If I may jump in here my experience must be the same as Vance. I've played lutes and vihuelas for over 30 years, not one of them ever had a doubled first. In 2002 I got an exceptional vihuela from Sandi Harris & Stephen Barber, set up to accommodate either doubled or single first. For me, after all those years of single, high tension firsts (high relative to the doubled courses) the double first was a total kick in the head- the level of sensitivity & relaxation in the distal joints acceptable for the other courses was no where near precise enough for clean, reliable play on that double first. It's a very hard stringing to finesse- simply doubling a "normal" first course results in too high tension for a pair, and too thin just sounds bad and is hard to control. Synthetics really show their harshness- what works best for me now is a pair of .42 mm "Universale" ram gut. Still a touch high in tension, but the vihuela likes slightly higher tension generally. (645mm, a-409).
It was like starting all over again; thumb in or out didn't matter. But this time (about three or four months now) I've stuck with it, and it's staying double- and my touch every where else is vastly improved. I recommend the doubled first on at least one instrument if possible just for the right hand touch alone. On the vihuela, it brings the first course into the "family" of the other courses, it's no longer a prima donna. I see I'm pulling the thread a bit OT with the 1st course business, but it sure made me reexamine and work on that first joint sensitivity. >How so, Vance? I have a double first course lute too, and don't see >the connection. What's different in first and second or third >courses? > >David > >>I will offer my opinion on the right hand. I play a Lute with a >>doubled first course. Having the ability to collapse the first >>joint of the digits on the right hand is crucial in getting a >>proper sound out of the instrument strung in this manner. >> >>VW -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
