Ideal for: Lutenists studying the foundational Renaissance repertoire and serious early-music students
The classic 6-course Renaissance lute, the foundation of the lute literature.
The 6-course lute is where most lutenists begin and where the core Renaissance repertoire lives. Eleven strings in six courses, a 13-stave rosewood bowl, and a 600mm scale give you authentic Renaissance proportions and access to the central works of the lute tradition. The spruce soundboard responds dynamically to both fingerstyle delicacy and energetic strumming.
The Voice of the Renaissance
Eleven nylon and silverplated copper-wound strings produce the warm, classical voice that defines the lute. The spruce soundboard delivers clarity and articulation across the full Renaissance range. Whether you're working through Dowland's lute songs or studying intabulations of vocal polyphony, the 6-course delivers the period sound you're looking for.
About the strings: Rectified nylon for the trebles produces the warm, lightly textured tone associated with historical gut. The wound basses give weight and clarity to the lower courses.
13 Solid Rosewood Staves
The bowl is built from 13 solid rosewood staves, hand-fitted and finished. The neck, nut, bridge, end pin, and pegbox are all solid rosewood. The spruce soundboard is the only non-rosewood element on the body, chosen for its responsiveness and traditional Renaissance sound.
The 600mm scale length is the Renaissance standard for a 6-course lute and puts centuries of repertoire comfortably under your hands.
Why rosewood: Dense, warm, and resonant. Rosewood has been used for fine instruments for centuries because of how it balances clarity with depth.
Standard Renaissance Tuning
Recommended tuning, high to low: G4, D4/D4, A3/A3, F3/F3, C4/C3, G3/G2. This is the standard tuning for 6-course Renaissance repertoire and puts you in position for the entire Dowland, Bakfark, da Milano, and surrounding literature.
New to lute? Eleven rosewood tuning pegs handle all the strings. The 6-course is the most common starting point for new lutenists because the repertoire is enormous and the technical demands are approachable.
