Lute Strings
A plucked chordophone, made of wood, of Arab origin which flourished throughout Europe from medieval times to the 18th century. The typical features of the Western lute are: a vaulted body constructed from a number of separate ribs shaped, bent, and glued together; a flat soundboard or belly in which is carved an ornate soundhole or 'rose'; a distinct neck and fingerboard tied with gut frets; a pegbox, usually at nearly a right angle to the neck, with tuning-pegs inserted laterally; a bridge to which the strings are attached, glued near the lower end of the soundboard; and strings arranged in paired courses, with the frequent exception of a single treble string. Courtesy of New Grove DMI © 1995.
