Thread: Lute, As anyone built one??

Try contacting Tim Guster Tim Guster

Peter

Originally Posted by mandoman

Try contacting Tim Guster Tim Guster

Peter

Thank you Peter, I'll pass on the Link.

Cheers Tony.

There are a few threads on the forum, see here https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/baroque-lute-150824/ https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/in...e-lute-123827/ https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/7-...s-pics-118078/ https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/7-...ce-lute-97269/ https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/ba...course-100565/

Im sure that authors can be contacted through the forum.

Originally Posted by Sebastiaan56

There are a few threads on the forum, see here https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/baroque-lute-150824/ https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/in...e-lute-123827/ https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/7-...s-pics-118078/ https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/7-...ce-lute-97269/ https://www.woodworkforums.com/f98/ba...course-100565/

Im sure that authors can be contacted through the forum.

Thank you very Much Sebastiaan, you've been Very very Helpful.

Cheers Tony.

This reminds me of the time I was walking through the basement section of the central market in Kuwait City and I came across a stall with a set of black curtains with just a narrow gap showing through which I could see a guy sitting on the floor doing something with wood. Drawing closer I saw he was holding a strip of wood with his feet and shaving/shaping the edge of the wood with something which turned out to be a piece of glass. On the back wall of the stall were some beautiful lutes faintly glowing in the light of a low wattage light globe. Also sitting nearby was a boy of maybe 9 years of age sanding strips of wood. The only chair in the tiny stall had a battered TV/VCR playing - of course arabic music video clips . It turned out he was a Oud (lute) maker and the boy was his assistant. They spoke no english and my minder/translator (the 25 stone Abdullah) was browsing/chatting a few stalls back but the luthier beckoned me inside and I watched him finishing shaving and sanding the piece he was working on. Meanwhile Abdullah turns up and translated for me. I asked if he could explain to me how he makes his lutes and he was very happy to do so.

I spent a fascinating hour as he talked me through the process. The main workshop was out the back where he had a small wood store and about 6 lutes in various states of construction. The only power tool he had was a battered 40+ year old power drill, everything else was well used hand tools, and he had a small vice nailed to a small table. The wood came as small billets from India, Pakistan or Turkey and he had ripped to suitable sizes using a friends bandsaw, but everything else looked positively medieval. His biggest problem was getting suitable wood. He had several moulds which he used to clamp and form up the strips of wood for the lute backs. Most of his lute backs were rosewood but he made several designs using multicoloured hardwoods so the backs came out all striped - sorry no pics as I didn't even have my mobile with me. I wanted to buy one of his instruments but his prices were a bit out of my league but he then took me to the stall next door which was closed but was chock full of cheaper musical instruments including many ouds. Many were vary garishly decorated with mother of pearl and fake diamantes which I though looked pretty tacky. The cheapest ones were from egypt and after much animated haggling (which I had to do by myself because Abdullah had foolishly introduced me some sort of important luthier guru from Oz) we struck a deal by writing down numbers on paper and I ended up purchasing a relatively simple one.

Then everything stopped and we had tea which was bought in by the assistant in ornate gold rimmed china cups. More talk about instrument making ensued - all very interesting.

Then there was the issue about the lute case - a rather complex structure (usually made out of cloth lined fibreglass) due to the awkward kneck of this instrument. More haggling - a deal was struck and then more tea.

Meanwhile Abdullah discovers the case has a large crack in it and deems this unacceptable and asks for intact case but all the cases in the stall . The luthier said he could get one within 20 minutes so we agreed to wait while the assistant tore off to get another case - so more tea and more chat - the 20 minutes became 40 minutes and then an hour. I was not fussed because it was all so fascinating but Abdullah needed to get home so things got a little testy when the luthier started furiously calling the assistant on his mobile. Eventually the assistant turned up with two cases but both had small cracks in them - from a practical point of view the cracks were no big deal but Abdullah insisted we get a discount on the case and to placate us the luthier threw in some strings and some plectrums.

All up I was there close to 3 hours and for folks that do this sort of thing every day this was no big deal but I found it all very entertaining.

SEQUEL.
3 years later I returned to Kuwait and this time I took back with me a small pack of tasmanian blackwood and some king billy pine which I just gave to him. He was gobsmacked and kept fondling it and turning the timber over and over. There was more tea and I don't know what he ever did with it. I might get to go back in a couple of years time and see what happened.

Thanks for sharing BobL, It would be interesting to see what he produced with the wood you gave him.

Cheers Tony,

Tony

Kiwigeo aka Martin who has posted here regularly for ages has built one. He has kindly shared the whole detailed process over at ANZLF, so check it out.

Steve

Originally Posted by kamusur

Tony

Kiwigeo aka Martin who has posted here regularly ages has built one. He has kindly shared the whole detailed process over at ANZLF, so check it out.

Steve

Thanks Steve, I will Check It out.

Cheers Tony.

Tony,

Last year I built a Baroque 7 course lute using the CDROM based tutorial produced by David van Edwards. LUTES by David Van Edwards

I put up a couple of threads over on the ANZLF forum covering the build.

I'd recommend van Edwards tutorial for a beginner like your friend and I'd also recommend getting Lundberg's milestone book on lute building: Guild of American Luthiers - Historical Lute Construction by Robert Lundberg. Note these two resources take different approaches to building in places and you're best sticking with van Edward's methods at least for your first build.

Cheers Martin

Post the build on here Martin, then we can all look.

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

Tony,

Last year I built a Baroque 7 course lute using the CDROM based tutorial produced by David van Edwards. LUTES by David Van Edwards

I put up a couple of threads over on the ANZLF forum covering the build.

I'd recommend van Edwards tutorial for a beginner like your friend and I'd also recommend getting Lundberg's milestone book on lute building: Guild of American Luthiers - Historical Lute Construction by Robert Lundberg. Note these two resources take different approaches to building in places and you're best sticking with van Edward's methods at least for your first build.

Cheers Martin

Its alot easier if interested parties check out the threads on the ANZLF. For me to re-size and upload all the photos here is a major task....Sorry but I just don't have the time.

That's a shame Martin that you have to direct forum members to another forum.


QUOTE=kiwigeo;1675474]Its alot easier if interested parties check out the threads on the ANZLF. For me to re-size and upload all the photos here is a major task....Sorry but I just don't have the time.[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by kiwigeo

Tony,

Last year I built a Baroque 7 course lute using the CDROM based tutorial produced by David van Edwards. LUTES by David Van Edwards

I put up a couple of threads over on the ANZLF forum covering the build.

I'd recommend van Edwards tutorial for a beginner like your friend and I'd also recommend getting Lundberg's milestone book on lute building: Guild of American Luthiers - Historical Lute Construction by Robert Lundberg. Note these two resources take different approaches to building in places and you're best sticking with van Edward's methods at least for your first build.

Cheers Martin

Thank you very Much Martin, you've been more then Helpful I will send the link to my friend.
Thanks again to everyone, you're all very kind.
Cheers Tony.

Originally Posted by woodturner777

That's a shame Martin that you have to direct forum members to another forum.

Like I said my time is at a premium right now and I simply don't have the time to re-size and post up enough photos on this forum to adequately document what was a long (1000+ hours) and complicated build.