Kenneth, I think your lute makers are right, the small bars are not enough to make a difference in the overall resonation. A small vignette, on the harp list we have seen beginners who (without benefit of instruction, or even a picture) play the harp backwards, as they want to aim the "sound holes" to the audience. There are no sound holes on harps, there are holes in the back to allow access to change the strings if they break. As all the bridged instruments have sound holes, be they "f"s or rosettes, I think that they may be necessary, but the slight stiffening of the board around the rosette shouldn't have any noticable effect. On my psaltery, my mountain dulcimer, and my bowed psaltery I cut the fancy hole directly into the soundboard with no rosette, on the "lute" kit I had precut round holes and made rosettes to fit with a small circular backing. No way it stiffens the sound board.
Best, Jon ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 10:28 PM Subject: Re: # 2 lute question > In a message dated 12/9/03 8:56:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > "How > > does the carved rosette affect the tone"? > > Several lute makers have mentioned to me that it does not affect the tone. > Certainly, I have not noticed the difference between baroque guitars with and > without ornamental roses, for example. > > However, I would suspect that there IS a slight difference, even an > improvement, in tone with a carved rosette since it requires some small bars to be > glued underneath the super thin rosette part of the lute's soundboard which must > affect the sound. > > Kenneth > > -- > >
