Renaissance Workshop Company
The foremost manufacturer of early musical instruments worldwide

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Cittern

	The Love Letter (detail) Johannes Vermeer

The cittern is a flat-backed, strummed with a plectrum, and the melody was usually played on the top string. It was the first to be made with metal wire strings and solid brass frets set into the fingerboard. Citterns were variously tuned and usually had 8 or 9 strings.

The cittern is definite successor of the citole. Thus aspects of the cittern can be backtracked into the citole through the gitern. Both instruments share the etymology of their names, and, in most cases, tuning and playing technique. The overall shape and construction technique is completely different.

Because it was relatively easy to play and kept its tuning well, it became very popular. It enjoyed a revival in Italy and throughout Europe following the publication in 1574 of 'Il primo libro di tabolaturo di citthara' by Paolo Virchi, the son of a cittern maker from Brescia.

 [more about the Cittern]

RWC Cittern

	Carved and gilded rose on the late 16th Italian cittern by Gasparo da Salò

Our Cittern is a traditional four course model with re-entrant tuning, based after a combination of an instrument by Gasparo Da Salo, circa 1560 preserved in the Ashmolean Museum (Oxford University) and an anonymous mid - late 17th century Italian cittern in the V&A Museum (London).

The finished instrument made from figured English sycamore. It has a Swiss pine table, rosewood pegs and fittings and an extremely delicately carved rose in English cherry on a parchment base. El instrument has a total length of about 75 cm.

The bridge is movable and made of ebony with brass saddle.

Wire strung on all courses the cittern is accurately fretted using solid brass frets and is tuned e'e', d'd', gg'g, bb.

Each instrument is entirely hand built by 'in-house' experienced craftsmen to special order in our own workshops in Toledo (Spain) to the highest standard of craftsmanship. They come with 12 months warranty and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on setting up, playing and maintenance.

A soft padded bag or fitted hard case are available as optional extras if required.

Cittern Kit

	RWC finished cittern

The same Cittern is offered in kit form for home assembly.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on construction, setting up, playing and maintenance.

To ensure success, even for the first time builder, each kit includes:
A fully dimensioned life-size drawing and working template,
A manual with clear and concise step-by-step full assembly instructions.
A set of photographs illustrating further each stage.

An important feature of our cittern kit is the inclusion of a mould to ensure success, even for the first time builder, so assembly of the body can begin immediately.

Our kit contains all the parts to build a traditional four course cittern.

The ribs and back are supplied in English sycamore sanded to thickness and ready for assembly around the mould.

The neck is pre-shaped with the pegs already fitted to reamed holes and the fingerboard has been machined to ensure accurate fitting of the brass frets.

All the parts in the kit are made from traditional materials and include a Swiss pine top and sycamore back.

The instruction manual reveals the secrets of carving a rose.

Cittern Technical Plan

	Carved rose with underlying layer of parchment on an anonymous mid - late 17th century Italian cittern from the V&A Museum

You can make the same Cittern from scratch, following detailed step-by-step instructions through the construction process in a clear and concise manner.

A fully dimensioned life-size drawing with templates and a set of photographs illustrate each stage.

The price includes the license to build one instrument for private use and 12 months free access to our 'helpline' for advice on construction, setting up, playing and maintenance.

This icon indicates that you can choose between the hard copy of the documents sent by postal mail, or the downloadable electronic files, in pdf format to your computer. In order to view and print the pdf files, you need the free 'Acrobat Reader' program installed in your computer. Life-size drawings require large printers. Electronic documents have a reduced price, don't have shipping costs, but are non-refundable.

Cittern Accessories and Spare Parts

Cittern Availability and delivery time

Not all of the items listed on our site are available immediately. Products without a reference nor a price are rarely available for quick dispatch. If you are interested in them, please contact us.

We publish standard availability, which means that this product usually ships in that time since it has been ordered. But at the specific time of your order, that interval can be longer or smaller depending on many production factors.  In addition, you still will have to wait for your product to arrive (delivery time). [More info about availability & delivery dates]

Cittern Configuration, References and Prices

			Check the offers: In April up to 25% Off
			Ref.				Price [1]
	Cittern - 4 course -bb, gg'g, d'd', e'e'
	Finished Instrument
	Cittern - 4 course -bb, gg'g, d'd', e'e'		FCI		Finished		788.04	RWC
	Kit + drawing + instructions + license
	Cittern - 4 course -bb, gg'g, d'd', e'e'		KCI		Kit		285.91	RWC
	Drawing + instructions + license
	Cittern - 4 course -bb, gg'g, d'd', e'e'		PCI		Plan		47.62	RWC
	Accessories and Spares
	Soft padded bag for Cittern		SBCI		Finished			RWC
	Light Hard Case for Cittern		HCCI		Finished			RWC
	Stringing set		SCI		Set			RWC

Prices and Exchange rates
All published prices are exclusive of VAT and shipping costs. They are shown in RWC.
The following exchange rates are valid on April 28th, 2020. See other conditions

Exchange rates 1 RWC= 1.585 GBP 1.725 EUR 1.973 USD 210.4 JPY 2.744 CAD 3.017 AUD 1.925 CHF 144.3 RUB 13.97 CNY 35.84 ZAR 46.99 MXN

Promotions
Some temporary offers and discounts might apply: In April up to 25% Off

Ordering
For security and service quality, we need your order to be in writing and cannot take it by phone.
If you want to buy, please, fill and send the ORDER FORM. Should you have any difficulty, please contact us.

More Info
For more information about buying our products, you should consult the following pages:

Currency exchange Shipping Cost

Discounts: In April up to 25% Off VAT or Sales Taxes

Methods of Payment Customs Duties

Customer Service Availability & delivery dates

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Last modification: 03 de mayo de 2019

Phone:(+34) 91 450 30 50