Chitarrone
93cm & 170cm, 14 courses (6 x 2 + 8 x 1) after Magno Dieffopruchar 1608 (Royal College of Music No.26) 51 ribs; the original is in Brazilian rosewood with ivory strips between. The neck and extension are veneered in ebony with triple ivory strips, ebony and ivory heart in the soundboard, it has a triple rose and ivory lines in the fingerboard. Tuned in G or A but the important thing to note is that the top two courses are tuned an octave lower than standard lute pitch. 8 frets to the neck.
This is a very close copy of the original in Brazilian rosewood and is shown here next to a normal G lute [Venere No.8] to indicate the huge size of this theorbo. This is one of those theorbos that it would be quite legitimate to call a chitarrone since that was the term in use in Venice at that time. However theorbo is the more general term.
Price: £7000
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You can hear this instrument played by Lynda Sayce on a fine CD by Charivari Agréable: Sacred Songs of Sorrow, Signum Records, SIGCD018 [2000]
And also by Lynda Sayce on another CD by The King's Consort: Lo Sposalizio The Wedding of Venice to the Sea, Hyperion, CDA 67048