There is a very decided break between the pre-Segovia and post-Segovia guitar. After, most guitars were built to a very Spanish, post-Torres tradition. That involved European spruce (Picea abies) and, later, western red cedar (Thuja plicata) and, later still, Engelmann spruce (P. engelmannii). There are modern classical guitar builders out there to have used red spruce (P. rubens), but not on anything like a mass-production scale any more, and I'm not certain I've ever handled one. My own wedding-gig workhorse guitar is topped in Engelmann spruce.
However, from the pre-Segovia "classical" tradition, original 19th-c. C.F. Martin & Co. guitars were built for a romantic-era repertoire and gut strings, and many used red/Adirondack spruce as did several other American makes. I like them, and they aren't that uncommon. You should check one out if you find the opportunity, and especially if you find one with an owner who keeps it in gut and silver-wound silk. Best, Eugene > -----Original Message----- > From: Edward Martin [mailto:e...@gamutstrings.com] > Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 11:26 AM > To: Eugene C. Braig IV; ' Mathias Rösel '; 'Edward Martin' > Cc: 'Lutelist' > Subject: RE: [LUTE] Re: : Cost of a lute? > > Out of curiosity, how does Adirondack (picea > rubens) stack up for nylon strung guitars? > > ed > > At 09:03 AM 10/2/2009, Eugene C. Braig IV wrote: > >As I suspect you know, Mathias (and Ed), red spruce (Picea rubens) has > been > >a prized tonewood in the American guitar and mandolin industry from the > 19th > >c. on. > > > >Getting a little discussion at the vihuela list is my newly rebuilt > vihuela, > >now topped in Lutz spruce (Picea x lutzii), which actually is a hybrid > >between sitka (P. sitchensis) and white (P. glauca) spruces. I am quite > >pleased with the result. > > > >More popular North American spruces as tonewoods have been sitka on > >metal-strung instruments and Engelmann (P. engelmannii) on gut-/nylon- > strung > >ones. > > > >Best, > >Eugene > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On > > > Behalf Of "Mathias Rösel" > > > Sent: Friday, October 02, 2009 5:29 AM > > > To: Edward Martin > > > Cc: Lutelist > > > Subject: [LUTE] Re: : Cost of a lute? > > > > > > "Edward Martin" <e...@gamutstrings.com> schrieb: > > > > Yes, good wood is not cheap. You mentioned > > > > spruce... I received my 11-course lute a week > > > > ago! It had an accident, and the belly had been > > > > destroyed. So, Dan Larson put a new top on it. > > > > It is spruce from New England, known as > > > > Adirondack spruce, or red spruce, or Appalacian > > > > spruce. I have never heard of Adirondack used on a lute, prior to > this > > > one. > > > > The results are beautiful! The treble is incredibly clear, singing. > > > > > > Yes, I read the thread with great interest. Also, > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picea_rubens and > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tonewood#Topwoods_.28soundboard.29 have > it > > > that picea rubens is an excellent tonewood for soundboards. European > > > luthiers don't use it as far as I'm aware, and I won't make it over > the > > > pond,unfortunately, in the near future so as to listen to your > playing. > > > > > > Mathias > > > > > > > At 07:45 PM 10/1/2009, Mathias Rösel wrote: > > > > >Yew for bowls e. g. is quite expensive in Old Europe as it was > almost > > > > >extinguished when yew was required for military bows. Good spruce > is > > > > >rare and not exactly cheap. Ebony for necks and fretboards still is > > > > >exotic woods, rare and expensive, if I'm not mistaken. So, a good > HIP > > > > >lute cannot be cheap. But lutes still are cheap, compared to celli. > > > > > > > > > >My farthing FWIW > > > > > > > > > >Mathias > > > > > > > > > >"Jaros³aw Lipski" <jaroslawlip...@wp.pl> schrieb: > > > > > > Well, it may be possible that some people > > > > > will buy such a lute, but we have > > > > > > to ask what is the reason for doing so. The > > > > > lute is not only a device. I can > > > > > > only quote Ernst Gottlieb Baron (1727) who says in his "Study of > the > > > lute": > > > > > > "I once saw at Herr Hoffman's in Leipzig an old lute of solid > > > copper, > > > > > > heavily gilded on the back with many figures > > > > > etched upon it, and the top was > > > > > > of black ebony. But when I examined the tone, I found that this > > > instrument > > > > > > sounded more like an old pot than a true lute. Whoever wishes to > > > have a > > > > > > good-sounding instrument will choose good and appropriate wood." > > > > > > > > > > > > Best > > > > > > > > > > > > Jaroslaw Lipski > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > > > > > From: "Mustafa Umut Sarac" <mustafaumutsa...@gmail.com> > > > > > > To: "howard posner" <howardpos...@ca.rr.com> > > > > > > Cc: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > > > > > > Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 11:24 PM > > > > > > Subject: [LUTE] Re: : Cost of a lute? > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > There are some people wastes 50 years to create their art > > > designs > > > > > > > cheapest , no need to cnc lathes and enviromentally > friendly. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I gave my 25 years to studying this kind of stuff. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > If you look to Luigi Colani , he creates whatever he wants > with > > > hot > > > > > > > wire cut foam. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I think this is the cheapest , fastest , less complex , and > > > using least > > > > > > > electric technology. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > And no noise for home studios in the apartments > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Only you have to do is to create a moving hot wire inside > foam. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Than you fill the cut foam with polyester slowly , and seal > the > > > foam. > > > > > > > There would be no nasty fume. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You can fill the very thin foam cut with a syringe very > slowly. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I asked to produce a guitar with rapid production , rapid > > > prototyping > > > > > > > methods and it costs 3000 dollars without a neck . This is > not > > > > > > > intelligent. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Hot wire FOAM CUT is the best > > > > > > > > > > > > > > How you will produce the back , one by one and assembling > the > > > foams > > > > > > > together precisely and fill with epoxy. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I am seriously thinking to produce Lutes with this > technology. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > You can produce carbon composites with adding graphite > carbon > > > powder in > > > > > > > to the polymer ! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > It is like using saw and a wood. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Best , > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Mustafa Umut Sarac > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Istanbul > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >To get on or off this list see list information at > > > > >http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > > > > >No virus found in this incoming message. > > > > >Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > > > > >Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.14.2/2408 > > > > >- Release Date: 10/01/09 18:23:00 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Edward Martin > > > > 2817 East 2nd Street > > > > Duluth, Minnesota 55812 > > > > e-mail: e...@gamutstrings.com > > > > voice: (218) 728-1202 > > > > http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660298871&ref=name > > > > http://www.myspace.com/edslute > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > -- > > > Viele Grüße > > > > > > Mathias Rösel > > > > > > http://mathiasroesel.livejournal.com > > > http://www.myspace.com/mathiasroesel > > > > > > > >No virus found in this incoming message. > >Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > >Version: 8.5.409 / Virus Database: 270.14.2/2408 > >- Release Date: 10/01/09 18:23:00 > > > > Edward Martin > 2817 East 2nd Street > Duluth, Minnesota 55812 > e-mail: e...@gamutstrings.com > voice: (218) 728-1202 > http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1660298871&ref=name > http://www.myspace.com/edslute
