Software Vault: The Gold Collection/Software Vault - The Gold Collection (American Databankers) (1993).ISO/cdr34/gitarid.zip/GITHIST.DOC

Text File | 1992-07-12 | 35KB | 612 lines

                       THE GUITAR PRE-1650
                                    -  Joe Bethancourt
                 (Ioseph of Locksley, OL, Pel., &c.)

        It is probably well-known, at least among most musicians, that
the steel-string guitar (the acoustic type) as played in the USA today,
is out-of-period with the current Rennaissance Faires that are popular
these days. It also tends to be assumed that no moderately priced
replicas of period instruments, that can be played by the modern
guitarist, exist on the market .... and that is WRONG!
        Before we pop that particular bubble, however, we must look at
the known history of the Guitar, or at least its' ancestors, before 1650.
I say "known" history, because much of the instrument's evolution is not
solidly known, but is only inferred from paintings, carvings, and other
representations, as the basic fragility of the wood has caused most of
the actual period pieces to disappear, or become untunable and
unplayable.
        Obviously, the European LUTE will be our starting point. This
instrument, which apparently developed from the Arabic OUD (which entered
Europe thru the Crusades and the Moorish conquest of Spain), has between
six and ten "courses" (paired strings played as one) of between twelve
and twenty strings. These strings were made of catgut (sheep intestine),
and the "frets" (raised finger-stops for the notes along the fretboard)
were made of catgut tied around the fingerboard/neck, with a few wooden
or ivory frets glued to the top of the soundboard. The fretboard is on
the same level with the soundboard, not raised higher as in the modern
guitar, and may be heavily ornamented with inlay. The body is pear-
shaped, and rounded in the back, rather like half a watermelon.
        The bridge has no "saddle" (the bone, plastic or ivory piece that
the strings rest on), and the peghead tends to be cranked back from the
neck almost at a right angle (though early Lutes had their pegboxes set
at the gentle curve found on the Oud and the Guitarra Moresca), with
wooden transverse tuning pegs in a hollow pegbox, similar to a modern
violin.
        The THEORBO is a variation of the Lute, with several extra bass
strings attached to an extra pegbox. That, and the fact that the pegboxes
are not at a right angle to the neck, but rather "in line" with it,
distinguishes it from the normal Lute. It covers (approximately) the
Baritone-Bass range. This, and the Arch-Lute, are easily recognizable by
their extreme length.
        The ARCH-LUTE is similar, but is (generally) a descant, or
melody, instrument like the regular Lute.
        Lutes are usually tuned to a pretty high pitch, to capitalize on
their clear "silvery" sound. Thus, while a modern guitar can be said to
be tuned in "E", a Lute would be tuned in "A," almost three whole tones
higher.
        Let us clear up one misconception right now: the Lute may be
tuned either with the same string relationships as the modern guitar, and
fingered the same way (allowing for the higher initial pitch, of course),
which is called "new" tuning, or the third course can be tuned down a
half tone (from "new" tuning) for the "old" tuning pattern.
        A guitarist can easily shift to lute, using New Tuning: if he
finger picks, then no problem with playing late Medieval and Rennaissance
styles (polyphony), while if he flatpicks, well, that was the early lute
technique of single string work (monody) so he or she is home free there,
too!
        By the way, the exact pitches of the tunings depends on the whim
of the player. I happen to tune my Lutes in "A" because they sound their
best there. Some other lute might sound good in "G" or even in "E" or one
of the half-steps in between, or a quarter-tone in between......pitch was
not standardized until the mid-1700s so don't worry too much about being
at "concert pitch."
        There is a much-quoted saying about the Lute being difficult to
tune, and due to it's use of gut strings, tuning can be a bit of a
problem. The reason Lute players tended to tune often was simply because
they used a number of different tunings. See below for several examples
of this "scordatura."

        Lutes have a sound that cannot be matched for intimate
gatherings. They are sweet, silvery and sensual. They are also damn
quiet. Thus, a rowdy tavern, or a campfire songfest is NOT suitable for
the talents of the Lute. They are also incredibly fragile. Don't take
them anywhere there may be any kind of horseplay or bad weather, and keep
them in a hard case.
        The Lute was not the direct ancestor of the guitar, however. It
may have been one of the major predecessors, but what we have here is a
remarkable proliferation of many different wood-body fretted instruments
that all contributed a great deal to the eventual development of what we
know as the guitar, and the added problem that, in Spain where the guitar
was finally truly developed, the Lute had associations with the Moors,
and thus was NOT very popular.
        The other instrument that must be considered of equal importance
with the Lute is the CITTERN. This is an instrument that usually has a
pear shaped body with a flat back, four to five courses of strings made
of wire, and permanent fretting, either chromatic, or diatonic like the
modern Appalachian Dulcimer. The pegs may be held in a hollow pegbox like
the lute, or they may be mounted vertically in a peghead similar to many
modern guitars and mandolins. Tuned similarly to the mandolin, in fifths,
the chording and fingering are the same. It was always played with a
plectrum, usually a goose quill, but a modern flat pick works just as
well.
        These instruments are also very loud, and thus suitable for
tavern brawls, dance music, and just about anything where the music needs
to be heard over a crowd. I have had great success with mine at
RenFaires. A good Cittern player is a joy to hear!
        Citterns were found almost everywhere in the Renaissance, as
witness the quotation from Thomas Dekker:

               "Is she a whore?
               A Barber's cittern for every man to play on?"
                               -The Honest Whore

        Or even (O Rare..) Ben Jonson, who said:

               "That cursed barber....I have married his
               cittern that's common to all men!"
                               -The Silent Woman

        Citterns are such fun....'tis a pity she's a whore! Incidentally,
the term "slattern," or "slut," may have evolved from the word "cittern."
        (I suppose I should add here that tuning the Cittern is a matter
of individual taste. The "mandolin" tuning, fifths, is the most common,
and the most usable in a modern context.)
        The Lute/Cittern family tree leads, with many offshoots and false
starts, directly into the GUITAR.
        At this point, I need to point out that the very names of these
instruments can be a source of argument and must emphasise that for many
of them we have only carvings and/or paintings as our sole source of
their design characteristics, and for some only the fancy "court" models,
or only one surviving example, from which to judge. The subject is
further complicated by non-standardized spelling, and the entrance of
foreign words into other languages along with the instruments. The very
name "Lute" is simply a mispronounciation of the Arabic "al Oud!"
        Thus, bear with me if you disagree with the names used! I have
done the best I can with the resources available, trying to make a very
complex subject usable for the average person.

        The GUITARRA MORESCA was apparently a 4-course instrument, with a
peg-box that slanted back from the neck in a shallow curve. The body was
an oval shape, like the outline of an egg, and it is most interesting to
note that it's soundboard MAY have been made of skin, similarly to the
modern Banjo! This skin was laced to the body and the frets were probably
tied. It had it's heyday around the 13th Century, probably descending
from the Arabic Rebec, as witnessed by its' name.
        The GUITARRA LATINA, however, is our connection, as it had a
small body with two defined bouts, and three or four courses of strings.
In size it ranged from about the size of a Baritone Ukelele to the size
of a Parlor Guitar (see below) and was quite popular in the 13th Century.
The soundboard was wood, but otherwise it was similar to the Guitarra
Moresca. It was about as large as a Baritone Ukelele.
        The GUITTERN was a five-course, sometimes permanently fretted
instrument that used gut strings and was played either with a pick, or
the bare fingers. The body shape was in varying patterns, but the most
common seemed to be a lot like a modern violin. Like the modern violin,
or mandolin, it tended to have a movable bridge and a tailpiece to fasten
the strings, though the strings were sometimes fastened to a bridge like
the Lute's, with no saddle. The string courses are tuned in unisons,
usually, but sometimes may be found tuned in octaves like the modern 12-
string guitar. The soundboard was flat, with no angle below the bridge.
        It MAY have some relation to the CYTOLE, which had four or
(rarely) five courses made of wire, and a VERY small body. Sometimes it's
courses were tripled, like the modern TIPLE.
        Wire strings, whether of brass, steel or silver, seem to have
come into use about the 13th Century CE.
        The CHITTARRA BATTENTE, which is known to have used wire strings,
had a soundboard that sometimes was angled downwards behind the bridge,
like a "round-back" mandolin. This is known as a "cranked table" style.
These were popular in the mid-1500's, on to the early 1700's at least.
The bridge MAY have used a saddle by this time, and, because of the use
of wire strings, it probably had permanent, metal frets.  It can be found
with either a fixed bridge, like the Lute, or a movable bridge and
tailpiece arrangement.
        The BANDORA was probably a variation on the Cittern, with a flat-
back and a body shape very similar to the modern "A-Style" mandolin, that
is, with a pronounced lower bout, and a very small upper bout. Sometimes
the general shape looked very much like an elongated, six-lobed cookie.
It ranged more into the bass than the standard Cittern did.
        The VIHUELA DE MANO was the six-course instrument of Spain, and
looked a lot like the modern guitar, save that it used gut strings in six
courses. It's brother, the Vihuela de Arco, was played with a bow
("arco") rather than the bare hands ("mano"), while the Vihuela de Pinola
was played with a plectrum (flat pick). It is obviously different from
most of the pre-guitars in that it's body is quite large, being about as
large as a modern "classical" guitar. It also tends to have several
soundholes in the top. The frets were tied, and it used a fixed bridge.
It is probably the direct ancestor of the modern American 12-string
guitar, which came into North America thru Louisiana and Texas out of
Mexico.
        The FOUR-COURSE GUITAR had four courses of gut strings, or
sometimes single strings, a guitar-shaped body with a flat soundboard, a
lute style bridge, and the back tended to be slightly rounded with a
distinct ridge up the center, rather like the hull of a boat. The frets
were tied, like the lute, and it was about the size of a child's guitar.
The pegs were set vertically thru an actual peghead, which was usually
figure-8 shaped. It, and the 5-COURSE GUITAR (see below) were considered
plebian, common, instruments, while the Vihuela was the instrument of the
Aristocracy, at least in Spain.
        The FIVE-COURSE GUITAR seems to have appeared around 1490, and
was similar to the four-course models, with the addition of the extra
course of strings in the bass.
        The ENGLISH GUITAR was probably another name for the five-course
guitar, and reflects the burgeoning popularity of the instrument with all
classes of people, at least outside of Spain.

        The BAROQUE GUITAR apparently came on the scene in the very early
seventeenth century.  Baroque guitars use gut or nylon strings, have a
"long and skinny" body with both upper and lower bouts being about the
same size, and the bracing is usually three crossbars under the
soundboard. The tuning pegs are usually wood, set vertically thru the
peghead, and the frets are permanent, whether wood, ivory, or metal. The
surviving examples tend to be highly ornamented, but this survival may be
due to the fact of their valuble ornamentation. Most of the instruments
would tend to be plain. They were a Five Course Guitar.
        All of the above instruments tended to have a fingerboard that
was on the same level with the soundboard, with the soundboard extending
into the fingerboard area by several inches. The "modern" raised
fingerboard apparently did not appear until sometime around the advent of
the Parlor Guitars (see below).
        The SIX (SINGLE) STRING GUITAR, the true guitar, apparently did
not develop until sometime after 1750 but, as always with this
instrument, we cannot be absolutely sure about this date.
        PARLOR GUITARS are very similar to Baroque guitars, with the
exceptions that their tuners are usually mechanical, after about 1820,
and the lower bout of the body is a bit larger than the upper bout. I
would accept these as a reasonable attempt at using a period instrument,
so long as gut or nylon strings are used. If you own an old Model 1887
Washburn, this is what you have. WARNING: many of the American made
Parlor guitars have "pin" bridges the same as on modern steel-string
guitars. If you use steel strings on these old parlor models, you will
ruin them. They are made for gut or nylon strings ONLY!
        The modern "CLASSICAL" GUITAR was not developed until circa 1840,
in Spain, by Torres.
        The various types of modern guitar are usually distinguished by
strings, body shapes, and interior bracing:
        Classical guitars use gut or nylon strings, have a body with the
lower bout larger than the upper, and use (usually) a bracing pattern
that looks much like the ribs of a fan, in the area under the bridge,
under the soundboard. They are very much out-of-period for medieval or
Renaissance music. If you can find a 3/4 size or 1/2 size classical
guitar, it will look very much like a period instrument, however.
        Archtop guitars use steel strings, have a soundboard that is
carved and arched like a violin, and, much like a violin, usually have
soundholes in the shape of an "f" on either side of the bridge. These are
blatantly out-of-period, and are usually found with electric pickups.
        American guitars use steel strings, have a body shape of
classical, parlor, "dreadnaught" (large body) or "jumbo" (VERY large
body) form, and bracing under the bridge in the shape of a "X." This last
was, apparently, developed between 1915 and 1930 in America, either by
the Larson Bros., or C.F.Martin & Co. This subject is a matter of much
controversy in guitar circles. I have seen an instrument that seemed to
be a parlor guitar, with vertical "patent" friction pegs, "X" braced, and
possibly made before 1910! The matter, like much of the guitar's history,
is obscure. Needless to say, the larger bodied sizes are also out-of-
period.
        However....the 12-string guitar, when strung with courses tuned
in unisons (or in octaves like the modern practice) if tuned similarly
with nylon strings on it, played Lute-style, will pass for a Vihuela de
Mano, at least in sound.
        Play it with a flat pick, with wire strings, similarly to a
Cittern and I would have no serious objections to raise.
                                  *

SOURCES:

LUTES: .... tend to be a bit on the expensive side of things. A good used
one can be had for about $600.00, with prices ranging from there up to
$5000.00 or more! There is a decent 8-course Lute made by Aria for right
around $900.00 new, and it is a bit more strongly made than most, but it
may not be still in production. It is a good Lute for the money. Some
kits are available, and are well made, but do NOT buy anything called a
Lute that feels heavy and massive. It will not respond properly to your
touch. A good lute will reverberate on its' own from just voices in the
room! Learning the Lute can be the devotion of a lifetime.

CITTERNS: ....... range from about $450.00 for the Trinity College
"Octave Mandolin" up to about $1500.00 for the best ones. A modern
Mandolin is a "Soprano Cittern," while a Mando-Cello would be classed as
a "Baritone/Bass Cittern." Round-back mandolins, what would be called
"lute-back soprano citterns," are quite acceptable, and very period. To
learn to play it, find a book on mandolin and take it from there. If you
tune it like a plectrum banjo, remembering the shorter scale, 5-string
banjo chords work just fine. A Greek BOUZOUKI will serve well here, too,
and usually comes with a lute-style back!

PERIOD GUITARS: ....... can be had very easily! The VIHUELITA, a five-
string tied-fret guitar used in Mariachi bands, is, with the exception of
the raised fingerboard, a five-course guitar. These Vihuelitas are
usually inexpensive enough that the job of filling in the peghead slots,
and replacing the modern machine tuners with wooden pegs (and even adding
4-5 extra pegs to make it even more authentic) is feasable. There is an
instrument called the CUATRO that is much like the Guittern, and the six-
string "parlor" guitars, of lesser value than Martin, Larson (Ditson),
Lyon & Healey or (Geo.) Washburn.....the "no-names" that can be found
sometimes hanging up in music stores and pawn shops for very little
money....would work just fine also. Gianinni, in Brazil, makes a small
inexpensive classical guitar that would work well, too.
        I own an instrument called a GUITARILLA, a six-course
"guitar" on a Bandura-like body, tuned in "terz" tuning, i.e. a third
higher than a regular guitar. This works quite nicely for period music.
The REQUINTO is similar, being a "terz" guitar, but has six single
strings and is shaped, and braced, like a modern guitar.
        Some Mexican-made 12-string guitars, being of extremely light
construction, would make good Vihuelas de Mano, when string with nylon
and their usual terrible "action" (the height of the strings off the
fingerboard) lowered. I would like to experiment with this, and with
doing the same thing to a Mexican BAJO DE SEXTO (a Baritone-Bass 12-
string), whose construction tends to be even more period than most.
        If you MUST use a steel-strung 6-string, Martin makes their Size
5 model (5-18 or 5-28, special order only) which at least looks fairly
period, but retails new, as of this writing, for about $1680.00 for the
5-18. The 00-16NY, the famous "New Yorker" model, runs about $1576.00,
which is a hefty piece of change. It would "pass" for a Parlor or Baroque
guitar, tho the sound would not be the same as it uses wire strings. The
others above usually sell for between $200.00 - $500.00, thus being both
within pocketbook range, AND more period.
        There are also some reproductions of period instruments available
from some Japanese makers. H. Yari has made several of these.
        Period technique was mostly chordal strumming, to accompany song,
very much like the Mariachi technique for the Vihuelita. There is
evidence, however, of melodic lute-style playing, too, but the simple
"rhythm strum" sort of thing is quite period and acceptable, and, if done
correctly can be quite effective, even to the point of seeming to play
the melody using chords only!  Listen to a modern autoharp player to get
an idea of how it's done.
        Other instruments of the modern world can "stand-in" quite
nicely. Get creative, do some research, and go for it!

                                  *

TUNING: The strings are named low to high, i.e. in the mandolin tuning
given, G D A E, the "G" is the lowest note, and the "E" is the highest.
The strings are numbered with the highest pitched being #1 and proceeding
thru the lowest string, which has the highest number....confusing, but
traditional.

              *  Modern Instruments (standardized tunings):

Guitar Family:

  Modern Guitar: E A D G B E
                 D A D G B D ("Double "D" " Good for modal ballads
                             in "D")
                 D A D G B E ("Drop "D" ", good for stuff in "D")
                 D A D D A D (I use this one for simulating an Oud,
                             for belly dance music)
  "Terz" Guitar: G C F Bb D G
  Requinto: G C F Bb D G
  Vihuelita: C F Bb D G (the 4th string, the "F", is tuned an
                        octave high in a ukelele style re-entrant
                        tuning)
  Tenor Guitar: G D A E (one octave lower than a mandolin)
                G D B E (1st four strings of the modern guitar)
                G D B E (same as above, with the 4th string tuned an
                        octave high, in a re-entrant tuning)

  To tune a guitar to "lute" tuning, use a Tenor Lute (see below) tuning
from "E": E A D F# B E, for "old" tuning, or just leave it as it is, for
"new" tuning.

Mandolin Family:

         Mandolin: G D A E (same as violin)
         Mandola: C G D A
         Octave Mandolin: G D A E (one octave lower than a Mandolin)
         Mando-Cello: C G D A (one octave lower than a Mandola)
         Bouzouki: D A D A
                   D G B E
                   G D A E
                   D A F C

Others:

  Ukelele: A D F# B  (4th string, "A", in higher octave,
                     re-entrant tuning)
  Tiple: (Pronounced TEE-play) C E A D (South American version. 4th
                                       string, "C", is octaved)
  Tiple: (Pronounced TIPPLE) A D F# B (North American version. 2nd, 3rd
                                      and 4th, "A", "D", and "F#", are
                                      octaved)

*  Older Instruments (the tuning may or may not be these same tones, but
the relationships between the strings will remain the same):

Lute: "new" tuning: 8-course E# B A D G C# E A (descant tuning: see below)
"new" tuning (Virdung ca. 1500): G C F A D G (the "viel accord")(alto)
"old" tuning: 8-course E# B A D G C# E# A (descant tuning: see below)
"Sharp" tuning: G C F A C E
"Flat" tuning: G C F Ab C Eb
"Accord Nouveau": A D F A D F  (17th Cent.)

Praetorius mentions the following tunings for various kinds of lute
(note: 1st string only is given; string relationships remain the same):

          Small octave Lute: D or C
          Small descant Lute: B
          Descant Lute: A
          Choir or alto Lute: G
          Tenor Lute: E
          Bass Lute: D
          Large octave bass Lute: G

Arch Lute: same as Descant Lute, with extra bass strings tuned descending
           diatonically
Theorbo: F G A B C D E F G C F A D G (or the same intervals one tone
higher)
Arch Mandore: C G C G C
              C F C F C
Mandora: C G C G C
         C F C F C
Pandurina: G D G D
Bandora: C D G C E A
         G C D G C E A
Opharion: G C F A D G
          (a seventh course was added to the bass after 1600; it may also
          be tuned like a Lute)

Cittern: mandolin tuning: G D A E (same as Octave Mandolin)
                          D G B D (open "G", same as modern Plectrum banjo)
                          D G C D ("G Dorian mode")
             five-course: G D G B D (open "G")
                          G D G B D (open "G", with the 5th string as a
                                     re-entrant, the same as a modern
                                     5-string banjo)
                          C D G B D
                          A D G A D
                          A D G B E (same as Gittern)
                          D G D G D
                          A D A D A
                          A E A E A
                          D G D A E
         Lafranco (1533): A C B G D E
     Adrian LeRoy (1565): A G D E
           Virchi (1574): D F B G D E
Cetarone (bass cittern): Eb Bb F C G D A
                         E B G D E
                         (a re-entrant tuning is also mentioned, but
                         no intervals are given, by Agazzari in 1607)

Guittern: A D G B E (same as modern guitar, but without the low E string)
          A D G B E (re-entrant: 4th string an octave high)
4-Course Guitar: Probably similarly to the 5-Course Guitar, but without
                 the 5th string(s) (see below)
5-Course Guitar: ca. Mid-1500's
                 D D G B E (4th and 5th, "D", tuned in same octave as 1st,
                           "E," in a re-entrant tuning)
                 A D G B E (5th string one octave lower than 1st thru 4th)
                 A D G B E (same as first five of modern guitar)
Vihuela de Mano: G C F A D G
                 C F Bb A D G
                 C F Bb A D G (note: tune to the same sound as a ukelele,
                               with the 4th string, the Bb, in the next
                               octave higher than the  5th and 3rd. This
                               is known as a "re-entrant" tuning and is
                               very period.)
                 You may also use any standard Lute tuning.

Cytole: D G B E (re-entrant: 4th string (D) in higher octave similar to the
                ukelele. I dare say you could use a tenor ukelele, or even
                a tenor guitar, to stand-in for this instrument.)
Mandora: G D G D (in bass range. A mando-cello will work here quite well)
Guitarra Moresca: I suggest tuning it like a Cittern, as the descriptions of
                  it's sound from period Ms. would seem to indicate a "5th"
                  relationship tuning.
Guitarra Latina: Probably tuned like a Cittern, or like a Cytole, but if you
                 use a Cytole tuning, tune several tones lower.
Poliphant: Eight wire-strung courses tuned like a Lute, plus about 15 diatonic
           bass strings on a harp frame, similar to the Harp-Guitar of the
           early 1900's in the USA.
Stump: Seven wire-strung courses tuned in "old" Lute tuning, plus 8 open bass
       strings on a harp frame.

        Remember that many of these instruments are strung in pairs of
strings, with the strings of the pair tuned an octave apart. This is
usually done on the "bourdon," or bass strings, for added clarity and
volume.
        On the odder relatives of the guitar, if the neck-to-bridge
distance seems a little smaller than a guitar's, measure both of them! If
this "scale" is shorter than a guitar's, it's very possible that the
instrument needs to be tuned to a higher pitch. A short-scale instrument
is meant to be tuned high, otherwise the strings will not have the
correct amount of tension to adequately stress the soundboard, and thus
will rattle, twang, and have no volume whatsoever.
        To find out where to tune it, put the instrument beside a known
instrument of similar design, with both bridges in line with each other.
If the nut (the piece between the fingerboard and the peghead) on the
unknown instrument is below the nut on the known instrument, then you
must count the frets between the known's nut, on it's fingerboard, and
the nut on the other instrument. The tones played on the nearest fret of
the known to the other nut will work as a tuning guide for the other
instrument. This may sound complex, but try it....it works just fine!
        This does NOT apply to Lutes, however, and be VERY careful not to
overstress the soundboard or the bridge, to avoid damage to the
instrument due to over-tensioning the strings. Go carefully, and if you
are using wire strings on any instrument, use the lightest gauge
possible.

                                  *



WHERE TO FIND THEM:


Elderly Instruments                             Mandolin Brothers
1100 W Washington                               629 Forest Ave
PO Box 14210                                    Staten Is. NY 10310
Lansing, MI 48901

                                                Boulder Early Music Shop
Lark in The Morning                             2010 Fourteenth St
PO Box 1176                                     Boulder, Colo. 80302
Mendocino, CA 95460
                                               Lute Society of America
Plucked String Inc.                            c/o Nancy Carlin
1930 Cameron Ct. Arlington, VA                 PO Box 11125
22210                                          Concord, CA
                                                94518


There are other shops that deal in this sort of thing, but these are the
ones I have dealt with personally, and thus can recommend them
wholeheartedly.

BUYING STRINGS:

        When you need to get strings for these beasts, you may run into a
problem. Nylon strings are, usually, not marked as to their diameter, so
you just have to be prepared to experiment using regular nylon guitar
strings. Lute strings are another story. DO NOT use nylon guitar strings
on a Lute. The soundboard of the Lute is considerably thinner than a
guitar's, so the stress placed on it by the guitar strings may tear the
Lute apart. Use strings made for Lute, and DON'T try wire strings on it!
        By the way: wound bass strings ("overspun bourdons") seem to be
quite period, for the Renaissance.
        Banjo strings work quite well for Citterns, as do mandolin
strings. When you go to the music store, take the instrument with you,
and tell them the tuning you wish to use, and ask for bronze-wound bass
strings. These give the best sound, in my opinion. If the nice man behind
the counter seems not to know what you are talking about, GO TO ANOTHER
STORE until you find someone who knows about string gauge/scale/tuning
relationships. This is very important, because, with wire strings, if you
use a string that is too heavy for your soundboard it will tear it apart!
        One final thing: please refrain from spilling alcohol on the
finish of these wonderful things. Alcohol will remove the finish quite
nicely..... and refinishing a musical instrument both lowers it's resale
value, and damages the tone. Refinishing is horrendously expensive,
too....I remember having to have an area the size of a quarter refinished
on a solid-body electric guitar, an instrument which did not need the
CAREFUL refinishing of an acoustic instrument, and the total bill was
$89.75......and, by the way, if you have an antique instrument DON'T have
it re-finished! You will harm both the tone, and the value! Even if it
looks like something the cat dragged in and wouldn't eat, talk to an
expert about it before refinishing. In SOME cases (very few!!!!) a
refinish job is needed, and can be done in such a way as to not harm the
instrument.....but let an expert tell you about that.
        The same goes for weather: don't allow it to freeze, get wet, get
damp, or get too hot. Any weather that is uncomfortable for you is
SERIOUSLY uncomfortable for your instrument, and CAN and WILL damage
it...badly! Leaving it in a parked car in hot weather can cause the glue
to soften, and the string tension will then tear the instrument into very
small bits! Very cold weather will craze the finish, thereby letting
dirt, oil and damp into the wood. Damp weather will warp the wood,
sometimes beyond repair. Be CAREFUL of these pretty toys, and they will
outlast you.
        I would add to this: buy a good, hard-shell case, or have one
made, and keep your instrument in it! Don't leave it laying about where
people can spill beer on it, walk on it, knock it over.....keep it out of
direct sunlight or cold drafts...don't let it get rained (or misted, or
fogged) upon...in other words, keep it nice and comfy, and it'll be OK.
        If you are traveling from a moist climate into a dry one, or
vice-versa, use a simple humidifier that can be bought from any music
store. This will (hopefully) keep the instrument from cracking under the
stresses of the humidity change.
        Don't let drunks play it. EVER. Don't let irresponsible people of
any kind handle it. EVER. It is perfectly socially acceptable (among
musicians, at least) to simply not let ANYONE handle it, except the
owner.
        And remember, musical instruments are easily "fenced." Keep it
where you can see it, especially in the crowds and confusion of the
average RenFaire!

note: DO NOT USE OLD, ANTIQUE INSTRUMENTS! These instruments are
collectors' items, and should be preserved for the next generation to
appreciate. If you are a serious musician, and prepared to literally live
for the instrument(s), well and good, but if you only do it as a hobby,
then......pass them by! Buy a good, new instrument and save the old one
from the wear and tear, and possible serious abuse, that RenFaires and
the like tend to put on things.

                                  *

                          BIBLIOGRAPHY

Evans, Tom and Mary Anne: Guitars: from the Renaissance to Rock
                          Facts on File, New York 1977

Munrow, David: Instruments of the Middle Ages and Renaissance
               Oxford University Press, London 1976
               (Highly Reccomended!)

Smith, Douglas Alton: The Lute: Instrument for the Ages
                      FRETS (period.) March 1982
                      GPI Publications

Trimble, Gerald C.: Instruments of British Isles Music
                    FRETS (period.) April 1980
                    GPI Publications

and 22+ years experience on the part of the Author.

  -----------------------------------------------------------------

(The author is a notorious public player of the 5-string banjo, and has
other nasty habits, too. Call for a Good Time.)

           - (c) copyright 1992 W.J.Bethancourt III
           PO Box 35190                   Phoenix AZ 85069
                       All Rights Reserved

                             * end *