The original lute is built with 11 ivory ribs separated by dark spacers. The neck is veneered with ivory and ebony in a distinctive pattern. I have replicated this aesthetic using blustered maple in place of ivory. The neck is elliptical in cross-section. In lute iconography this style of neck is common. But it is rarely found on surviving early lutes because these examples have usually been re-necked. The elliptical shape of narrow six course lute necks provides better leverage between the thumb and fore-finger for barring. The extra depth of the bowl is apparent in the photograph of the lute in profile. This is a feature of many lutes represented in the early lute iconography but one that fell from favor among lute makers as they added extra courses in order to expanded the lute's tonal range. Click on the image for a view of the original lute.

 

 

Specifications: the bowl is approximately 30.5cm wide, 44.0 long and 15.5 deep.

String lengths are 59-61cm for a 6 or 7 course lute.