Ph4t l00t

So Wednesday I bought my lute. It's an 8 course lute made by Aria in 1975. It seems appropriate somehow that my lute is as old as I am. Like most lutes made pre-1980, this one is a bit guitar-like in that the bridge is a bit farther forward, the fingerboard isn't as tapered, etc. But I only paid $750 for it, compared to the $2000 or so I would have had to spend on a better, more recent instrument.

So far, the addage that I spend more time tuning it than playing it seems to be true. Hell, there are 15 strings (!) after all. That's like 150% more than the guitar. Well, the strings are all new, so hopefully they'll settle in. Keep an eye on this space in the future for lute jokes. There seem to be more lute jokes than there are actual lutes around, for some reason.

Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with it so far. The sounds (at least the few I've been able to produce) are quite cool. I've got a lot to learn about how to play it, however. The right-hand technique (no jokes, please) is a fair amount different from classical guitar; fortunately the left-hand is practically identical. Still, no concert requests for a while, please.

No, Claudio. Lutes aren't for eating.