7/8crs Electric Mandora based on the Frei Body (KHM C34)

This hybrid Mandora brings together the 19th century Electric Mandora made and played by Chris Hirst (hear it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBgp0Km1CgA, and here in ensemble https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrlq0bGpYPH0fQTG_v5qE8Q) and the traditional Mandora as an un-amplified 7/8 crs conversion heared here played by Rod Blocksidge. So it can be played as a 7crs double strung Mandora (tuned d', a, f, C, G, D, C) or restrung to it's current state (tuned e, b, g, d, A, E, D, C). Dare I say it could be tuned as a renaissance lute in e with lute intervals just by tuning down a semitone, so 3 instruments in one potentially. 

Having converted Rod Blocksidges' Mandora from 7 to 8crs single recently (as heared in the link above) I decided to apply this to the 8 crs 19th century mandora I had made for Chris Hirst who uses it for modern ensemble music, hence the amplification. So by drilling the bridge with holes for 7 crs double and 8crs single and a nut that caters for both stringing then it combines the best of both Mandoras and more value for money for the player. Rod tells me the 8 crs can be used to play rare Russian music requiring 8 crs. 

The strings for 7 crs double and 8crs single have been adjusted to have the same overall tension, the neck and sickle pegbox are ebonised to be in keeping with guitars from the same period, and metal frets which worked just as well as gut, the back is in English yew pegs and bridge in Natural pearwood. The Hans Frei body (C34) is a popular choice, not too deep as later baroque lute bodies can be, once plugged in it's certainly loud enough!

To order, £ 1445, case not included in price

 6 course Spanish Guitar based on Joseph Benedid,

 Cadiz 1787 (Met Museum 1992.1.2)

Hear it being played here by Richard MacKenzie:

This new affordable guitar is the 6 course Spanish Guitar, a transitional instrument between the Baroque and the Early Romantic single strung guitar, the instrument above can be heard here played by Richard MacKenzie. This instrument can be strung as a Vihuela, a Baroque guitar (as seen above), a 6 course Spanish guitar ( as seen above) and 6 single Early Romantic Guitar (as above), so 4 in one if you really want to explore music!
The 6 course had a short life span, circa 1780's to 1810's. Some examples can be found on You-Tube played by Thomas Schmitt or via Presto Classical of Fernando Ferandiere's, Moretti's and Guzman's music, as well as recordings of Boccherini's guitar quintets by Jose Moreno, so plenty of nice music (https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/search?search_query=6+course+guitar)

6 course guitars are by Pages and Benedid, most in the Barcelona Music Museum. The typical 6 course has a similar body length and depth to the late baroque guitars, some still having gut frets on the fingerboard but this one was made with metal, considering some guitar players may not be familiar with replacing gut frets. The body is made of light weight English Yew, ebonised maple neck and head stock, pearwood pegs, Indian Rosewood bridge, alpine spruce top. Ebony edging like a lute would have. This instrument can be made without the sound hole rings (minus £100) Hear it being played here :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uJCbHRIplqI

and played much better here by it's owner.

To order, £ 950 excluding case

 The 8crs Single strung (Electric) Mandora

This latest creation has been an instrument I had planned to do before so was pleased to make it as a commissioned instrument for Mandora music and onwards. There are some surviving 8crs Mandora manuscripts I'm told but this will be used for more modern music. The sound is in-between the Early Romantic guitar with it's single strings, higher tension and the body of the mandora. An article written by Chris Hirst about this instrument and it's historical inspiration for it can be read in the Lute Society news Number 126 July 2018.

Such instruments would have been played between 1800-1830 as seen above by a painting by Friedrich von Amerling, the metal frets making it a step closer to the Romantic Guitar yet with the qualities of the lute. Composer Simon Moilitor (1766-1848) of Neckarsulm preferred such an instrument and is commemorated as seen below.

The body is English Yew, alpine spruce top with protective ebony edging, Ebony fingerboard with metal guitar fretting, plain maple neck, lime wood pegbox, pear pegs and bridge.Strung in Nylgut NNG and D basses tuned e',b,g,d,A,E,D,C. Pickups are mounted inside for increased volume but was noticeably louder than the previous double strung mandora due to higher string tension. Here it being played https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDTTCMlyWLk also here being played in a modern ensemble: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuD9usuPzUoye1SM-ZnJOPA

£1335 ( optional pickup is an extra £110 ) excludes case

For some festive music, tis the season...!

Late Medieval/Early Renaissance Lute

The recent creation of this Late Medieval/Early Renaissance Lute was commissioned by the National Trust for the enjoyment of a wider audience and encourage children not to be afraid to touch a specialist instrument and have fun exploring the sounds. Also it will be played by their resident musician Angela either in lute tuning or slightly adjusted to guitar intervals for playing from guitar music. It's an area which I have been banging on for a few years now so was happy to make this instrument available to be enjoyed in the setting where it was originally played perhaps by Queen Elizabeth herself at Knowle.

The woods used are European Ash and pear wood with Alpine spruce so no exotic woods used at that time and is based on iconography and paintings from the late medieval/early renaissance. The body shape based on a wooden sculpture of Pythagoras playing a small lute and barring based on Arnaut of Zwolle's technical drawing of a late medieval lute and some serviving early renaissance lutes. Popular tunes are played here which hopefully will be enjoyed in Knowle for the visitors to enjoy:)

Hear it here

New to the student range....

The student Lute-guitar is essentially a lute based on
Laux Maler (MI54) but tuned like a guitar in e b g d A E B/C (a =440Hz) 65cm string length, like the guitar so no changes to the left hand, but just by tuning the 3rd course down f sharp you also have a lute in e. This allows a guitar player to play an authentically constructed lute but in the familiar tuning, no need to learn lute tablature. However should you choose to learn lute tablature later the option of tuning down one string opens up a vast amount of new music not transcribed for the guitar from lute. This instrument can be used as a solo lute or  as accompaniment to ensemble as a tenor lute or to voice. The back is made of heartwood yew, the neck and pegbox are maple and the bridge and pegs are pear wood. The fingerboard is bog oak, the eco-alternative to ebony. Guitar players seem to love this instrument because it allows them to play a light-weight lute-guitar as opposed to the heavier ones seen online that derive from the wandervogel or swedish theorbo. Below is a sample of what music can be played on the instrument: