If anyone is interested I've just uploade the best scans I can do of rather badly printed not very special photos of the two paper templates to:-
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/tony.c/fretful/Strad389.JPG and http://perso.wanadoo.fr/tony.c/fretful/Strad390.JPG For info - 389 - length 488 mm, width at widest point 288 mm., fingerboard 311x114x90 (mm) Writing = "Musure per il manico del liuto al francesa vera de dudece ordine doppio" 390 - length 487 by 280, neckblock 52 by 105, soundhole diameter 63. Writing = "Forma per far il liuto alla Francese e il corpo dai alto due onze e mezza per la formatura delle corde dai de dudice ordine doppio e da li setti basse con li ottave e ancora se fano de dudice ordine de Corde" and "Scandello quando dai de 12 ordini le corde" ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron Fletcher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "lute@cs.dartmouth.edu" <Lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Friday, May 27, 2005 8:05 PM Subject: RE: symm/asymm & perfect/imperfect > Hi Michael, > > Going back to your initial posting about lute symmetry. In the > Stradivari workshop on your recent trip to Italy, you saw a paper > template for a lute body, folded along the centre-line. > > I conjectured that such a template would indicate that the Strad's > lute-bodies were not made over a mold. The template would be used to > show whether the inner-profile of the lute body is symmetrical. That > every rib has the same curve and distance from the centre-line. > > Did Stradivari use a mold? > Were all his lutes symmetrical (equal depth and width from centre-line)? > > Surely these points still need to be clarified? The thread seems to > have gone off on a tangent into symmetry found in nature and quantum > physics...completely off-topic! > > But then again, no-one's perfect! > > Best Wishes > > Ron (UK) > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Michael Thames [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 27 May 2005 15:23 > To: Jon Murphy; guy_and_liz Smith; LUTELIST; Manolo Laguillo > Subject: Re: symm/asymm & perfect/imperfect > > A friend of mine who works at Sandia Labs tried to explain Quantum > Physics > to me over a couple bottles of wine one evening, unfortunately if I > can't > apply it in my daily life, it goes in one ear, and out the other. > Concerning perfection, I guess it's a state of mind, as Dr. Emoto > has > documented, ones thoughts can have an influence on ones environment. > Although, the Ancients have know this for eons. > One can perceive a lute as symmetrical, however, after a couple > bottles > of wine, or beer in Jon's case, it begins to take on a non symmetrical > shape, along with everything else. The exception to this rule, is found > in > historical lutes, which appear non symmetrical, prior to the > consumption of > your favorite intoxicant, then afterwards actually appears perfectly > symmetrical. > > Concerning the lute I was speaking more about the physical shape of > the > belly, and not the actual sound it makes. > You can apply the concept of imperfection ( Wabe Sabe) to many > things, > but not the conception of musical instruments. The concept is always > perfect, but man's execution of it is imperfect. > Sometimes I think lutes, guitars are like people. The really good > looking ones (people) are rather shallow sounding, and the not so > perfect > ones, are more interesting to listen to. > This is my second, naturally occurring law as applied to musical > instruments. The first being the rule of relative perception. > Michael Thames > www.ThamesClassicalGuitars.com > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jon Murphy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "guy_and_liz Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; "LUTELIST" > <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>; "Manolo Laguillo" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; > "Michael Thames" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 4:13 PM > Subject: Re: symm/asymm & perfect/imperfect > > > > Michael, > > > > I thought I'd covered my views on this topic, but I have to add my > comment. > > > > > Is it wrong for humans to try to achieve perfect symmetry? It > seems > > nature is trying. > > > > Nature is trying, very trying (I hope you know that English trope). > Can we > > know perfection? No. Can we aspire to it? Yes. Perfection is a goal, > even > in > > nature. Einstein rejected Bohr's thoughts on Quanta, saying God > doesn't > play > > dice. (the quote may be aprochryphal). Bringing it back to the lute, > your > > ear is the best tuning device. Even the paired courses have a diffence > in > > tonality. Nothing is perfect, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't > aspire to > > perfection. > > > > Best, Jon > > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > >
