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Michael Thames
Luthier
Lute Specifications and Prices
6, 7, 8 and 10 COURSE LUTES
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Based on the shape of the C 34 in Vienna. Italian or German spruce soundboard. 11 ribs of Yew, Flamed or Birdseye maple. (Various hardwoods available for 8-course and up). Ebony or Fruitwood veneered neck and fingerboard with or without points. Plum wood bridge and pegs.String length 600 to 620mm. Tuned in G. The original was converted from a 6 course to an 11 course.
Price US4,000.00 – 6 Course
Price US4,500.00 – 8 Course
Click on price to convert to your own currency.
 Artemesia |
 Carpiccio |
 Francesco de Milano |
 Portrait of a Lute Player |
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This is my version of a six-course Hans Frei lute as it might have appeared in the 16th century. Ribs are Flamed Maple, top is Italian Spruce, the neck , peghead and fingerboard are Swiss Pearwood with Ebony points. There has been some speculation that the fingerboard extending onto the top is not the fingerboard but is actually the varnish. This has challenged my curiosity and after examining as many historical paintings of original lutes as one can find, I have come to my own conclusion that, in fact, the fingerboard does extend onto the body and is not varnish. As the paintings above can attest to this opinion; in particular, the painting, "Artemesia" shows the black ebony fingerboard clearly extending onto the body. Also, the painting by "Carpeccio" shows that the fingerboard extending onto the body is not the same color of the varnish used on the ribs.
Additionally, I have varnished the rose on my version of a Renaissance
lute. Quite frankly, having looked at as many paintings of Renaissance
and Baroque lutes as possible, I have yet to see one lute where the rose
was not, in fact, varnished. This is a feature that appears to have been
lost in modern times; however, when one does varnish the rose, it has a
striking appearance. One can see why this practice was done in the past.
In the poem below, the word STAR refers to Rose.
Good lutes I've made for very long
From Tannenholz good and strong.
First over the form 'twas bent,
Then I put the strongs on it
And tuned them up with sweetest ringing,
Even like the figural singing,
I varnished back, STAR, and neck.
Fiddles and citterns I also make.
1556 poem written to accompany the lute maker woodcut (Der Lautenmacher) in Jost Amann's Das Standebuch.
This is an excerpt from Robert Lundberg's "Historical Lute Construction
Andreas Berr
(1699)
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Based on the instrument in the collection at the Boston
Museum of Fine Arts. The body of this
instrument is, in fact, smaller than the Frei.
The Berr is a Bass rider, 13 course baroque lute that is quite an
anomaly, as it really doesn’t work well as a baroque lute at all. After personally measuring this lute, I came to the conclusion that this
was not originally an 11 course lute, as is commonly believed, but was
originally a 7 or 8 course lute that was first converted to a 11 course,
then later to a 13 course instrument. After sending the internal top bracing photos to David Van Edwards,
he noticed the original points were smaller than the present-day points
which were added during the conversion from a 7 or 8 course to the 11 course
lute. It is said that the Count Logy preferred Berr’s smaller lutes
The original Berr has Ivory ribs with Ebony spacers, and an Ivory carved
panel on the back of the peg box. This lute has a very appealing, elegant tear drop shape. A welcomed addition to the pre-baroque
lutes.. I’ve wondered if the Berr might
not have been Count Logy’s own personal lute, considering the ivory ribs and
inlay, it was surely made for a King!
This lute comes with either Italian or German spruce soundboard, 11 ribs
of Yew, Maple, Ebony or choice of various Rosewoods. Plum wood bridge,
Ebony veneered neck and fingerboard, and Plum pegs. With or without points. In either F or G tuning. Original string length 645mm.
Price US$4,000.00 – 6 Course
Price US$4,500.00 – 8 Course
Price US$5,000.00 - 10 Course
Click on price to convert to your own currency.
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*photo compliments of the Guild of American Luthiers, from the publication Historical Lute Construction by Robert Lundberg.
This lute comes with 15 ribs of either Yew or Maple. Italian or German spruce soundboard, Ebony or Fruitwood veneered neck and fingerboard . Plum bridge and pegs. String length. 590mm.
Price
US$4,000.00 - 7 Course
Click on price to convert to your own currency.
11 COURSE Baroque LUTES
This Lute comes with a treble rider, Italian or German Spruce, 11 ribs
of Yew, Maple or various Rosewoods. Tuned in F. String length: 70 cm. This
lute is in the collection of the Warwick County Museum in England. - photos
forthcoming.
Price US$5,000.00
Click on price to convert to your own currency.
This lute comes with Italian or German Spruce top, 11 ribs of Maple or various Rosewoods, string length from 700mm to 720mm, Plum wood pegs and bridge and neck and fingerboard are veneered with Ebony. The finish options are either hand-made varnish or French polish.
Price: US$5,000.00
Click on price to covnert to your own currency.
13 COURSE BAROQUE LUTES
J.C. Hoffman
13 Bass Rider/Swan Neck
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This lute comes with Italian or German Spruce top, 11 ribs of Maple or various Rosewoods, string length from 700mm to 720mm, Plum wood pegs and bridge and neck and fingerboard are veneered with Ebony. The finish options are either hand-made varnish or French polish.
Price: US$5,000.00 – 11 course
Price: US$5,500.00 – Bass rider
Price: US$6,000.00 – Swan neck
Price: US$6,000.00 – Jauch triple extension
Click on price to convert to your own currency.
Leopold Widhlam
with a Brunner Extension
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This is a lute I recently made for Sterling Price based on Sterling's vision.
Sterling originally wanted an all red extension; we compromised and I gave
him the back red and the front black. A unique and beautiful lute to match
Sterling's playing.
Leopold Widhlam
13 Course Bass Rider/Swan Neck/Jauck Triple Head
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Leopold Widhlam (Nuremberg MI 903). This lute is my personal favorite. I’ve always been drawn to the shape and depth of Schelle’s lutes. Leopold Widhlam married Schelle’s daughter and inherited the business, and more than likely, the moulds to make the lutes with.
In a recent correspondence with Klaus Martius (curator at the GNM), he told me the Widhlam actually turns out to be another Schelle. The shape is basically the same as the Sebastian Schelle (Nuremberg MI 46).
The original has 11 ribs of Rosewood with a pierced inlaid panel on the back of the double extensions, inlaid fingerboard, lime wood inset rosette, swan neck extension, and string length of 740mm. This lute is perfect for playing Bach and Weiss. Click here to download the complete sonatas of Weiss.
I offer this lute with your choice of various Rosewoods, Ebony, Flamed or Birdseye Maple. Also, alternating Maple and Rosewood ribs in the tradition of another Schelle in the collection at Yale. Italian or German Spruce top. Ebony veneered neck and fingerboard. I will build this lute with either a bass rider, swan neck (original), or Jauch triple extension. String lengths are 720mm to 740mm.
Price: US$7,500.00 – Bass rider
Price: US$7,500.00 – Swan neck
Price: US$7,500.00 – Jauch triple extension
Click on price to convert to your own currency.
obert Barto graduated from the University of California, San Diego, having specialised in historical lute performance. A Fulbright scholarship brought him to Europe, where he continued his studies with Michael Schaeffer in Cologne and Eugen Dombois in Basle. In 1984, he was awarded first prize at the International Lute Competition
in Toronto, as well as top prize in a competition of all the instrumental
soloists at the Musica Antiqua Competition in Bruges, Belgium. Robert Barto has performed throughout Europe
and North America, including solo recitals in the Festival of Flanders, London's
Purcell Room, the Utrecht Festival and the "Music Before 1800" event in New York
City. In 2000 he gave solo performances at the Lufthansa Baroque Festival in
London, Bavarian Radio's Bach Night in Munich and presented a special tribute to
Silvius Leopold Weiss for the city of Dresden. Robert Barto's five volumes of baroque lute sonatas by Silvius Leopold Weiss and 2 CDs of the complete solo works of Joachim Bernhard Hagen have met with great enthusiasm from critics and the public alike .http://www.polyhymnion.org/barto/opus.html
ecognized in the music world
as one of today's best lutenists, Michel Cardin has developed a multiple career as a teacher, a performer,
a musicologist and a producer. He is currently full professor at the Department
of Music of the University of Moncton
(Canada ), with a PhD equivalence
status, and has made twelve compact discs of solo Baroque lute music. This
series of recordings, consisting for the most part of world premieres, is
dedicated to Silvius Leopold Weiss (1687-1750), the
undisputed master of the instrument. The enormous enthusiasm for these
recordings, shared by critics and the general public alike provides unambiguous
justification for the re-discovery of such a great composer. The complete
twelve-volume recording of the London Manuscript is now done. http://www.umoncton.ca/facarts/musique/cardin/
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Copy of an original lute in the collection of Yale Museum of Musical Instruments # 4565.60 This is such an important lute that I'm surprised to have not seen coies of this before now. In August of 2003, I was kindly given permission to be the first to draw and examine this very important lute. In 1987, Andy Rutherford made plans of the triple extension only. In August, I drew the entire instrument. The Jauch represents the pinnacle of Baroque lutes. In recent correspondence with Klaus Martius, he states that there is evidence that the swan necks were replaced with the Jauch triple-head peg box’s. This seems to indicate that in the evolution from the 11 course to the bass rider to the swan neck, the Jauch was the final innovation to the Baroque lute in Germany.
The Jauch has the best of both worlds. The second peg box is slightly longer than a bass rider and the last peg box is the same as a swan neck, imparting a very consistent transition down the bass courses. Robert Barto, who plays an instrument incorporating the triple head design made by Andy Rutherford, has made the Jauch famous again.
I must also add, while examing the top of the Jauch, I noticed that the soundboard had not only the traditional dish curve but also a pronounced arch across the grain. This was, most definitely, a design of Jauch as the ribs and bridge were designed to accept this arch, imparting additional strength to the soundboard. A feature that until now, was unknown.
Given the information by Kluas Martius, this soundboard arching could also be one of the last innovations to the Baroque lute by Jauch to strengthen an otherwise overburdened soundboard.
Originally 37 ribs of Yew wood with dark spacers, triple head peg box with a gold gilded angel’s head. The Jauch is a conversion of an Italian lute to a 13 course German Baroque instrument.
Thanks to David Van Edwards for giving me his worksheet and invaluable counsel and encouragement to pursue copying the Jauch as well as his ocean of advice in the art of lute making!
I offer this lute with 37 ribs of Yew or Rosewood, Italian or German Spruce top. My version is a bit cleaned up from the original as the original has been altered and I prefer to construct it in its original form prior to this alternation. Original string length is 701mm and I offer this from 701mm to 730mm. Comes with Plum wood pegs and bridge. The angel’s head is offered at an additional price. The finish is a hand-made varnish or a French polish.
Price: US$7,500.00
Click on price to convert to your own currency.
The above Jauch reproduction is currently under conststruction and will be offered for sale in the Spring '04. Call or e-mail for details.
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CONTINUO/THEORBOS
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This is a large, German, Baroque Theorbo. String length is 865mm (diapasons: 1610mm). Stringing is 1x1, 6x2/ 7x1. Offered in either single or double courses for the 1st 7 courses. This lute can be tuned in either G or D minor tuning, which, is assumed, was the original tuning.The original had birds-eye Maple ribs. I offer this with Maple or various Rosewoods, Ebony veneered lower and upper necks, Plum wood pegs and bridge and exquisite Limewood inset rosette seemingly a distinctive feature on both Schelle and Widlham lutes.
Price: US$7,000.00
Click on price to convert to your own currency.
STUDENT LUTES MADE BY
KEN BRODKEY
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I was so impressed by Ken's work, that I couldn't help but want to share and recommend his lutes to other lute players/enthusiasts. These are student lutes; however, built by a master lute maker. Presently, Ken's website is under construction, but you can reach him by e-mail at: KBrodkey@pacbell.net. Below are more samples of his work and a little bit about Ken.
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As a young lute student at Cal State Northridge, in Southern California,
Ken built his first lute from a lute kit in 1976. It was a fun project
that inspired him to get serious about building and he sought out an apprenticeship
the following year. He spent over two years working with Lyn Elder in Marin
County, California and subsequently set up his own shop in Santa Cruz,
California in 1980.
Renaissance lutes from 6 to 10 courses start at $2,000.
For more information please call or
write.
Contact Information: email - kbrodkey@pacbell.net
Phone - (831) 761-0318
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