut one experiences with plain strings, as well as the jumping from one winding 
to the next with wound strings, was eliminated.  Up close, it would certainly have had 
an unconventional apperance, but from 20 - 30 feet away, nobody in the audience would 
likely have spotted it.
 
No, I no longer have any idea who put out the catalog or the kits.  I can't even begin 
to imagine making the little rollers by hand!  
 
Cheers,
Steve

--

Woods

[Steve Ramey]

Ken,
 
Checked ebay last night found a guy in Washington who has spruce, flamed maple, yew, 
and medicine bow wood.  He is David Robinson, email:  [EMAIL PROTECTED], or P.O. Box 
969, Orting WA 98360-969, tel:  360.893.3896.  Btw, found him by selecting musical 
instruments, searching on dulcimers, and looking thru all the dulcimer books and 
strings for sale, until I found his ad for maple guitar sides.  
 
Best,
Steve



--

Re: Electronic Tuners

[Steve Ramey]

All,
 
I've had several over the years.  The difficulty with many is they are spoofed by 
harmonics.  Right now, I'm happiest with a little Korg CA-30.  It's about the size of 
half a deck of cards, tells you what pitch is sounding, has a meter calibrated down 
to 5 cents, green light for on pitch (probably a 2 to 3 cent tolerance) and red lights 
for flat or sharp of pitch, calibrates from A=410 to A=480, sounds an A or a Bb, and 
accepts a microphone-- or presumably 1/4 phone plug transducer.  Other than compact 
size, the beauty of it, for me, is it doesn't seem to be spoofed by other harmonics 
generated by a string.
 
My two cents worth.
 
Cheers,
Steve   

--

Re: Bulk?

[Steve Ramey]

Hi,

Don't know for sure, but shortly after I started
deleting whole groups of Lute List messages without
reading them (I'm also on the list in a different mail
system) Yahoo started to send first, only a few, then
all the Lute List mail to my bulk.  I tried
transfering lots of the messages to my in box without
reading them first a few days ago, but that did not
seem to change anything.  

The only thing I know to suggest is you move them in
bulk (no pun intended) to your in box.  They pretty
much read and transfer as well in Bulk as in the in
box, though.  

Regards,
Steve



--- Sal Salvaggio [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 Any one know why my lutelist stuff is
 winding up in my bulk mail folder on Yahoo?
 
 Sal
 
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Re: string spacing

[Steve Ramey]

Ken,

I'm real new to the lute business and can't claim to
have the same feel for what feels good or works well
as those with many years experience.  I certainly
don't have any idea what might or might not be
standard.  However...

My Paki 8c lute look-alike (574mm vibrating string
length) ostensibly had some work done on it by someone
(unknown to me) who supposedly knew what he was doing,
to make it more playable than it was as it originally
came from ebay.  The spacing between individual
strings of each course is a bit uneven, running
between 3mm and 4mm, on centers, at the nut, expanding
to 6mm at the bridge.  Spacing between courses at the
nut is a bit uneven, too, but runs between 7mm and
8mm, expanding to between 14mm and 16mm at the bridge.

On my James North 7c student level lute (613mm string
length), the individual strings of each course are
2.5mm to 3mm apart, on centers, at the nut, expanding
to 3mm - 4mm at the bridge.  At the nut, course
spacing is about 8.5 mm - 9mm for the wound strings
and 7.5mm to 8mm for the extruded strings.  At the
bridge, the wound courses are about 14mm apart and the
extruded courses are 13mm apart. 

Observation:  Strings on the North lute seem to fall
under my fingers better than on the Paki lute. 
Strings on the North lute stay under my fingers better
than on the Paki lute, too.  I'd guess the smaller
separation at the bridge on the North lute might well
account for the strings of a course staying put under
my fingers.  Can't say I feel anything I could
attribute to the different spacing between courses at
the bridge for the two lutes, but overall, the North
lute really fits me better.  My fingers fall on the
strings more naturally--  but understand I've not had
any lessons and am playing this pretty much in my
equally untrained classical guitar style, plucking
mostly with (nail-less) fingers.

By way of comparison, on my old Yamaha 12 string
guitar, strings of the individual courses are centered
3mm apart at the nut and 5mm apart at the bridge
saddle.  Courses are 8mm apart at the nut.

An old Yamaha 6 string classic has strings centered
9mm apart at the nut, and 11.5mm apart at the bridge
saddle.

My trelalaika (balalaika, but strung with extruded
steel strings--  three courses of two strings each)
has 4mm between individual strings of each course at
the nut, remaining 4mm apart at the bridge.  Courses
are 10mm apart at the nut.  

Hope you find something useful in all this.  

Steve Ramey

--- Ken Brodkey [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
 Hello,
 
 I'm back to lute making after a very long absence
 and would like to get
 people's opinions about string spacing, both at the
 nut and bridge. Is there
 anything even close to a standard? I'm looking for
 spacing recommendations
 for everything from 6 courses to 13. What works for
 you? You're input is
 very much appreciated.
 
 Thank you!
 
 Ken Brodkey
 
 


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