Making a Lute Body: Fitting Ribs to the Mould Part I

Having described the mould construction and fitted the first rib, the series continues with the process of adding ribs to the lute body. This video has been restored to the lute-building series after being overlooked for some time. Our apologies! You might also enjoy;
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Making Lute Pegs • Making Lute Pegs
Fitting Ribs to the Mould part 2 • Making a Lute Body: Fi...
Thank you for watching!

[@Greebstreebling]

The tape template is a really nice idea, as is the bending iron arrangement. Lots of great tips for folks like me starting out, thanks very much for sharing.

[@EarlyMusicStudio1]

Hi Arthur, glad you like the video and thanks for watching!

[@jriley8383]

Thank you for the videos. Informative. I'm going to try to retrofit a cheap buitar into a "lute" prop. This gave me some helpful insight.

[@EarlyMusicStudio1]

Hi Josiah, what a great idea! I've seen Mexican instruments with big ribs made from mahogany plywood doorskin and they work just fine. Good luck with your project and let me know how it turns out! Thanks for watching.

[@thisoldnewguitar9882]

Thanks so much for sharing. The scraper would be the solution for guitar sides also.

[@EarlyMusicStudio1]

Yes, I use a cabinet scraper on flat pieces.

[@bearshield7138]

I found this very helpful

[@herwinleal202]

confratulation Titmuss, keep sendind more videos, like make block and arm junction... thank you

[@EarlyMusicStudio1]

Thanks for your comment! You might like this video; kzbin.info/www/bejne/i3ivomWNi6ili9U

[@beatbackmusic5818]

Hi! I´d like to ask you a question. I´m a carpenter from germany and my Guitarteacher once gifted me an old german Lute guitar. It´s nearly 120 years old he said, but one of the ribs nearly broke apart in the middle. Is there any way to repair that damage? Also the mosaic covering the soundhole is not in the best condition. I´d like to restore this beautiful peace of musical history but probably need some help from an specialist. Can I reach you threw any e-mail? Looking forward hearing from you

[@EarlyMusicStudio1]

Hi there, please email me at [e-mail] and include some photos of the damaged areas. I'll help if I can! Best, Clive

[@bobofreddy1171]

Hello so I would like to build a lute from scratch but I can’t seem to find any good templates is there anyway you can help.

[@EarlyMusicStudio1]

Hi Bobofreddy, have a look at Guild of American Luthiers plans here; luth.org/instrument-plans/ You should also get Bob Lundberg's excellent book on historical lute construction, available from GAL; luth.org/books/historical-lute-construction/ Good luck with your project!

[@kyrajones3624]

Why not bend the rib after chiseling and shaping the blank to your tape template?

[@EarlyMusicStudio1]

Hi Kyra, that's a great question! The tape template is only a very rough guide; the rib has to be fitted with a combination of constant bending and cutting.

[@EarlyMusicStudio1]

The ribs do not follow any template accurately enough, there are always small gaps and mismatched angle--it really is hand made.