VIHUELA de MANO

Flat-back vihuelas

From £1850

Vihuelas with vaulted (aconvada) and fluted (acanalada) type of back

Constructional features and historical background


The design of the bodies of my fluted-back vihuelas is closely based on the surviving guitar or, indeed, vihuela* by Belchior Dias in the collection of the Royal College of Music, London. Although the original outline of the body was changed (mainly due to the increase of body width in order to accommodate a wider span of strings), such important parameters of its unique construction as the amount of longitudinal curvature of the ribs and the depth of their fluting were scaled according to the size of each particular instrument. The slope of the ribs in relation to the plan of the soundboard (see end view of body) is kept at the same amount as in the original (approximately 9 degrees).

The body can be made from different varieties of exotic hard woods, such as rosewood, kingwood, cocobolo and ebony. The latter is mentioned a number of times, with reference to fluted-back guitars / vihuelas, in the historical accounts given in an important book by Jose L. Romanillos Vega and Marian Harris Winspear, "The Vihuela de Mano and the Spanish Guitar", The Sanguino Press, Guijosa 2002.

There is a brilliant introduction in this book by Jose Romanillos in which he outlines his views on the historical development of vihuela and guitar. Further to the existing music by Fuenllana for a five-course vihuela (Muguel Fuenllana, Ortpenica Lyra, 1554) and the often quoted Bermudo’s statement (Juan Bermudo, Declaracion de Instrumentos Musicales, Osuna, 1555) on how to transform a six-course vihuela into a four-course guitar we now have additional evidences that guitars and vihuelas in the second half of 16th – early 17th century Spain were constructed by Spanish violeros following the same constructional principles and could have had either flat, vaulted or fluted backs.

On my vihuela in A I also introduced (following, as an example, a technique used in the Quito vihuela) a twisted silver-plated wire which is inlayed into the ebony edging of the soundboard. I came across many instances of the use of twisted wire inlays in ancient traditional instruments originating from the regions of Persia, Middle East and Caucasus. So it would not be unusual to find this type of inlays used in the 16th – 17th century Spain where the influence of Arabic culture was so strong.


* For more detailed analysis of the Belchior Dias instrument see: "The Vihuela and Guitar Crossroads: looking for evidence"


 A number of examples of Baroque guitars with just nine pegs and with one of them positioned, in a similar way, behind the nut in a center of peg head can be found in contemporary early – mid 17th century iconography, for example, in a still-life painting with musical instruments by Bartolomeo Bettera (contemporary of the well-known Evaristo Baschenis) and in a remarkably detailed painting by Jean Daret "Portrait de l'Artiste en Guitariste" (Palais de Malte, Aix-en-Provence).

Also note that an anonymous vihuela E.0748, otherwise known as ''Chambure'' (Cite de la Musique, Paris) was converted, at some point in its history, to a seven-course instrument, by adding an extra notch in the treble side of the bridge, an extra peg hole at the upper end of the peg head and by shifting the bridge further to the left side of the soundboard.

 

These two vihuelas, one with cocobolo and the other with ebony fluted ribs (for more detailed pictures see below), were commissioned by the same customer and it was an interesting project for me to undertake, as to how the sound of these two instruments would differ. Despite the differences in rose designs, I tried to keep the parameters of their soundboards as close as possible (of which the overall mass and the corresponding main tap-tone vibration frequencies are the most important).
Cocobolo is a heavier and more rigid wood than ebony and, as was expected, this resulted in more sustain in the sound as well as a slight shift in overall response of the instrument towards the higher frequency range.


Cocobolo is one of the woods which is directly mentioned in one of the historical accounts (Testamento de Pablo de Herrera, 1622 lists two guitars in cocobola; see p.494 of the above mentioned book by Jose Romanillos). It is very likely that the body of the Belchior Dias guitar / vihuela is made from cocobolo (Dalbergia retusa ) rather than, as is commonly believed, from kingwood (Dalbergia cearensis ). Although kingwood is found on a number of surviving 17th – 18th century guitar and lute family instruments, one of the most characteristic features of this wood - rather strongly-defined tight black veining - is not manifested on the wood of the Belchior Dias instrument.


"... viola de seis ordens de costillas de pao preto ou vermelho..." "ébano de Indias, ébano de Portugal, palo santo, cocobolo o cocabola" - this is how original 16th century sources describe the most common varieties of woods used in the construction of vihuelas.

 

For more detailed views and information click on the corresponding images below

Vihuelas in A or G (SL 56cm) and in G or F (SL 60cm) with cocobolo back ribs, solid kingwood neck.

 

From £2800

 

Reduced version (SL 60 cm) of an anonymous vihuela E.0748 "Chambure" (Museé de la Musique, Paris) with ebony ribs, triple w/b/w purfling in-between. Also available in rosewood and cocobolo.

From £2400

 

Vihuela in G or F with cocobolo ribs and ebony sides

SL 60cm

Ebony vihuela in G or F

SL 60cm
From £2700
From £3500

 

Rosewood vihuelas

in A, G

SL 56cm

in G, F

SL 60cm

in F, E

SL 66cm

From £2600

From £2650

From £2700

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