I’ve ordered and received several different instrument plans for a 7 course Renaissance lute, so I could compare them with each other to gain more insight and perspective. It’s definitely been intriguing to note the similarities and differences between them. I don’t want to compromise anyone’s intellectual property or give out the recipe for their secret sauce, but I’d like to thank the following providers that I purchased instrument plans from:
Arthur Robb, Luthier
https://www.art-robb.co.uk/plans.html
Guild of American Luthiers
https://luth.org/instrument-plans/lutes/
Renaissance Workshop Company
http://www.renwks.com/products/accesories/acc-plans.htm
The Dutch Luthier
https://thedutchluthier.wordpress.com/instruments/lute/
David van Edwards, Luthier
https://www.vanedwards.co.uk/renlute.htm
If you are interested in building your own lute, I highly recommend considering purchasing plans from any of these sources.
After a lot of internal struggle and debate, I’ve decided that I’ll begin building my first lute based on instrument plans from the Guild of American Luthiers, using the instructions in the book Historical Lute Construction by Robert Lundberg. I think that this is going to be a good resource considering I have absolutely no prior instrument making experience, or even wood working experience! Most of the steps are discussed thoroughly, although it seems that a basic level of knowledge is assumed. For example, many of the tools that are referenced, I had never heard of. I couldn’t tell you the difference between a spokeshave and a draw knife, or a block plane from a bench plane! Learning the basic tools and researching the beginning forms and jigs that will be required before I can even begin work on the lute has been intimidating but very interesting. Simply making the decision to choose which plans to follow has taken me the longest, because I found an incredibly helpful website a bit late in my journey, as I had already purchased resources for the first stages of the build from Lundberg’s book. I thought perhaps that I could consult them both, however it seems the two builds diverge, at least in the beginning. If I’m successful with my Renaissance lute, perhaps I can follow Van Edwards instructions on my second lute, which I’m hoping will after the Baroque style.