Early Guitars and Vihuela

A network for historic guitars and vihuelas

I am trying to learn about the changes from Baroque to Romantic era guitars and have some questions. I understand that Romantic guitars had heavier tops but also shorter scale lengths than Baroque instruments. I don't understand how this works out with strings. I would expect that for a heavier top you would use higher tension strings. But the shorter scale length would actually lower the tension. So what information am I missing? Thanks.

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It sounds like you are thinking in terms of a deliberate re-design of the instrument, but in fact the transition was more like a gradual evolutionary process, I think. There were many early romantic guitars that were converted from baroque guitar bodies by modifying the head and bridge, and some early romantic guitars were built very similar to what these conversions look like, I believe. 

Also, the strings got thicker in the romantic era.

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