Two Chittarinos (or Vihuelitas?)

[Emma L]

Here's two 'chitarrinos' I built (I believe that'd be the right word for them?) The tuning is more perhaps more like a small vihuela, which I have heard called a vihuelita.

The smaller of the two has a scale length of 40cm, and the longer one has a scale length of 45cm. Both have 8 strings in 5 courses. The two outer courses are left single, which I have seen on some baroque guitars, especially earlier and smaller ones, which may well have been converted from 4-course renaissance guitars? Who knows.

I currently have it the smaller one tuned E4, A4 A3, C#5 C#4, F#4 F#4, B4 and the larger one a fourth below. This tuning is the intervals for 5-course vihuela (and the 5-course lute, Canary island Timple, etc).

Tune the middle course one note different and it's a small baroque guitar: E4, A4 A3, D#5 D#4, F#4 F#4, B4.

(I also experimented with Jarana Jarocha and Charango intervals, if you're wondering about the file name of the second picture.)

Don't worry, I am no longer making the horrible 'classical style' bridge that I used on the smaller one! ;) Tie block bridges are the way forward for me (as well as wooden tuning pegs - I have grown to hate the heavy, unbalancing machine heads and much prefer 1:1 ratio tuning). Tying gut or nylon frets is still beyond me at the moment though...

I hope this isn't too distant from the 'standard' baroque guitar or a 5-course vihuela. I prefer shorter scale lengths, but I will get round to building a renaissance guitar at some point, I'm sure. I just enjoy experimenting with my lutherie.

[Juan Pablo Pira]

Unusual body shapes and scale lengths may not be the way to go for a purist. However, I kind of like the idea of experimenting with the baroque guitar. This might make the instrument appealing to a larger public which I'm sure will lead to more players and composers interested in these instruments.

Including a  sound sample would be nice.

[Emma L]

Here's a sound sample of me attempting the chords from 'la folia':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkkxxQxjl6M

Apologies about the video freezing for part of it. I tried to re-record it and the same thing happened so not sure what's going on with it.

[Emma L]

I also agree with you about bringing the baroque or earlier guitars into the 21st century. Of course this is a matter of opinion, as I still prefer the wooden tuning pegs to heavy modern machine heads, and I prefer the sound of the baroque style bridge, which is still used on many charangos, to the modern bridge and saddle arrangement. However, for me, modern metal frets beat nylon/gut tied frets. As I say, however, it's a matter of opinion as to what constitutes both modernity and improvement.Tied frets are still used on the Turkish saz for instance.

I am pleased to see that such a discussion is not immediately shut down by 'purists', to use your word.

[Juan Pablo Pira]

Actually, your instruments sound more like charangos than jaranas with a lot of higher pitched harmonics.  I guess they are suitable for that kind of  strumming.  Is the ukulele in your videos made by you? That one had a very special sound.

[Emma L]

Yes, I made the ukulele too. That was made for a friend.

[Gavin Cawley]

I suspect renaissance and baroque luthiers did their fair share of experimentation as well (otherwise there would have been no development), but only their "standard models" were made in sufficient numbers to have survived to the present day, so perhaps these instruments follow in a noble tradition!

 

[Juan Pablo Pira]

I'm sure that is true.  However, there is a wide margin for changes.  My guitar is based on a French late 18th century model and is smaller than most baroque guitars (only 62cm scale length).