Dear Jason, Just an information: The wood of the body doesn't play the same role for sound coloring and quality as on a guitar. It just needs to be "something" hard to project well. Ivory lutes project very well (reportedly) but don't use wood at all. The form and number of ribs also play an important role. The wood of the body is not sooo important (as for example for the classical guitar). The tone quality on a lute mainly depends on the quality of the top and the barring.
Best wishes Thomas Am Sonntag, 27. März 2005 08:44 schrieb Jason Yoshida: > I have a ten -course made by Luciano Faria last year. I am very happy with > it. > The back is made of really nice Brazilian rosewood. I believe this gives it > a very strong sound, rich in overtones and with a wide dynamic range. This > also makes it a very fun instrument to play. I would say it is the most > extrovert of my lutes. Interestingly the instrument had this quality from > the first chord I played on it after having just opened the shipping box. > As a side note, I do instrument photography for some of the guitar dealers > here > in LA, and having been able to come in contact with at least a couple > hundred instruments I have found these characteristics a common trait (in > general) with well built guitars with good rosewood. These are just my > opinions and taste however. I do not always choose rosewood for my > instruments, other woods have just as many positive traits not to mention > the historical considerations. > The case the 10 course came with was also very well built. Not flimsy at > all. > Luciano has been extremely good to work with and is very fair. > I have 2 additional instruments on order from him. > Not too long ago I took some pictures of it and can send anyone interested > a link to a page where I have them uploaded. > Regards, > Jason > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Dr. Marion Ceruti" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "EUGENE BRAIG IV" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Cc: "Greg Silverman" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "Lute net" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > Sent: Saturday, March 26, 2005 9:08 PM > Subject: Re: Luciano Faria (was newbie questions) > > > Dear Eugene, > > > > Thank you for your very informative and factual answer. You always have > > such good ideas! It should be pointed out that even when a lute-like > > instrument has all the same kind of wood in the back, it can still show > > some > > > separation of the seams. > > > > Best regards, > > Marion > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: EUGENE BRAIG IV <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Sent: Mar 26, 2005 8:03 AM > > To: "Dr. Marion Ceruti" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Cc: Greg Silverman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Lute net <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > > Subject: Re: Luciano Faria (was newbie questions) > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Dr. Marion Ceruti" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Date: Saturday, March 26, 2005 2:37 am > > Subject: Re: Luciano Faria (was newbie questions) > > > > > Greg and Eugene, > > > > > > I have a good mind to join you, except that it will probably be > > > toward the end of the year before I order my theorbo from Mr. Faria. > > > I still have to decide what kind of woods to order. It is not so easy > > > because so many alternatives are available. I am thinking of > > > alternating ribs of rosewood and maple. Do you have any > > > experience with a design like this? What are its strengths > > > and weaknesses? > > > > I have great experience with a design like this (see images of my > > mandolino at Luciano's site). I also own a ca. 1835 French-made > Neapolitan-type mandolin that is so backed. I am of the mind that the bowl > of a bowl-backed instrument has vey little to do with tone. This has > received only some preliminary study that, as far as I know, hasn't been > published yet. Drs. Cohen and Rossing have published one article on the > modes of vibration in archtop mandolin plates. They began work on > bowlbacks, analyzing my 1908 Martin, an early 20th-c. Calace, and, I > believe I've heard, a third now, although details of the third escape my > memory. The bowl does not demonstrate coupled modes of vibration like the > back of an arched or flat instrument and doesn't vibrate much at all other > than at very high frequency. Acoustically, I doubt there is any weakness > associated with such construction. They will absorb moisture and > shrink/swell at slightly different rates, but I'm not sure what tho > > > se rates are (I'm sure the info is available with a little research); I > > don't think it differs enough to be structurally damning (my ca. 1835 > mandolin has had only trivial issues with seam separation). Strengths? I > think it's beautiful to see. > > > Best, > > Eugene > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- Thomas Schall Niederhofheimer Weg 3 D-65843 Sulzbach 06196/74519 [EMAIL PROTECTED]
