About the Instrument

This is a Viola Da Mano (or Vihuela, or Renaissance Guitar). It is set up to play like a modern classical guitar but it sounds rather more like a lute or Baroque guitar. It's strung like a modern guitar with two additional high octave strings on the low E and A to add some sparkle to the tone. It can also be strung up like a Renaissance guitar with 4 double courses of strings, just as you like. The sides and back are a beautiful South American Chocolate Walnut, and the soundboard is Engleman spruce. The neck is curly maple and the fingerboard is ebony inlaid with bone frets. The carved pegbox with an oak leaf scroll houses 8 Wittner geared tuners for super easy tuning. The bridge is ebony with oak leaf carved tails. The soundboard features an inset carved pearwood rosette in a Renaissance pattern and two chip-carved rosettes in the upper bout. The edges of the body are overhung like a violin. It is really fun to play!

A sound sample is in the "Early Guitars" section:  Luis Milan Pavana 5 played by John Wiesenthal.

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