Vihuelas with larger upper bout than lower

[Rob MacKillop]

There are many images from the 15th and 16th centuries of vihuelas with larger upper bouts than lower, as in the images below. More can be found among the images here:

http://www.vihuela.eu/images.htm - including the famous Jaquemart-André instrument.

 

My first thought was that the artist was being creative, but there are quite a few where the rest of the image seems very accurate. So I'm wondering what the effect would be - presumably less bass, more treble, therefore more definition...And then I wondered why no one seems to have used this feature when making vihuelas today.

Modern makers and players seem to demand a balanced instrument, yet warm and melifluous. Such instruments can sound very attractive as solo instruments. I'm just wondering out loud whether a more treble-defined instrument would prove a better ensemble instrument?

 

Anyone willing to make one as an experiment? :-)

 

Rob

[Peter Forrester]

I remember one being made for Antonio Corona Alcalde a very long time ago - early eighties? I made him an 'Italian-style', eleven-string viola da mano at the same time - slightly bombé back, based on the Signorelli and Raphael paintings. I don't know if Antonio still has the vihuela, or if any more were made. As I recall it, it was based on the Bermudo woodcut, but I just cannot remember who made it.
Peter

[Rob MacKillop]

Hi Peter! I hope all is well with you. Thanks for the info on the Bermudo woodcut. Is this the one you mean?

[Peter Forrester]

That's the one. I think it performed perfectly satisfactorily but cannot remember if there was any treble bias. On the same subject, I've made an experimental 'treble' lute tuned at g, as ever, but with a smaller body and longer neck, copied from a painting in Stratford upon Avon, with the aim of making an instrument suitable for the treble line of the duets and consort lessons, and sacrificing bass. It does seem to work in the right direction, although I'm sure that somebody who has made more lutes than myself might do even better. My article about the painting is in 'The Lute', vol. XXXIV, 1994.

[Rob MacKillop]

Like the lute in the Rizzio drawing.

I fear the vihuela community is transfixed by two or three models for reproduction, while every single image that survives shows us a different instrument. I think the music suffers because of our unwillingness to explore and experiment. But it is understandable. If you have restricted funds, you want something tried and tested. But really, I've yet to see two images of a vihuela that look the same. We need to reflect that.

[Michael. N.]

I think it's because we are accustomed to seeing instruments with the smaller upper bout. We've had over a few hundred years of seeing instruments that way. Anything else appears odd and uneasy to the eye.
I've no idea what such changes would make to the sound. The consensus seems to be that anything above the harmonic bars (basically the soundhole position) contributes little. Then again you have a relatively small vibrating area but a larger resonating chamber which should affect the main air resonance.

[Scot Tremblay]

Hmmm, sounds like you might be heading towards a career change to luthier, Rob. It's those questions that start it all...better be careful or you might end up with a livingroom full of sawdust.

You may be on to something there. I've only made a couple vihuelas in my time so cannot really speak from experience. The first one was based on a photo of the Jaquemart-André instrument (it's all I had as reference at the time). I built it with equal size bouts which appeared to be the case from the photo. It wasn't a particularly good instrument but I played it off and on until it came apart and, like most old Spanish renaissance instruments seem to have done, it went into the fireplace. It was loud, did have an excess of treble and not much bass.

It would be interesting to experiment in that direction for sure.

[Mark Day]

I'll do it!
I'm not a professional luthier and I currently only have one scratch-built instrument to my name so far- a vihuela-as a matter of fact, but experimentation is deeply ingrained in my philosophy. I love my vihuela and can't wait to build another one!
I understand the need that the professional luthiers have to adhering to tradition based on the market (just think of the guys who build classical guitars or violins. It's gotta be a Hauser or a Strad, right?), but as an amateur luthier, I don't have to worry about that.
I also agree that the music suffers under the Amish-styled attitude that there can be no innovation or experimentation and all development on the lute, vihuela, viol, etc, stopped in 17?? and all modern built instruments must be a copy of some extant instrument, when as most people realize, many of the instruments that have been preserved are often ornate, elaborate things that probably were originally intended as gifts to some nobleman-probably a non-playing nobleman at that.

[Rob MacKillop]

Good for you, Mark. Keep us posted on how it is all developing.

Rob