[Dixielandjazz] VB: Vega Lute-shaped instruments

[Ulf Jagfors]

I just would like to add a few things here.

According to the Sachs-Hornbostel instrument classification system of 1914
all string instruments, Chordophones, plucked or bowed are referred to as
belonging to the Lute family. That means that a scholar definition of for
instance a banjo is that it is a plucked lute instrument with a neck
piercing throw the sound body. A guitar is a plucked lute with the neck
attached to the sound body. A fiddle is a bowed lute with the neck attached
to the body. I am not going to give any explanation how the classification
system is built up in detail as this should be a 15 page documentation.
Furthermore the 1914 system is with our extended knowledge of today very
incomplete when it comes to classify certain variations of instruments
within one family.

Already during the 1890´s for instance the August Pullman´s (mail-order I
guess) sold what they called an all wooden, peer shaped, five string
"Mandoline Banjo". They spelled it that way on the peg-head label. It has a
deep, four inch, flat back mandolin body and an attached five string banjo
neck. If you remove the fifth short string you come out with a 24 frets
plectrum guitar, with a lute=mandolin body. I have one in my collection. 

Another approach to the lute shaped body is the National all metal tricone
guitars. They started to produce them around 1927-28. I have a Tricone tenor
no 82, 1928,tuned tenor banjo CGDA, which I use very regularly when playing
OKOM jazz. People really like the sustained sound of it to be played in slow
tunes with vocal solos and some blues and religious tunes, like Just a
closer walk with thee etc.

Ulf Jaegfors
Stockholm 

-----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
Från: dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com
[mailto:dixielandjazz-bounces at ml.islandnet.com] För Marvin Ipswich
Skickat: den 16 mars 2011 17:54
Till: Ulf Jagfors
Kopia: Dixieland Jazz Mailing List
Ämne: [Dixielandjazz] Vega Lute-shaped instruments

The following link illustrates Vega's "lute-mandolin".  Notice that they are
not just called "lutes" which, of course, would be incorrect.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=491954033650&id=48754538650&aid=26401
0

I would suppose, that their line of guitars would have been labelled
"lute-guitars" to differentiate them from the other instruments they made in
this shape.

No matter what Condon referred to his instrument as, it was a "lute-guitar".

Regards,
Marvin
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