Last
updated 15th November 2008
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Prices
Each section of the lute
catlalogue shows a guide price. The actual price of
an instrument will depend vary with the
model,number of courses, number of ribs,the woods
chosen, decoration etc.
Please contact me directly
for specific enquiries and further information,
including student discounts.
Although I generally quote
prices in GBP (Sterling) customers in the U.S . are
invited to request quotes in $.
lutes@malcolmprior.co.uk
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In the
workshop at Chiswick
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Detail from
Masaccio's Virgin and Child c. 1420. London,
National Gallery.
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FAQs
Why do you never update
your website?
Because most of my available
time is spent making lutes. I also have a wife and
two young children, and I am not very good with
computers.
Will you be providing more
regular updates to your site in
future?
O.K - I'll try
harder
Have you ever thought of
going into therapy?
Yes - most days.
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Scope of the
Lute Catalogue
This site is
intended to indicate the general range of work that
I undertake but it doesn't include all the models
that I curently make. If you can't find exactly
what you are looking for here, or require more
detailed information, I will be pleased to answer
your enquiries personally.
A note on
pitch
The question of
string lengths and historical pitches continues to
exercise scholars of the lute. However, whilst
various theories have been proposed, there is as
yet no concensus on the matter. Lutes with a string
length of 60-64 cm will general work well with
their top strings at modern g' , even with gut .
What the relationship of that note is to historical
practice, I leave to others to debate. Lutes with
string lengths outside that range are not assigned
specific pitches in my lute catalogue.
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New Workshop
Address
I have recently
moved from London to Norwich, where I am currently
constructing a new workshop. Although the new
building will not be actually completed until the
new year, I have set up a temporary workshop to
enable me to carry on working on lutes in the
meantime.
My email address
remains unchanged, but I do have new postal
address -
click
her for new contact details
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All instuments are
built according to the priciples found in the best
historical models, using the most recent
scholarship.
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Materials. Finding
the best quality materials for lute building is a
constant challenge. However I have very good stocks
of high quality seasoned wood acquired over many
years .
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Biography
I have been a
professional lute builder for almost 30 years.
Having started to
play the lute as in the early seventies I decided
to become a professional instrument maker. I
completed a five year apprenticeship in the
Dolmetsch workshops in Haslemere, where I learnt
viol making under Roger Rose. In 1979 I established
my first workshop in London and specialised in lute
making.Since then I have made instruments for
professional and amateur musicians In Europe, North
America and Japan. Until 2002 I was Senior Lecturer
on the Early Strings course at former London
College of Furniture.
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