I built this model many years ago but I put it aside when players found the off-set pegbox odd, and the appearance of the 9 alternating ribs of plum and curly maple of the original jarring. Nevertheless the size and contour of the bowl and the moderate fretted string length combine to make this an appealing model. I re-thought the offset pegbox and realized that Schelle was onto something. The bass bracket is mounted on the cheek of the pegbox in the conventional manner but Schelle made the pegbox significantly wider than the neck. This allows the 12th and 13th courses to be centered directly or nearly directly in line with the pegbox cheek. Since there is no lateral force pulling the bracket to the side as is usually the situation, the joint between the cheek and the bracket, which is often troublesome, is much stronger. This arrangement also provides a firm anchor for the string vibrations. Rather than some of the strings' energy radiating into space all of the vibrations are channeled into the pegbox and hence into the neck of the lute. Recording engineers have long recognized the phenomenon of neck vibration, particularly in acoustic guitars, and mic or mute them accordingly. As a luthier I like having the opportunity to focus this extra vibrational energy.

 

Specifications: the bowl is approximately 31.5cm wide, 48.0cm long to the neck joint and 16.0 deep. The string lengths are 71cm and 76.5cm.