Instrument front
The original instrument was made by Martin Hoffmann, with the neck added by his son Joh. Christian Hoffmann, in Leipzig, Germany. The date of the construction is a little uncertain, but the instrument seems to have been made around 1670, and is now in the Nurnberg Germanisches Nationalmuseum, item number MI 245. The stringing is arranges with eight courses on the fingerboard at 69.5cm and five courses on an extension at 97cm. Although the instrument pictured here has a plain-backed extension, the back of the extension on the original is richly carved with floral figures.
The cross-section of this instrument is slightly deeper than half round, which gives the tone of instrument a silvery, introspective quality having shimmering treble notes and deep basses.
The original instrument has 9 figured maple ribs with ebony spacers.
Click on the icon below to hear a lute with maple back, synthetic strings fingerboard strings and Gimped gut basses, (windows media file).
Each instrument comes with a custom fitting Kingham case
and a choice of woods:
Rosewood*
Pear
Bird's eye maple, (pictured)
Figured maple
Yew
*Rosewood back uses pear spacers for contrast
Price:
Thirteen course baroque model: $5,500
The basic model instrument comes with a fine quality Engelmann "AAA" Engelmann spruce front. Other qualities of front wood are available as an optional feature. Please click on this link to go to the page that explains all of the front woods available.
Western Red Cedar, add $45.00
Sitka Spruce, add $45.00
Figured Sitka Spruce, add $75.00
Fiemme Valley Italian Spruce, Add $65.00
Figured Fiemme Valley Italian Spruce, add $80.00
Italian Alpine Spruce, add $75.00
Oriental Spruce, add $100.00
For details about the terms of sale, please look at the Terms of Sale page on the website.
Lute specifications, Baroque model:
- String length 69.5cm (27 1/4")
- Overall length 122cm (48")
- Body length 48.5cm (19")
- Neck length 29.5cm (11 3/4" )
- Body width 31cm (12 1/4")
- Body depth 17.5cm (6 3/4")
Extension side
Extension back
Extension
Front
Hand cut copy of the original rose
Ebony veneered neck
Soundboard
Baroque Lute Features:
- Back and sides: 9 ribs, wood of choice with ebony spacers
- Engelmann spruce "AAA" quality
- Hand cut rose modeled on the original
- Neck - spruce with ebony veneer
- Ebony fingerboard, with points
- Pegs: rosewood or boxwood
- End button: rosewood or boxwood
- Bone nut
- Extension - carved mahogany
- Nylon top strings and octaves with wound nylon basses
- Pear bridge with ebony top plate
- Ebony outlined mother of pearl or ivory heart at bottom of front
- Ebony front edge half binding
- Form fitting Kingham case
Detail of bridge and ivory heart with ebony outline
Instrument back
Bird's-eye maple back
Instrument body side
