BLEMISHEDThe steel string lute-guitar is an attractive and lightweight instrument of a similar size and scale to a standard classical guitar but with a body like a lute. In keeping with the character of a lute, the bowl-shaped body is achieved by edge-gluing together staves of uniformly thin sheesham rosewood (Dalbergia sissoo) bent to a specific shape with no heavy internal bracing to retain its form. Sheesham rosewood is a medium to dark-brown hardwood and is highly sought after in furniture and musical instrument making. A true member of the Dalbergia family, sheesham’s timbre characteristics are best described and "warm" with pronounced mid-range, very clear bass and sublimely subdued trebles.

European spruce is used for the soundboard and, in keeping with the design of 16th-Century lutes, its soundhole is a carved rosette in an attractive geometric pattern which is cut into the soundboard itself and is not inlaid of different material. Most exciting is that the soundboard bracing pattern follows bracing used in world-famous Kohno classical guitars.

The mahogany neck has a shape is similar to a classical guitar with a 45mm wide nut of ebony. The top of the peg box has a woman's head carved on the top. Using standard steel classical guitar strings, it is tuned like a guitar in e, b, G, D, A, E tuning. If it is to be used for lute music, the 3rd string may be tuned a semi-tone down to F# to enable lute fingering. The guitar is outfitted with smooth-operating gold tuners with black ebonized tuning key buttons. The overall length is 1030mm and the scale length is 647mm, similar to a normal guitar. A bi-directional truss rod is installed to compensate for any changes in neck curvature. Satin lacquer finish.

Special Note: The strings put on the instruments in our workshops, while playable, are put through some rigorous testing. They should probably be replaced for improved playability, sound quality, and better tuning shortly after you receive the instrument.

Scratch & Dent Savings!!! Product codes ending in "-2" are Blemished. They are New and Unused with Superficial blemishes that may include, blisters in the finish, scratches, dents, stains, discoloration, rust or pitting on metals, imperfect glazes, non-structural repairs such as putty in nail holes, or other surface marks. The irregularity does not affect the playability or sound quality of the instrument. These are a good value.