Just in time for Canada Day, here’s an 1895 R S Williams and Son Echo Style 15 Open Back Banjo strung with nylon, built in Oshawa, Ontario. To the Depression era, R S Williams was a prominent manufacturer of instruments, including pianos, guitars, banjos, mandolins and violins.
This instrument has sold
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Here we have an Albert J Litto 7 Course Renaissance Lute, built during 1965 in Kenmore, New York. This lovely Renaissance lute demonstrates many traditional construction techniques. The bowl back is composed of flamed maple ribs, bent and joined. Inside the bowl, the ribs are sealed with parchment tape, made wet to induce expansion, then coated with hide glue. The water on the inside forces the ribs to curve from side to side, and the hardening glue keeps them in this shape.
Popular during the 19th and into the mid-20th century, the Greek Laouto or lute contributed to the evolution of the now popular Greek Bouzouki. Though similar in many ways to the German lute guitar, the Greek instrument is strung with double gut or nylon strings in a variety of tunings similar to Bouzouki tunings. The role of the Laouto was usually as a backup instrument to a violin of bouzouki. The frets are tied on as on a Renaissance Lute. The tops were generally spruce and the back are bowl-back construction consisting of 20 or more ribs similar to a Renaissance lute
This instrument has sold
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The Martin T17 Tiple appears to be a relative of the ukulele, but it also traces its lineage to South American tiples, particularly the Colombian tiple.
This instrument has sold
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The Danelectro Electic Sitar and Danelectro Baby SItar were in some ways the most successful of their design – they was the sound of the sitar on many hit records during the 1960’s to the 80’s. They were also two of the very few of that design.
Every year at the LA NAMM show I find something unique and wonderful. Mid-East Music specializes in handcrafted historic and ethnic instruments. Unlike other sources I’ve encountered, they understand and service the instruments they sell and control and participate in the manufacture process. Hand made in Pakistan, these instruments are remarkably cleanly built: accurate joinery, clean fit and finish. I was VERY impressed by the overall quality and appearance and the prices are a fraction of what we commonly see in second hand historic Lutes and Baroque guitars.
At last I can offer a completely playable historic Lute and Baroque guitar for a price that “makes sense” to most of my clients who simply want to experiment with this era of music. These instruments are “the real thing” at an affordable price. These instruments even come with lightweight but solidly made hardshell cases !
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