13 course lute after Hans Burkholtzer

This instrument was originally a Renaissance
lute made in 1596 by Hans Burkholtzer in
Fuessen. In 1705, Thomas Edlinger from
Prague converted the instrument to an 11
course in the French fashion. Several years
later, an unknown luthier modified the
instrument by adding the bass rider with two
extra courses and replacing the bridge.

This instrument is currently in Vienna's
Kunsthistorisches Museum. It is interesting to
note that the rose is gilt with gold, and the ribs,
chanterelle, and pierced pegbox back are all
made of ivory.

The practice of rebuilding older lutes in the
fashion of the day was very common in the
Baroque period, and the bodies of older Italian
lutes were especially prized. Sometimes roses
were recycled from an older lute by being cut
out and inserted into the new soundboard.

Specifications

String length: 71 cm and 77 cm (bass rider)
Body depth: 14.8 cm

• Soundboard in Italian or European
  spruce
  
• Edge binding in ebony
  
• 21 ribs in holly, yew, rosewood,
  

or figured maple

• Spacers in ebony, holly, or maple
  
• Bridge in European plum with ebony or
  holly cap and ears
  
• Neckblock in Honduras mahogany
  
• Neck core in poplar with ebony veneer
  
• Ebony fingerboard and points
  
• Pegbox in maple with ebony veneer
  

and holly lines

• Bass rider in maple, dyed black
  
• Chanterelle in maple, dyed black
  
• Pegs in European plum, boxwood, or
  rosewood, natural color or dyed black
  
• Nuts in bone, African blackwood, or
  lignum vitae
  
• Strap buttons in holly or African
  blackwood
  
• Aquila Nylgut and copper overwound
  strings with nylon first and second
  courses
  

Price as above: $6,000.  

Instrument case not included in price.

Additional options:

• Englemann spruce soundboard:
  

deduct $75

• Four inlaid hearts on soundboard: $300
  
• Bone pips in peg heads: $150
  
• Carved grotesque on chanterelle in
  holly, after original: $200
  
• Engraved fretsawn or carved holly panel
  on pegbox back: $250
  
• Inlay on back of neck: $250
  
• Points and fingerboard panel in
  snakewood or amboyna burl with holly
  border: $150
  
• Gut strings by Gamut and Sofracob:
  $150