Official Luthiers Forum!

I thought some of you might be interested to hear some music. I recorded these pieces on my 10-course Venere lute that I posted last year. My wife and I have been in the studio recently recording for a possible CD and I thought I'd throw in a couple of lute pieces. I don't have a web site to store them on so Joshua has kindly put them on his server. The first piece is a courante by Ballard the second piece is a standard lute piece by Collard.

I hope you like them, we don't have enough music on the forum considering it's about musical instruments.

Warning for those on dial-up, They may be long downloads.

Ballard

Collard

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Colin

Beautiful as usual, you are definately converting me to the sound of the Lute.

Thanks Colin, first time i hear a lute, and it sounds really nice, somewhere between guitar and mandolin!

Serge

Colin,

Gorgeous sound and playing. Looking forward to the CD. You obviously have to be an 'ard to write good lute music

You Russell and I must meet up some time soon for some serious playing time (as well as for talking guitarmaking)!

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Dave White
De Faoite Stringed Instruments
". . . the one thing a machine just can't do is give you character and personalities and sometimes that comes with flaws, but it always comes with humanity" Monty Don talking about hand weaving, "Mastercrafts", Weaving, BBC March 2010

Dave

I'm quite happy to host ! Although my playing is not in the league of you two guys, and thats putting it mildly

Beautiful music and performance Colin! It's so nice to hear good music.
Would you mind posting pics of the instrument, or a link to the thread, I
couldn't find anything in the archives.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Laurent, its here.

Colin

lute

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Beautiful Colin! Just what I needed today.

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Joe Breault
Merrimack, NH
Perpetual novice

That was pleasant. Very romantic sounding. Would have fit nicely on the movie Pride and Prejudice. Way to go Colin!

Maestro Symonds, encore, encore! The second Collard song got me on my feet and dancing! Very lively and well executed. Did you build this one? Pic? Thanks for sharing.Dickey38741.4611458333

Wow, it's beautiful. That lute is pure love in wood.

Bruce my see post above for link. Thanks for the compliment. Most secular music of this time was for dancing, so I'm glad you did.

We need, more music!

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=Colin S] Laurent, its here.
Colin[/QUOTE]

Beautiful.

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Laurent Brondel
West Paris, Maine - USA
http://www.laurentbrondel.com/

Psssst, Colin. Someone tied strings all up the fretboard. It'd be fun to sit down with this instrument.

Colin, until we "hear" our work, we've only half enjoyed it. Thanks for posting these clips. Drink Ale!

Very Nice Colin. I especially liked number 2. What I'd really like is to hear you crank up one of those mahogany box's and play us some of your delta blues though. I can host it if you'd like.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

[QUOTE=Dickey] Psssst, Colin. Someone tied strings all up the fretboard. It'd be fun to sit down with this instrument.[/QUOTE]

I'm afraid it was me Bruce, what else can you put the frets on after you've strung it up! Re-frets are a doddle, and I can change the temper simply by moving the frets, oh and use different diameter frets to adjust the action.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

[QUOTE=Dickey]   Drink Ale![/QUOTE]

Wassail!

John, there will be some blues on the CD including a bit of botleneck.

ColinColin S38741.5270833333

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Cool, I can't wait.

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Tickle your guitar daily, and it'll tickle you back.

Thanks, Colin. You're right, for those of us w/ dial-up it is a slow go. But quite worth it! That's the sort of thing that renews one's passion for building.

About those frets--what do you use, and what sort of knot are you tying when you install?

Thanks again,

Steve

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From Nacogdoches...the oldest town in Texas.

http://www.stephenkinnaird.com

Colin,

Your music hit me in the "gut" and "bowled" me over! I could easily stand ten "courses" of your playing. It certainly helped "stave" off winter malaise!

Seriously, though, well done!

That is just Great Colin. I had no idea of the extent of your talent.   

Thanks everyone for their kind comments, It's a very satisfying instrument to play. Joshua has a theory that the complexity of the sound is a result of using European spruce on a very lightly built instrument. The ladder braced top, although having 19 strings pulling on it, is very light with a maximum thickness of 2mm, and the back relies on it's shape for strength and has no braces at all and the bridge weighs next to nothing. So all in all the body is of very light construction. The neck has a simple angled butt joint, glued and dowelled to the neck block. I think we have a lot to learn from these early instruments about paring away weight, start shaving those braces!

Steve, the frets are gut ranging from .6mm at the nut end to 1mm thick at the body, they are tied on with a "Fret Knot", basically a slip knot which is then overknotted and the ends clipped and singed. The edges of the fretboard are rounded so that the gut fits tight to the board. They can be moved to change the temper of the instument.

Now, lets hear some more music, it is a forum about musical instruments! If you can't hear them they serve no purpose.

Colin

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I don't believe in anything, I simply make use of a set of reasonable working hypotheses.

Thank you Colin and i agree with that last stataememnt, the members here are already very generous of every information and pictures(vital ).videos or even their time! i'm sure it wouln't be a bother for those who can share all this to also share a glimpse of their talent huh? huh? Come on folks! Let's hear it! TIA

SergeSerge Poirier38742.2831944444

Absolutely beautiful Colin. Wish I could play 6 strings that well.

Ron

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OLD MAN formerly (and formally) known as:

Ron Wisdom

Somewhere in the middle of Arkansas......