Chris,
Without saying anything about this instrument itself, let me say that the
builder's situation is not that all unusual.
It goes like this: I build instruments. I have my own ideas about what I
want to build and how I want to build it.
The client says "Oh I love that instrument, but could you make one just
like it but with certain design changes which are important to me as a
performer."
I defer to the client as a performer and build the instrument his way, but
I don't want to be in the position of defending his design choices and having
them identified as my design choices, which would put me in the position of
being in disagreement with myself.
This is even less pleasant when the instrument turns out as you predicted
it would, but the client is less than happy for exactly the same reasons that
you advised against his design choices in the first place.
That said, this instrument is almost certainly of an equivalent quality
with the builder's other instruments, so the question becomes, do you want an
instrument by this builder, made with these design parameters?
Craig
Craig R. Pierpont
Another Era Lutherie
www.anotherera.com
Christopher Witmer <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I never expected a luthier to speak derisively of his own instrument,
but I had just such an experience today and I wonder what others make of
it.
I have been considering the purchase, sight-unseen, of a used (almost
new) vihuela. When I contacted the builder to ask him about it, he said,
"I can't recommend that instrument. It sounds more like a guitar than a
vihuela. Normally I would never want to make a vihuela with such a
large, deep body. When I built that instrument, I was not following my
own design principles, which always aim for the best possible sound.
Instead, I followed the customer's request to build an instrument with a
particular look. A complete novice, he wanted a vihuela that looked
exactly like the vihuela used by a certain famous lutenist, and he
didn't care if the result was a sound that was not quite right for the
genre."
By the way, the builder is not trying to sell me a different instrument.
He's just saying, "Don't buy the vihuela I built that has a guitar-like
sound."
If you don't mind, please take a look at the pics. I'd like to hear
people's opinions about this.
http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/5908/mimi2006jp2000img600x450115251.jpg
http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/5908/mimi2006jp2000img600x450115251.jpg
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/5908/mimi2006jp2000img600x450115251.jpg
I have seen vihuela kits that sold for more than the cost of this
lightly used finished instrument and case. So the price is attractive.
But a "guitar-like sound?"
By the way, the open string length is 60cm.
One thing that did occur to me -- if it really does sound like a guitar,
perhaps a guitarist might be interested in turning it into a guitar! How
difficult could that be?
Another thing which occured to me is, perhaps the builder simply has a
narrowly preconceived notion of what a vihuela is supposed to sound
like, and perhaps the sound of this instrument is sufficiently within
the range of "vihuela" after all. However, I am inclined to suspect that
is probably not the case. A person who can build an instrument with this
sort of finish should be able to make a rational judgment about the
sound. I have heard of people over-estimating the sound quality of their
products, but I think the opposite is rather rare.
Anyway, I would be very grateful for any thoughts on this.
Thanks!
Chris Witmer
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