Could this have anything to do with it? >From Alexander Batov's webpage:
"According to the research carried out by Robert Lundberg on historical lute construction, a typical six-course lute of the late 16th century would have had its neck about one and a half Venetian inches wide at the nut (equivalent to c. 41 - 42mm). This corresponds rather well with a number of the earliest surviving Renaissance lutes and results in positioning the outer strings of the first and sixth courses on the nut at 36 - 38 mm apart." G. ----- Original Message ----- From: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 6:46 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: A different 6 course question > > In a message dated 2/20/2006 11:15:03 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, > [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > I've been away all weekend and have just caught up on the six course > discussion. Since we're on this topic I'd like to ask if anyone > prefers a six course with a wider neck. I have one of Dan Larson's > Ricercare six course lutes. It's a lovely instrument with good sound > and response. However I find that I often am hitting the strings in > the next course lower course when playing. I have thought it was > because the neck very narrow nearer the pegbox and of course I've > also thought it might simply be my playing technique. But I got to > comparing it to my guitars and wondering if perhaps the neck couldn't > be made a tad wider, say half an inch, to alleviate this problem. > Then I began to wonder if others ran across this problem and what you > did about it. So then, have any of you players wanted a wider necked > six course lute? Have any of your luthiers made a wider necked six > course lute? How did it work out? Did it accomplish what you (and I) > hoped it would? > > > -------------------- > > I have always found the narrower neck by the pegbox end to be an advantage > when playing six course repertoire. Often very difficult and complex > fingerings have to be managed, such as some of the fantasias of Bakfark, > and I find > it much easier on the six course lute because of both its narrower left > hand > spacing and also the rounded "half circle" cross section shape of the > neck. I > play with my thumb coming to a rest on the upper side of the neck > reverse. > > Of course, one can always determine the spacing on the left hand when the > lute is being made or, if possible, by changing the groove spacings on the > nut. > > Kenneth To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
