I have worked with many musicians, and I can tell in a few moments if their instrument will record well or not, and they usually are interested, but unable to change it. By the time the recording rolls around, it is too late. And the sad thing is, that after awhile we imagine the sound to be different than it is, and the recorded sound seems different.
On the other hand, if you like the lute, and are totally happy with it, then all is well. Funny how so many professionals change their lutes so often (there are some notable exceptions) I wonder how much of that is a recent recording experience, and the lute is changed after the recording instead of before it. I mean, if the pros can't pick a winner, what chance do we have? And if advice were the important factor, who advised them? I think a lot of it is fashion, mystique and so on. Otherwise there would not be so many regional differences. To be fair, I was taught that we do not choose our instruments, but that they choose us. And I believe that is true :) dt At 12:02 PM 11/15/2009, you wrote: >Choosing a musical instrument seems to me to be a tricky thing. For >years I owned two cellos. After playing one for a few months I >would switch and really like the "new" one. A few months later and >I would rediscover the things I likes about the other one. In a >way, it was a remedy for any boredom that might be creeping into my >daily practice routine - a different sound and feel to the revisited >instrument. Ultimately I sold what I actually had concluded was the >'better' instrument - those I played with thought so and it did >project better than the other - simply because the top string was >brighter than I could quite get used to. So, yes, as David says, >it's how the instrument sounds under your own ear that ends up being >the most important issue. > >Now I'm finding a similar situation with two lutes. One is a more >expensive instrument than the other; finer craftsmanship and lighter >construction, and more responsive to the slightest changes in >touch. But the other has it's own good points that make it >enjoyable to play also. Perhaps as I progress in skill and >experience, the choice will become clearer. Right now i wouldn't >want to sell either one. > >Ned To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
