Lute guitar

Lute guitar

Alute guitarorGerman lute(German:Gitarrenlaute, Deutsche Laute or Wandervogellaute,less commonly alutar(modernTurkish),gui-luteorgittar) is a stringedmusical instrument,common inGermanyfrom around 1850. The instrument has a regular six-stringed guitar setup on a lute bowl,however there are manytheorboedvariants with up to 11 strings. (seede:Deutsche Basslaute)

The instrument is associated with theWandervogelcountercultural movement in Germany in the first half of the 20th century.

The nameGerman luteis sometimes also used for thewaldzither,for both gaining the status of anational instrumentin the early 20th century.

Design

Headstock

Theheadstockcommonly ends in two styles, either a head (representing animals or humanoids) or a curve (into a flat finial, carved or undecorated). Less commonly, instead of gears, wooden pegs may be used to tune the strings. Lute guitar headstocks are thinner and more curved than their modern guitar counterparts.

Neck and fretboard

While theneckof a lute guitar is very similar to that of a modernclassical guitar,the fretboard (orfingerboard) design is often different. The fretboard of a modern guitar extends down over thesoundboardall the way to thesound hole.However, the lute guitar's fretboard may be on the same level as the soundboard and stop at the bottom of the neck, with the additional frets continuing down the soundboard independently, similar to the lute's. The fretboard is occasionally scalloped.

Body

The body of the lute guitar is similar to the rounded body of the traditionallute.Several ribs (or panels) of curved wood (usually maple or rosewood) make up the back of body, glued to a wooden frame underneath. These ribs are sometimes painted to resemble the traditional (or stereotypical) perception of a medieval minstrel or jester. For example, ribs may be painted in alternating colors (e.g. white, green, white and so on).

Soundboard

The lute guitar usually has a bookmatched spruce soundboard with a sound hole, which looks like that of the lute but is much thicker.

Sound hole and rosette

A modern classical guitar usually has a simply cut sound hole. Lute guitars, however, may have intricate designs carved into the soundboard, such as geometric patterns orrepresentationaldecorations such as flowers, castles, and scrolls. Alternatively, a simple hole may be cut and a pre-carved disk of wood then glued onto the inside of the soundboard; in some cases, multiple layers of disks are designed in a cascading effect.

Bridge

Thebridgeof a lute guitar works in the same manner as a modern guitar bridge, but also serves as a decorative piece made in various shapes, sizes, and styles, often elaborately carved, for example, ending in swirls on each side.

Further reading

• Lütgendorff-Leinburg, Willibald von (1904)Die Geigen- und Lautenmacher.
• C. 1935 German guitar luteat Finefretted.com

External links

• Bruunari.nl,gallery of restored lute guitars
• Guitar and Lute Issues
• Planet Brazier Design
• logophile | Music / LuteGuitar