Inspiration

While I was browsing YouTube watching classical pieces I noticed several performers playing lutes from different eras.  These instruments allow us to play pieces as the composers intended them to be played.  I was inspired to begin a new journey, learn to play a Baroque 13-course lute.  These seem to only be available as handmade instruments with a pretty high price tag.  I stumbled on a how-to course available from a British gentleman, David Van Edwards (http://www.vanedwards.co.uk) that details the building of a 13-course lute and decided to give it a try.  I've set up this blog to have a place to document my experiences with this project.

I've never been a wood worker at all, but I've never had the tools to do it right either.  The list of tools required to do this project correctly is actually quite small.  One can purchase these and the materials for the instrument at a fraction of the cost of purchasing a lute outright.

So I got the course in mid-January 2012 and began the initial steps of making the mould.  Hopefully this blog can be of help or inspiration to someone else contemplating the same goals as me.

I'll try to post frequently and include pictures of the process as I go.  If all goes well in the end, I just may try to build a classical guitar next!