Instruments
Click on the names of instruments to read more about them
Renaissance Lute
- Renaissance lute. Based on surviving examples by Georg Gerle and others. 6 courses. Also available with 7 or 8 courses. For tuning in G or A.
- Scale length: 55cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Cherry, Swiss Pear, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Turkish Oud
- Turkish Oud. Commonly played in Turkey, Greece, Armenia and elsewhere.
- Scale length: 58.5cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Light Meranti, Bocote, European Sycamore, London Plane, European Cherry, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Late Medieval Lute (Double rose style)
- Late Medieval lute, based on various iconographic sources of 1350-1480. 4 or 5 course. Also available with 6 courses. Available fretted or unfretted. The upper, smaller rose is available in round, diamond or lancet window shape.
- Scale length: 56cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, Wych Elm, European Cherry, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Late Medieval Lute (Single rose style)
- Late Medieval lute with single rose, based on various iconographic sources of 1450-1490, and a suruving instrument labelled 'D.G.' from Northern Italy about 1500. 4 or 5 course. Also available with 6 courses.
- Scale length: 56cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, Norway Maple, Swiss Pear, European Cherry, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Cobza or Koboz
- Traditional short-necked fretless lute played in Romania (where it is called Cobza) and Hungary (where it is called Koboz). Available with wooden pegs or machine heads.
- Scale length: 46cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Light Meranti, European Ash, London Plane, Sapele, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Kwitra
- A traditional 4 course lute/oud played in north Africa, especially Morocco and Algeria. Transliterated from Arabic as Kwitra, Kouitra, Quitra and other spellings. Available in traditional re-entrant tuning, or oud-like tuning (shown in picture).
- Scale length: 58cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Ovangkol, London Plane, European Cherry, Wych Elm, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Renaissance Mandore
- Renaissance mandore. A small instrument which is the ancestor of the mandolin. Available with 4 or 5 single or doubled courses of strings. Also works well as a Brescian/Cremonese mandolin or tuned as a ukulele.
- Scale length: 35cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, Sapele, European Cherry, European Beech, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Early Medieval Lute (Steeple Aston Cope style)
- Medieval lute, based on the Steeple Aston Cope (England, 1330). 4 course. Available fretted or unfretted.
- Scale length: 54cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, Wych Elm, European Cherry, Plumwood. Other wood choices available.
Early Medieval Lute (Cantigas style)
- Medieval lute, based on iconographic sources in the Cantigas de Santa Maria (Spain, 1221–1284). 5 course. Available fretted or unfretted.
- Scale length: 54cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, Light Meranti, European Sycamore, London Plane, European Beech, European Cherry, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Panduri
- Traditional instrument from Georgia in the Caucasus. Also played in some neighbouring countries and regions. The larger, unfretted Chonguri with half string is also available on request.
- Scale length: 50cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, Dark Meranti, Swiss Pear, Ovangkol, Wych Elm, Sapele, Silver Birch, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Oud Arbi or Andalusian Oud
- 4 course version of the Oud played in Al-Andalus and still played today in north Africa.
- Scale length: 58cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Dark Meranti, European Sycamore, London Plane, European Beech, European Cherry, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Zenne Oud
- Shorter scale length version of the oud.
- Scale length: 54cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Sapele, European Ash, European Cherry, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Gittern
- Would have usually been carved from a single block, but is here built from ribs like a lute. Available with 3, 4 or 5 single or doubled courses of strings.
- Scale length: 44cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Cherry, Khaya, London Plane, Wych Elm, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Dutar or Dotar
- 2-stringed long neck lute played throughout central Asia, especially in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Iran and Turkmenistan. Commonly fretted, but also available unfretted.
- Scale length: 60cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, Swiss Pear, Sapele, Silver Birch, Zebrawood, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Colascione
- A long necked lute popular in Italy during the late renaissance and early baroque periods.
- Scale length: 82cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, Ovangkol, Sapele, Silver Birch, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Citole or Guitarra Latina
- A small medieval instrument with a distinctive body shape. Would have usually been carved from a single block, but is here built with bent sides. Available with 3, 4 or 5 single or doubled courses.
- Scale length: 46cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, European Alder, European Walnut, Dark Meranti, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Jarana Jarocha
- Traditional Mexican rhythmic instrument related to the baroque guitar. Segunda size shown, with others also available. Requinto Jarocho also available. Available with wooden pegs or machine heads.
- Scale length: Segunda size (in picture) 50cm. Primera size 40cm. Terciera size 58cm. Requinto Jarocho 50cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Sapele, Light Meranti, European Beech, Ovangkol. Other wood choices available.
Charango
- Traditional instrument from South America, especially the Andean mountains. Chillador (flat-backed) style. Available with wooden pegs or machine heads. Hatun charango or Ronroco also available.
- Scale length: Charango 36cm. Ronroco 48cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Sapele, Light Meranti, European Oak, European Walnut, European Cherry. Other wood choices also available.
Ukulele or Cavaquinho
- Traditional Hawaiian instrument. Also available with heavier bracing as a Portuguese cavaquinho, and as a cak or cuk for Indonesian Keroncong music. Soprano size, with others also available. Available with wooden pegs or machine heads.
- Scale length: Sopano (in picture) 34cm. Concert 38cm. Tenor 43cm. Baritone 48cm. Cavaquinho 34cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Sapele, European Oak, African Padauk, Sonokeling (East Indian Rosewood). Other wood choices also available.
Renaissance Guitar
- Renaissance guitar based on historical illustrations and surving instruments. Available with pegbox (as shown) or flat peghead with pegs from behind.
- Scale length: 50cm
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, European Alder, Swiss Pear, Silver Birch, European Cherry. Other wood choices available.
Viola De Cocho
- Traditional instrument from Mato Grosso, Brazil. Available with tied frets as picture, metal frets, or fretless. Also available with machine heads. Traditionally, this instrument has a small soundhole or no soundhole at all. Also available without soundhole.
- Scale length: 46cm
- German/Alpine Spruce, Light Meranti, European Oak, Sonokeling (East Indian Rosewood), European Cherry, Boxwood. Other wood choices also available.
Renaissance Cittern
- Renaissance cittern. Available with chromatic (as picture) or diatonic fretting. Available with 8 or 9 strings in 4 courses.
- Scale length: 41cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Ash, London Plane, Norway Maple, European Oak, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.
Modern or Irish Cittern
- Modern or Irish cittern. Available with 4 or 5 courses.
- Scale length: 60cm.
- German/Alpine Spruce, Sapele, Light Meranti, Hard Maple, London Plane, European Ash. Other wood choices available.
Anglo-Saxon Lyre
- An Anglo-Saxon lyre based on the remains of one found in the Sutton Hoo ship burial, and other similar examples. It was also played in Northern Germany and in Scandinavia by the Vikings. Available with 5, 6 or 7 strings.
- Scale length: 43cm
- German/Alpine Spruce, European Alder, European Ash, European Cherry, Boxwood. Other wood choices available.