Chitarroni (14 courses) from £5500
86/164 cm, 35 ribs, based on Italian models - click here for pictures
This popular size is large enough for continuo work, but not so big that it cannot be used for most of the solo repertoire as well. I will of course build other sizes to order. Surviving instruments vary enormously in size and neck length, though the solo repertoire requires ten tied frets. It is usual today to have single strings throughout, though most surviving Italian instruments have double strings on the fingerboard, with six courses on the fingerboard and eight basses (6+8). Modern players usually prefer to have 7+7, so that they can finger the G# on the 7th course; historically it was probably more usual to put a thinner string on the 14th and tune it to one of the missing chromatic notes (usually G#), as documented by Piccinini (1623). I usually put 7 pegs in the lower pegbox and 8 in the upper, so that stringing can be changed from 6+8 to 7+7 at will. Details of French and English theorboes available on request.