Renaissance Guitar & Renaissance Guitar Kit

[more about the Renaissance Guitar]

Renaissance Guitar

Es: Guitarra renacentista

During the Renaissance, the guitar may well have been used throughout Europe as it frequently is today.

The renaissance guitar was a four-coursed instrument (although five-coursed guitars existed); the first was single or double and the other three double. Having only four courses its unique sound and style are a result of using so few of them.

Although no historical four-course instruments have survived, it is clear that their dimensions were fairly small, not only because the pictorial sources, but also in the music written for it, some of which requires great stretches of the left hand fingers, extremely difficult to achieve on a larger instrument.

This instrument used gut strings and moveable frets. The tuning was not as standardized as lute tuning was at that time. Usually, the thicker basses were matched with thinner octave strings in order to avoid too dull a sound.

RWC Renaissance Guitar


	The Guitar Player (detail) Johannes Vermeer

Based on late 16th century iconography, our renaissance guitar is typical of many early guitars in having only four courses.

The instrument has a five ribbed English sycamore and cherry back, a Swiss pine table, rosewood pegs and fittings and an intricately carved parchment and cherry rose.

Gut frets tied round the neck allow fine adjustment of the scale to suit the player.

The guitar is strung with nylon and over wound nylon stringing and tuned a'a', e'e', c'c', gg.

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.

Renaissance Guitar Kit


	RWC Renaissance Guitar

The same instrument 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.

Everything you need is provided in the kit. First and foremost is a five ribbed English sycamore and cherry back jointed and sanded to thickness, a Swiss pine table, rosewood pegs and fittings.

Learn the secrets of carving a rose in parchment and cherry, of the special knot used to tie the frets round the neck.

The construction of the guitar is based around the wooden mould supplied with every kit guaranteeing success for the builder.

The neck is profiled ready for final shaping.

Renaissance Guitar Technical Plan


	Finished and details RWC Renaissance Guitar

You can make the same Renaissance Guitar 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.

Renaissance Guitar Accessories and Spare Parts

Renaissance Guitar 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]

	Finished Instrument		Three months
	Kit		Three weeks
	Drawing		Three days