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Thread: New Cittern

  1. #1
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    Nov 2015
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    Default New Cittern

    I thought I'd share this here - I'm fortunate that my brother is a luthier, and while he specialises in classical guitars, he has occasionally made other instruments for friends and family for a little variety.
    This cittern uses some of the more interesting woods from his stash that his classical guitar customers might not go for. The top is cedar, the back and sides are wenge which was apparently reclaimed from laboratory benches, the neck is mahogany reclaimed from a bank interior, and the figured ash for the headstock and heel cap arrived with a batch of firewood! It has a 650mm scale, and a wedge adjustable bridge, which was a concept he'd seen on archtop guitars and was curious to try. I've been playing around with tunings, but I think I'm fairly settled on CGDAD, with octave strings on the lower three. The octave C is two octaves above the bass string - I haven't heard of others doing this, but I feel like it puts all the octave strings into the "jangle" region without muddying up the middle range of the instrument.
    I've been really enjoying playing it and it's rekindled my interest in mandolin family instruments (which I've always played, though double bass is my primary instrument).
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  3. #2
    Registered User David Hansen's Avatar
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    Apr 2006
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    Lompico, CA
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    46

    Default Re: New Cittern

    Lovely instrument plus I like the idea of two octaves on the low C, I'd like to hear what that sounds like.
    David
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    1995 Sobell Mandolin
    2007 Forster Cittern
    2010 Sobell Octave Mandolin
    2010 Gayle Mandonator

    "Poets have been mysteriously silent on the subject of cheese." GK Chesterton

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