Wayne, > I have found that using the lightest classical guitar strings > (medium??) and tuning a pitch low gives a lower tension > to the strings. The guitar won't sound as good as a lute, > and it won't sound as good as a regularly strung classical > guitar, but it will hael you work on lute rh technique.
After spending a bit of time with the lute I found my guitar to be to "hard" an action. But instead of changing the strings and tuning I took down the nut grooves and the bridge a bit to lower the strings over the fingerboard. That reduces the maximum volume you can play without "buzzing" as you can't strike too hard, but I play quietly anyway. I'd not suggest it if you don't have a lot of patience as it is a gradual trial and "no error" process. Best, Jon To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html