13 course lute after Johannes Christian Hoffmann

J.C. Hoffmann (1683-1750) of Leipzig was the older of
the two sons of the famous luthier Martin Hoffmann. My
version of the Hoffmann lute is after an instrument now
in Brussels that was constructed in 1730. The body of
this lute is slightly deeper than other Baroque lute
models, yet the difference in depth is not very dramatic.

Ernst Gottlieb Baron, in his book written in 1727, says
this about J.C. Hoffmann:

This skillful master has earned himself such esteem in the
galant world with his fine work that his lutes have primarily been
sent to Holland, England, and France. It is worthy of special note
that in the building of his lutes he not only creates great
proportionate beauty, but also a good and pure tone. In the
building of lute necks he has surpassed his father, for he
makes them to fit the hand of each owner, whereas his father's
usually turned out a bit too thick. He also knows how to place
the courses and strings at the proper distances so that his lutes
can me manipulated very easily.*

* Baron, E.G., Study of the Lute, pages 83-84 (translated from the
German Historisch und Practische Untersuchung des Instruments der
Lautern by Douglas Alton Smith), Instrumenta Antiqua Publications,
Redondo Beach, CA, 1976.

Specifications

String length: 72 and 78.5 cm (bass rider)
Body depth:  17.5 cm

• Soundboard in Italian or European spruce
  
• Edge binding in ebony
  
• 9 ribs in rosewood or figured maple
  
• Spacers in ebony or holly
  
• Bridge in European plum with ebony cap and ears
  
• Neckblock in Honduras mahogany
  
• Neck core in poplar with ebony veneer
  
• Pegbox in maple with ebony veneer
  
• Chanterelle in maple (omitted as shown)
  
• Pegs in European plum, boxwood, or rosewood
  
• Nuts in bone, African blackwood, or lignum vitae
  
• Ebony fingerboard and points
  
• 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.

Options at additional cost:

• Englemann spruce soundboard: deduct $75
  
• Bone pips in peg heads: $150
  
• Pierced and carved pegbox back:  $300
  
• Points and fingerboard panel in snakewood or
  amboyna burl with holly border: $100
  
• Gut strings by Gamut and Sofracob: $150