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Comment by Monica Hall on December 4, 2013 at 16:03

Yes - I agree that the bridge on the instrument illustrated in Tyler's book does look odd-and why has it got the white strip along the top? I haven't got the Evans book but yes the string length is definitely  37cms.   It is certainly not like the 4-course guitars illustrated in the Leroy books, Phalese or Mersenne.  It hardly seems to justify the idea that the 4-course guitar was strung so that you could use the two strings of the 4th course independently.

Comment by Martyn Hodgson on December 4, 2013 at 15:25

Further to this and our recent emails, there are also decent photos of the instrument in the 1977 published book 'GUITARS.....'  by Tom and Mary Anne Evans.  Page 22 has front, side and back views. Evans gives the string length as 37cm and the body length 26cm. Baines (1866) also has two photos (front and back) and gives body length of 26cm. 

The bridge worries me though: it is of a lute bridge design (with points but without 'moustachios' or other elaborate terminations so frequently found on early guitars) and the ends also bear no relationship to the florid mastic inlay on the table.  In fact the bridge looks singularly clumsy to me and I wonder if the original one came loose, was lost and then replaced in relatively modern times (say late 19th or 20th century) by a dealer/repairer to enhance its market value. It wouldn't be the first time this sort of 'restoration' had been done.

regards

Martyn

Comment by Monica Hall on October 28, 2013 at 18:30

Very pretty.  Actually I think it must be the a chitarrino by Giovanni Smit.   It is one of  a pair made to the same pattern and it has been converted to a wire strung chitarra battente.  The reason why I am interested is that - I don't know whether you have seen Michael Fink's article in the latest Lute Quarterly - but he has mentioned the other one of the pair - which is still in its original format.  There is a photo of this on p. 82 of James Tyler's book - "The guitar and it's music".   The thing about it is that they both have a very short string length - about 35cms so that they would be tuned a 3rd or even a 4th above the usual pitch of the 4-course guitar.  Anyway if you have time to dig out any more information I would be very interested to know more about it.  Monica

Comment by pat o'brien on October 28, 2013 at 18:01

I took this in Vienna a few years ago.  I will have to dig the information out of a catalogue.  A bit swamped now, will try to get to it as soon as I can.  Stylish, isn't it?  

Comment by Monica Hall on October 28, 2013 at 16:31

Nice photo - can you tell me more about it.   When was it made, by whom etc.  Monica ever curious