tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858989391440501233.post3047541668643081266..comments2024-03-12T03:20:43.369-07:00Comments on The Lute's Progress,: Building a 13 Course Lute, Start to Finish, 9: Fine-fitting the belly, Locating the BridgeTravishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18149684115949805572noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858989391440501233.post-79571017049911746042019-12-07T16:03:14.036-08:002019-12-07T16:03:14.036-08:00Hi James, thanks for your question. It looks to me...Hi James, thanks for your question. It looks to me (and to my informants) that the bridge was angled slightly to move the bass end of the bridge a bit away from the edge of the belly, probably for acoustic purposes, so that the bass sound wouldn't be restricted. You're right that you don't see this kind of angling on all lutes, and while there are no hard-and-fast rules about it, one tends to see it most on lutes with wide bridges (and lots of courses, like this one), and especially lutes with wide bridges and narrow bellies--Grant Tomlinson reminded me in particular of the C34 small Frei, in the Vienna KHM. That lute appears to have been made early in the 16th century as a 6 or 7 course, which was later converted to 10 and then 11 courses (apparently in the early 17th century.) The conversion involved putting a wide bridge on a narrow body, asymmetrically about the centreline of the belly (i.e., swung over to the bass side), which necessitated moving the bass end of the bridge northward.<br /><br />I determine the angle by looking at old lutes, and seeing what the old makers did. If I'm building something that's closely modelled on a particular lute, I might just go with what the original has. If I'm building something that draws inspiration from old lutes but isn't closely modelled on something in particular, I will consult more widely--among a group of like instruments--to find the angle I want for my bridge, and the amount I want the bridge "kicked" into the bass side. (I think I did something like that for my design of the theorbe de piece that I did a couple of years ago.)<br /><br />Hope this helps!<br /><br />Travishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18149684115949805572noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858989391440501233.post-11882002693119537922019-12-04T16:05:12.745-08:002019-12-04T16:05:12.745-08:00Hi Travis...Thanks for another intriguing and educ...Hi Travis...Thanks for another intriguing and educational post. Can you elaborate on the angle at which you place the bridge? First, why angle it at all? (I don't see this on all lutes.) Why in that particular direction? And finally, how do you determine the angle? Many thanks, once more!James Louderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14052158410861113896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858989391440501233.post-65541794485593664392019-12-04T16:04:03.242-08:002019-12-04T16:04:03.242-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.James Louderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14052158410861113896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3858989391440501233.post-40696692860083371922019-12-02T05:50:59.603-08:002019-12-02T05:50:59.603-08:00Enjoying your process.Enjoying your process.North Instruments.https://www.blogger.com/profile/12616039766503897123noreply@blogger.com