|
|
Lutes available for hire
The Lute Society maintains a fleet of hire instruments (currently 56 lutes and other instruments), for the use of:
- prospective beginners wanting to try the lute before deciding to buy their own;
- any player who wants to try one of the rarer types of lute;
- attendees at playing days who need a stock of bass lutes, treble lutes, etc.
Most of the instruments are held at the premises of Bridgewood and Neitzert of Stoke Newington, London www.vivaceviolin.com/ and prospective hirers are warmly encouraged to go and see, try, collect and return lutes in person - though instruments can be couriered to those who cannot make the trip to London.
Beginners who are not sure what they want are welcome to bring their teacher, or invite a representative of the Lute Society to help them choose a lute.
The hire charge, unless otherwise stated on the inventory below, is £32 per month, and the hirer is asked to pay carriage - so for many UK residents it will be cheaper as well as safer to collect and return the lute in person. Please note that LARGER INSTRUMENTS are disproportionately expensive to courier and it will often be cheaper to travel in person even a long distance to London to collect or drop off a long-necked lute.
Please direct initial enquiries to the Secretary of the Lute Society, who maintains the waiting list.
Please note, you must be a member of the lute society to hire most of these lutes. This does not apply to the "theatrical" lutes; theatrical companies may be restricted to the sturdier instruments, however, unless a designated professional musician in the company takes responsibility for a hire instrument. Theatrical hire companies are requested to include an acknowledgement in printed programmes if possible: 'Lute supplied by The Lute Society, www.Lutesociety.org'
We regret that because of the very high risk of loss or damage when lutes are sent by air freight, OVERSEAS MEMBERS can hire lutes ONLY if they can guarantee to both collect and return hire instruments travelling overland (using the Channel tunnel) or by sea ferry.
Some of these instruments are on long term loan to the society.
Grading and photographs: we are currently in the process of grading and photographing all the instruments.
- Grade A: fit to be played in a public concert
- Grade B: generally slightly worn instruments
- Grade C: generally heavily-built, guitar-influenced, less historically-informed lutes, built before the 1980s, and available at reduced price.
PLEASE NOTE that if one of the 'Grade A' instruments on the list is not available, you may hire one of the more basic 'Grade B' or Grade 'C instruments' without losing your place on the waiting list for a best quality instrument.
Rules of the hire scheme
Hirers agree that they are responsible for the care and condition of the hired instrument, and in particular undertake that:
a] the instrument should not be left against a radiator or in prolonged direct sunlight,
b] the instrument must not under any circumstances be left in an unattended motor vehicle, since this voids theft insurance,
c] the instrument may not be transported by air, because of the danger that check-in staff might refuse it to be carried as hand luggage and require it to be put in the hold,
d] the hirer will not change the tuning of the instrument, and especially not raise the pitch of the strings, without consulting Bridgewood and Neitzert about selective restringing,
e] the hirer will promptly inform Bridgewood and Neitzert of any accidental damage, so that Bridgewood and Neitzert can either carry out repairs or designate another professional luthier to carry out repairs, in consultation with the Lute Society,
f] the hirer will consult Bridgewood and Neitzert about replacement of strings which break during hire, or any other restringing; within reason the Lute Society will supply and bear the cost of replacement strings.
Instrument list
| no. 1: 6 course lute in G, 59.8 cm by Martin Haycock (1983) grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 2: 6 course lute in G, 60.5 cm, by David van Edwards summer school (1999) grade: A | on hire | |
| no. 3: 7 course lute in G, 59 cm, by David van Edwards (1978), grade A | on hire |  |
| no. 4: 7 course lute in F# (G at 415), 63.5 cm, by Stephen Gottlieb (1998), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 5: 8 course lute in G, 63cm, by Paul Hunt (1979), grade: B | on hire |  |
| no. 6: 7 course lute in G, by John Gorrett, grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 7: 7 course lute in G, 60cm, by Chris Allen, grade: B | available |  |
| no. 8: 8 course lute in G, 58.2cm, by Stephen Barber and Sandi Harris (1998) grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 9: 8 course lute in G, by Anthony Campbell (1977) | on hire | |
| no. 10: 10 course lute in G, 63cm, by J Karoubi, grade: B | available |  |
| no. 11: 11 course D minor baroque lute (at baroque pitch), 68cm, by David van Edwards summer school (2003), grade: A | available |  |
| no. 12: 13 course D minor baroque lute, 71.5/100 cm by David van Edwards summer school (2000), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 13: 7 course lute in F, by David van Edwards summer school (2005) | available |  |
| no. 14: 6 course bass lute in D, 76cm, by David van Edwards summer school (2002), grade: A | available |  |
| no. 15: 8 course bass lute in D, 76cm, by Philip Macleod Coupe (1973), grade: B | available |  |
| no. 16: theorbo in A [at 415], 82/166.5 cm, by David van Edwards summer school (2001), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 17: 14 course 'liuto attiorbato' or archlute [in G], 64.5 / 91.5 cm by David van Edwards summer school (2006) grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 18: 5 course mediaeval lute [in G], 58.5 cm by David van Edwards summer school (2008), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 19: 4 course mediaeval gittern in C, 44.5cm, by David van Edwards summer school (2008) Grade: A | available |  |
| no. 20: 6 course mandora in d', 72 cm, by David van Edwards summer school (2007), grade: A | available |  |
| no. 21: 4 course renaissance guitar in A, 55cm, by Neil Morrison (1980), grade: A | available |  |
| no. 22: 7 course lute in G, 59 cm, by John Gorrett, made for Early Music Shop (undated, marked 'no. 102'), suitable for theatrical hire, grade: B | on hire |  |
| no. 23: 6 course lute in G, 62 cm, suitable for theatrical hire, grade: C, £20 per month only | on hire |  |
| no. 24: 8 course guitar lute in G, by Guitarra Estruch of Spain (1968), 61 cm, grade C: £20 per month only, suitable for theatrical hire | available |  |
| no. 25: 4 course carved-from-solid cittern in E, by John Pringle (1976) grade: C, very basic instrument, £10 per month only | under repair | |
| no. 26: 7 course treble lute currently in C but could be restrung in D, 43.5 cm, by Mark Butler (1980), grade: A | available |  |
| no. 27: 7 course treble lute in C, (currently restrung in G) 51 cm, by Mark Butler (1977), grade: B | available |  |
| no. 28: 4 course guitar in A, 55 cm, by Robert Rivie (1982), grade: A | available |  |
| no. 29: 7 course lute in F, 66 cm, by Mark Butler (1981)lost believed stolen, please contact us if you come across a lute of this description. | lost believed stolen | |
| no. 30: 10 course lute in E, 72 cm, by Mark Butler (1978) grade: A | available |  |
| no. 31: 10 course bass lute in C, 89 cm, by Mark Butler (1981), grade: A | available |  |
| no. 32: 7 course bandora in A, 71/76cm by Lyn Elder (1977), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 33: 6 course cittern in E, 47 cm, by David Madigan (1975), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 34: 6 course vihuela in A, 54 cm, by Robert Rivie (1984), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 35: wooden tenor flute in D, by Phil Levin, grade: A | available |  |
| no. 36: wooden descant flute in D, by Phil Levin, grade: A | available |  |
| no. 37: 7 course plastic-backed Progress lute, grade: C | unavailable | |
| no. 38: 6 course single strung, 'Wandervogel' guitar-lute,60.5cm, (1920s?) in E, grade: C, suitable for theatrical hire as a working stage prop, this is in normal guitar tuning and stringing, and would suit an actor who wanted to play something familiar but which is lute-shaped, £20 per month only | under repair |  |
| no. 39: 6 course lute in G, 60cm, by Bruce Brook (1997), grade A | on hire | |
| no. 40: 7 course Harwood and Isaacs kit lute, 61 cm, built by Alan Hoyle, grade: C, £20 per month only | available |  |
| no. 41: 8 course lute in F, 63cm, by Eric Mcleod (1981), refurbished by Luke Emmet (2011) | on hire |  |
| no. 42: 6 course student lute by Barber and Harris, 60cm (2002), grade A | on hire |  |
| no. 43: 8 course lute, 62cm, by Stephen Gottlieb (1972) | on hire | |
| no. 44: 12 course double-headed lute by David van Edwards summer school (2010), 673, 720, 780, 850, 938 mm, currently in French flat tuning but can be retuned to baroque D minor at A=392 (i.e. C minor at modern pitch), grade A | on hire |  |
| no. 45: Triple-headed 13 course baroque lute in D minor, tuned at baroque pitch, 720, 885, and 1010 mm, by David van Edwards summer school after Jauck (2011), grade: A | available |  |
| no. 46: 6 course lute in G [A=440], 56cm, by Eric Franklin (2011) with short scale length - intended for children, grade: B | available |  |
| no. 47: 7 course lute in G, 58cm, by Mark Butler (1978), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 48: 7 course lute in G, 60cm, by James Marriage (2011), grade: A | on hire |  |
| no. 49: 7 course lute in G, 58 cm, plastic-backed 'Progress lute' (1970s or 1980s), grade C: £20 per month only, suitable for theatrical hire (sounds fine, looks fine from a distance) | available |  |
| no. 50: 7 course lute in G, 61cm, by Charles Ford (1980) grade B | available |  |
| no. 51: 5 course baroque guitar in E, 64cm, by Los Utrera, Tacho y Wendy (2001), grade B | available shortly | |
| no. 52: 8 course lute in G, 63.5cm, by Harwood and Isaacs (1967, no. 67), grade B | available |  |
| no. 53: 13c baroque lute, single treble rider, 77cm (two bass riders 70.5cm) by Alan Clark (2003), grade B | available |  |
| no. 54: 6 course lute, 50 cm in G, (could be restrung in C) by Mid East Mfg co, converted to 6c lute by David van Edwards (2011), intended for use by children, grade B | available |  |
| no. 55: 8 course lute, 60 cm in G, by Ian Harwood 'no. 13' (1959), grade B | under repair |  |
| no. 56: 7 course Harwood and Isaacs kit lute, grade B | available shortly |  |
| no. 57: 7 course lute, 50 cm in G intended for children, by Mid East Mfg Co (2011), grade B | under repair |  |
| no. 58: 8 course 60cm G lute by Mid East Mfg Co (2011), grade B | on hire |  |
| no. 59: 7 course, 59cm in G by James Cole (1994) grade A | on hire |  |
| no. 60: 7 course, 50 cm, in G intended for children, by Mid East Mfg Co (2011), grade B | under maintenance |  |
| no. 61: 7 course, 50 cm, in G intended for children, by Mid East Mfg Co (2011), grade B | under repair |  |
|
