Re: Guitar strings on a lute.

[James A Stimson]

Dear Herbert:
 "Proper diameters" and "more limp" are two sides of the same coin. Guitars
are strung at about 5 kilos of string tension, lutes closer to 3 kilos.
Also, tenor lutes are tuned in G, guitars in E, although their string
lengths are similar. The result is that lute strings must be much thinner.
 Good lutes are very lightly constructed, with tops about half the
thickness of guitars, and so cannot tolerate the tension of the average
guitar.
 This seems utterly obvious. Am I missing something here? Maybe some of the
smart guys on the list can help us out here.
Yours,
Jim



                                                                                       
                                          
                      Herbert Ward                                                     
                                          
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                                               Subject:  Guitar strings on a lute.     
                                          
                      11/26/2003 03:44                                                 
                                          
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Why can't one use guitar strings on a lute?  Is it merely that they are
not available in the proper diameters?  Or do lutes need strings which
are, say, more limp?