This instrument has great appeal to guitarists who enjoy playing early folk music and who like the idea of playing an instrument with a look and feel of the old times. The lute-guitar is an attractive instrument of a similar size to the guitar but with a body like a lute. With a neck shaped like that of a guitar and a 51mm nut of ebony, it will appeal to those who are familiar with normal classical or acoustic guitars. It is tuned like a guitar with six strings, three of plain nylon and three of nylon wound in nickel. If it is to be used for lute music, the 3rd string may be tuned a semi-tone down to F to enable the application of lute fingering. The lute has a long history dating back to pre-biblical times and although it has existed in many forms it may be classified as either short- or long-necked. The European lute and its ancestor, the oud, (or, 'al'ud' meaning 'the wood') are examples of the short-necked variety and were later developments.

Examples of the lute-guitar, or some may call it guitar-lute, were plentiful in Germany towards the end of the 19th century and whilst it may be thought of as a type of guitar due to its stringing, six-course versions of the lute were also known in the Renaissance period. The term 'course' refers to the arrangement of the stringing. A 'course' may contain single, double or even triple strings, thus the guitar has single-string courses whereas the lute would be double strung.

Features:

• Item overall: 41" L x 7" H x 12.5" W
• Body/Bowl: 20" L x 7" H x 12.5" W
• Body: Sheesham & Varigated Lacewood
• Neck: Mahogany
• Nut: bone; Neck at Nut: 2" W; Nut: 2" W
• Neck at Body Joint: 2.25" W
• Strings at the Nut: 1.75" W
• Strings at Bridge: 2.25" W
• Scale Length: 26"
• Variegated back
• Spruce soundboard
• Shipped Insured
• Brand New!