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The 58 cm Venere Model Lute

This instrument is modeled on an instrument made by Venere in 1596 in Bolonga, Italy, now in the Vienna museum, number C64. The original instrument has a string length of 64cm. I have scaled the design down to 58cm for this reconstruction to make it more adaptable to modern playing techniques and pitch. The adjusted body outline has been compared to another Venere lute in the Bolonga collection that has a string length of 58cm to insure a consistent instrument style. 

The bowl is made up of eleven ribs and has a flattened profile. That is, it is wider than it is deep. This shallow profile brings the plane of the strings closer to the body, making the instrument easier to play. The thinner sound chamber also gives the instrument a quicker, more projective tone than one with a fuller, half-round profile. The tone of this instrument is very full and powerful with a sustained ring.

 

This lute model is available as:

  • Six course lute

  • Seven course lute, (as the original)

  • Eight course lute

 

 

 

Venere model lute specifications:

  • 58cm string length 

  • Overall length - 27"

  • Body length - 17"

  • Body Width - 12"

  • Body depth - 5 1/2"

  • String spacing between courses at bridge, (8 course), 10.1mm

  • Spacing between strings in course at bridge, (8 course), 4.9mm

  • String spacing between courses at nut, (8 course), 5.7mm

  • Spacing between strings in course at nut, (8 course), 3.1

Basic model features:

  • Back: Eleven figured ribs

  • Neck: Cherry wood

  • Head: Cherry wood

  • Choice of ebony, rosewood or boxwood pegs

  • Front: "AA" Engelmann spruce

  • Rose: Pattern "A"

  • Fingerboard: Cherry with rosewood edges and points

  • Nut: Bone

  • End Button: to match pegs

  • Strings: Nylon and fluorocarbon with wound nylon basses

Optional features include:

Back options:

  • Pearwood back

  • Figured maple back

  • Bird's eye maple back

  • Yew heartwood back

Decorative spacers in rib joints:

  • Ebony

Front wood:

AAA Englemann
Western red cedar
Sitka spruce
Figured sitka spruce
Italian Alpine spruce
Figured Italian Alpine spruce

Front binding:

  • Ebony binding

  • Ebony binding with ebony heart

  • Ebony binding with mother-of-pearl heart

  • Boxwood binding with boxwood heart

Fingerboard:

  • Ebony fingerboard with ebony points

Neck veneer:

  • Ebony neck veneer

  • Ebony/holly striped neck veneer

Pegs:

  • Ebony

  • Rosewood

  • Boxwood

  • Mechanical PegHed pegs

Gut strings:

  • Gut string set

Rose:

  • A choice of nine different rose designs

Case:

  • Form fitting, custom made Kingham case