Lute

Renaissance lute altered to a bass mandolin. Altered first to seven double courses with seven ivory hitchbuttons in tail, but current nut and bridge are notched for six double courses. Two-piece later front, medium grain, very thick. Layered paper rose with terraces of diminishing height; the layers have gothic piercings, the walls plain holes. Bevelled edge to soundhole. Black edging to front; narrow loose bridge. Later inlaid plectrum-guard. Back of eleven ribs of alternate ebony and ivory with very fine black and white lines between; semi-elliptical in transverse section; joints lined with parchment with initial letters in red and blue. Shallow capping-strip of ebony, cut down when front was bent back in mandolin style. Remains of points of earlier fingerboard at top of front. Guitar-style peghead; posterior pegs of rosewood with ivory buttons. Later neck of ?beech ebonised, inlaid with ebony and ivory lines. Later ebony fingerboard edged with ?kingwood; eight frets in sawcuts, eight more glued to front; ivory nut notched for six pairs of strings.