Advice about where to get a Vihuela

[Jamie Holding]

Hello all,

I'm new here but thought I'd leap straight in!

I live in the UK.

I've already got an 8 course lute and a classical guitar but I'd like at some point to expand my instrument collection. I've been looking into Vihuelas recently but would like to ask how much people payed for their Vihuelas, where they got them from and where they advice me to get one myself. I can't afford one yet but I like to have a target to save up to! I have a very low budget and so I'm looking for the cheapest effective Vihuela one can get.

If you're a maker, don't worry about pointing out your own shops!

Any advice? Many thanks in advance. :)

Jamie

[Jamie Holding]

I am very tempted! My cleaning job for my parents wage just shot up so I may be in for a chance at some point to hold and love that beauty! Sadly with the enormous tug of owning a theorbo, vihuela and baroque guitar, I don't know how soon that will be. Still, I surprised myself with managing to raise £500 pounds in a year and a half and still buying CDs for my collection so maybe I'll have a chance...

The problem with a baroque guitar is that I'd need lessons for strumming technique while with a Vihuela, theorbo or romantic guitar I could transfer my lute technique.


I love seeing photos of your instruments Harry, please post more!

[Harry Jess]

[Harry Jess]

[Harry Jess]

Jamie, here you can see my Panormo compared to a normal classical -Loriente "Clarita"-and also its back. I think you will notice that it is slightly vaulted. And Rob, I am very fond of Sor, but I also include Aguado, Giuliani, Mertz, Coste and Carulli in my repertoire, together with a Danish composer, Henrik Rung. I feel it is more "authentic" to play this music on a Panormo than a normal classical. It gives me pleasure to think that Fernando Sor probably has had a Panormo in his hands when he visited London. And then he most certainly started to play.....

[jose farinha]

hi harry,
the panormo guitar it's in Obancol or Palo santo?
than's very much
best regards
Jose farinha

[Harry Jess]

Hello, Jose,
Yes, as a matter of fact, it's Paloescrito, a type of Mexican Rosewood or Palo santo. Recently I got a beautiful baroque guitar from TiendasLatinas and M.Zalapa, and for this guitar I chose Obancol, it's more green/yellowish. I think both woods are beautiful, and therefore I wanted both of them.
Best wishes
Harry

[Rob MacKillop]

Strumming is not essential to BG technique. Sanz's solo pieces, for instance, do not contain strumming, and neither does the music of Guerau, although in both cases modern players often add some in. But there is a good case not to. Sanz specified a different string set up for strumming than for his campanella solo pieces. Having said that, obviously strumming is essential for some of the repertoire. As for finding a teacher who could show you the proper techniques - good luck! Some of the original publications show what should be done, but some of the strum patterns are very complex, and I for one cannot do them. But most people do enough to get by with.

[Frei]

Hey Rob, not that I know what I'm talking about, but some of the strum patterns sound like early Flaminco, obviously there was some cross-over, and I wonder if a good Flaminco stum DVD would help with some of the learning. I have seen a great Flaminco strum DVD, there are alot of different type of finger strums, its very complicated as you know. Flaminco has alot of technique. I just got the S DE MURCIA JACARAS!:and you can really hear some similarity.

[LUTENIST88]

Rob,

I can't beleive there is something you cannot do! You are a fret monster, a real gut attacking maniac, a plucking genius on anything strung on wood! And to boot, you play the blues.......

James

[LUTENIST88]

The cheapest is about $2k that I have seen, but there is real good maker in Romania that does real good work, I have a 6 course lute after Gerle from him and it is loud and has great historical tone, even in all gut!

I bought it used for $600 from a guitar player who just did not appreciate it...he paid 1500... his name is Giorgy Lorinczi. he used to have a website...

here is source for others: http://dsbx.org/Lute/lute_makers.htm

alsao check out Wayne's Lute page

[John J van Gool]

Hello, Jamie. Have a look at my site. http://www.lutherie-van-gool.nl/prod07.html Go to historical instruments.

Kind regards

John

[Daan Hoeksema]

Hi,

I also bought a replica Panormo at Tiendaslatinas.
Here are my pics. I ordered a maple back and sides, 63,5 cm scalelength and 48 mm neck width.
I still have to play my other, "normal" guitar again.