Renaissance Laute nach Hans Frei um 1530, Ansicht der Muschel Renaissance Laute nach Hans Frei um 1530, Rosette Renaissance Laute nach Hans Frei um 1530, Stegdetail Renaissance Laute nach Hans Frei um 1530, Wirbelkasten

Hans Frei, about 1530 -- 6- or 7-course lute
original Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna C 34

This instrument by Hans Frei is now shown in Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum. Its original date of construction must be about 1530. But it has been altered later, altered to an eleven course baroque lute. As you will see I offer this model in the actual version too. You will find this among the baroque lutes.

This lute will have the following features:

  • Mould with 11 ribs made out of curly maple or ash and spacers of black stained maple
    • Renaissance Laute nach Hans Frei um 1530, Steg
  • Soundboard made out of fine european spruce, epicea, having the original design for the rose, inlay around the edge to give a good protection
  • The neck is made oud of lime or poplar wood which is then veneered with ebony or other wood on request
  • The shape of the neck is different between the 6- and 7-course model:
    • the 6-course model will have thick round neck as it can be found at early lutes
    • the 7-course model will have the normal flat-round neck
  • The fingerboard is made out of ebony or plum wood with rosewood boarderGriffbrett aus Ebenholz oder Pflaume
  • The standart string length is 62 cm, but it is possible to reduce this on request to 61 or 60 cm
  • The pegbox is made out of beech and veneered with ebony or plum wood
  • For the pegs I use plum wood, a very good wood for this purpose or boxwood
  • The mould is varnished with french polishing the stringing may be gut
Renaissance Laute nach Hans Frei um 1530, Decke aus alter Fichte

According to the early date of this instrument Instruments with old spruce for the top For two models of my renaissance lutes I can offer to use very old spruce for the top. I found this material some time ago while buying some wood for the sides of an old door. This wood is probably 200 - 250 years old. You can see such a top on the picture on the left. It has been used for beams. This wood is not as wide as it should be and therefore top will be glued together with more pieces than usual. But this does not disturb the sound production. The sound goes to the sound of original old instruments do have, that I were able to hear. They do have a very deep and heavy but not dull sound. It is quite different to modern instruments.