There are emergencies and then there are necessities. My "flat back" was designed too with too long a VL for a G tuning of the chanterelle, a fact that the kit maker has corrected in his new version (due to my input). You all know that gut has a lower breaking pitch (given length) than the synthetics, but there is also a small difference with the Nylgut, the nylon and the fishing line - and in that order. I can tune to F with Nylgut, and F# with musical nylon - but I can hold G with fishing line. Among those latter three it is just a small difference in the tensile strength/density combination.
Not the best solution, the better would be to have an instrument of the right length for the desired tuning (and I'm building that now). Best, Jon To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
