Subject: Soundboard bar supports

From: William Samson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2013 13:01:28 +0000 (GMT)

Dear Collective Wisdom.

   I have never understood why luthiers have never got around to gluing
   little blocks to the inside of the edge ribs in way of the ends of the
   bars.

   Throughout history one of the commonest faults in a lute has been the
   ungluing of a bar end causing the soundboard to sag and creating
   buzzes.  Thomas Mace has a lot to say about this along with full
   instructions to the owner on how to fix the problem themselves if they
   don't live near a luthier.

   It seems to me that a simple preventative measure would be to glue
   little blocks or props inside the edge ribs for the ends of the bars to
   rest on.  I've noticed that some early guitars have such props, so why
   not lutes?

   Would the addition of blocks/props kill the sound of the instrument?  I
   very much doubt it.  Any ideas why such an obvious remedy to a common
   problem was ignored by the old ones?  Built-in obsolescence maybe ;) ?

   I look forward to reading your hypotheses.

   Kind regards,

   Bill Samson

   --

---

From: James Jackson <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 6 Feb 2013 13:59:22 +0000

Hi Bill,

   I know of at least one very well known and respectable luthier who does
   indeed glue the blocks on and doesn't see the sense in them not being
   glued.

   My hire lute was recently under repair for two loose bars, while it was
   under repair, the luthier, whom the Lute Society trusted with the
   repair, as well as re-gluing the bars, he glued the blocks too and
   blamed the unglued blocks as the likely cause of the failing of the
   bars.

   When I got the lute back, I would swear it sounded better than it did
   before the failure of the bars. Although a little adjustment was done
   to the action while it was under repair, but I don't know how much that
   would affect the sound. My point being, gluing the blocks didn't have
   an adverse effect of the sound.

   I'm convinced it's the best way to go and I'm going to take a page out
   of his book and glue mine when I get to that stage.

   James.
   On 6 February 2013 13:01, William Samson <[1][email-masked]>
   wrote:

        Dear Collective Wisdom.
        I have never understood why luthiers have never got around to
     gluing
        little blocks to the inside of the edge ribs in way of the ends
     of the
        bars.
        Throughout history one of the commonest faults in a lute has been
     the
        ungluing of a bar end causing the soundboard to sag and creating
        buzzes.  Thomas Mace has a lot to say about this along with full
        instructions to the owner on how to fix the problem themselves if
     they
        don't live near a luthier.
        It seems to me that a simple preventative measure would be to
     glue
        little blocks or props inside the edge ribs for the ends of the
     bars to
        rest on.  I've noticed that some early guitars have such props,
     so why
        not lutes?
        Would the addition of blocks/props kill the sound of the
     instrument?  I
        very much doubt it.  Any ideas why such an obvious remedy to a
     common
        problem was ignored by the old ones?  Built-in obsolescence maybe
     ;) ?
        I look forward to reading your hypotheses.
        Kind regards,
        Bill Samson
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References

   1. mailto:[email-masked]
   2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html