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.