Portfolio: Eight-Course Bass Lute, 1970

Eight-Course Bass Lute | #9 | 1970

  • French polish finish

  • Brazilian rosewood body, bridge, & tuning pegs

  • German spruce top

  • Ebony fingerboard & binding

  • Double-raised pegholders

  • Ebony & holly purfling

  • Hand-carved rosette

  • Ivory bridge trim

This is more of a modernized German-style lute - not traditional. It has metal frets & a bridge saddle. The person who ordered this played classical guitar & also listened to Julian Bream, who was playing on a lute of this sort at that time. It started out left-handed and came back to me years later, and I converted it back to right-handed. This is more fanciful than traditional. I made everything - tuning pegs, bridge, purfling. Nothing pre-made bought, except the fretwire & strings.