My latest build: A renaissance cittern

[Dusepo]

[yankees1]

Very nice ! Any sound bytes ? Would love to hear it !

[Jim Garber]

Jo, I know you copied an old instrument but how and why is the neck constructed of what looks like two parallel pieces?

Ah, I also see it in photos on this shop's site. I am curious.

[Dusepo]

Very nice ! Any sound bytes ? Would love to hear it !

Sadly I can't really play it as the unusual tuning throws me off a bit. It's tuned aa ggg dd ee. I'll see if I can record something to give an idea of the sound though, or better yet, persuade the customer who can play it to record me something!

[Dusepo]

Jo, I know you copied an old instrument but how and why is the neck constructed of what looks like two parallel pieces?

Ah, I also see it in photos on this shop's site. I am curious.

This shape of neck is normal for renaissance citterns. Apparently the idea is that the player's thumb rests in the gap. You can see a back view of a surviving historical renaissance cittern which shows this neck design here:

[John Kelly]

Another fine piece of creative craftsmanship, Jo. You really have a wonderful skill in recreating those old instruments.
Are the two thin posts which are on either side of the neck block structural oe simply decorative? I am wondering if they help you to set the neck correctly? I see there are two on the old instrument you have pictured above.

[pops1]

I think what you are seeing John is the fingerboard and the dowel. I believe there is only one, like Jo's, just the shot angle that makes it look like two.

[DavidKOS]

Sadly I can't really play it as the unusual tuning throws me off a bit. It's tuned aa ggg dd ee.

Wasn't the music written in period tablature?

[Dusepo]

Another fine piece of creative craftsmanship, Jo. You really have a wonderful skill in recreating those old instruments.
Are the two thin posts which are on either side of the neck block structural oe simply decorative? I am wondering if they help you to set the neck correctly? I see there are two on the old instrument you have pictured above.

They are purely decorative. They are called 'columns' and were probably on the cittern as a homage to the body shape of it's earlier ancestor, the citole, or perhaps to the arms of a lyre.

I think what you are seeing John is the fingerboard and the dowel. I believe there is only one, like Jo's, just the shot angle that makes it look like two.

Are we talking about the same thing? I'm confused now...

Wasn't the music written in period tablature?

Yes, but you're assuming I can read that! I can only read modern notation. Renaissance tablature has all sorts of letters and symbols which mean various things, not like modern tabs with just fret numbers. Cittern tablature is also much rarer than lutre tablature, since it was considered a 'common' instrument played in baber's shops etc, unlike the lute. So less was written down and/or survived.

[DavidKOS]

Yes, but you're assuming I can read that! I can only read modern notation. Renaissance tablature has all sorts of letters and symbols which mean various things, not like modern tabs with just fret numbers. Cittern tablature is also much rarer than lutre tablature, since it was considered a 'common' instrument played in baber's shops etc, unlike the lute. So less was written down and/or survived.

That's all true; I just was wondering if you have (as it seems so) had a go at the TAB.

I really appreciate your workmanship - accurate but adapted to our modern workshop and materials.

[Jonathan Ward]

Jo, I have to ask -- do you cut your amazing ornate soundhole patterns on a CNC, or by hand?

Beautiful work!

[Dusepo]

Jo, I have to ask -- do you cut your amazing ornate soundhole patterns on a CNC, or by hand?

Beautiful work!

By hand with a set of skalpels. I glue a pattern to the soundboard, cut out the holes, then do releif carving to give a 3D effect. Then the remaining paper is sanded off.
Here's a closer-up view of one I did for a lute for a customer, which is a similar design to the one I used here:

[John Kelly]

I think what you are seeing John is the fingerboard and the dowel. I believe there is only one, like Jo's, just the shot angle that makes it look like two.

Thanks, pops1. I was in fact referring to the columns, as Jo has informed us in her reply.