This beautiful Vihuela is now in my care. It comes from the workshop of a South Australian luthier, Tim Guster.
The soundboard is European Spruce; the finger-board Macassar Ebony; the side and bottom American Rock Maple. Note the striking ‘fiddleback’ grain, and the fine Rose decoration.
Tim makes Harps, Renaissance and Baroque Lutes, Theorbos, Baroque Guitars, Vihuelas, 19th century Guitars and Hurdy Gurdies – these last, in particular, requiring a level of skill well above my level….
A beautiful object with great mastery of wood grains, particularly visible on the back. You are lucky to have this gem Chris – I’ve not heard of a vihuela before. With a shorter neck than a conventional guitar and its 12 strings I would love to hear its sound.
Thanks Lucy. Yes, it’s a special instrument. It is tuned pretty much like my 6 course Lute in the making. Some 6c Lutes have six double strings, but others such as mine have five double strings, and one single (top) string: 11 strings in all. So too with the Vihuela – and whoever learns how to play the Vihuela should also be able to play 6c Lute (and vice versa).
Isn’t that something — best thoughts Tim’s way.