Roosebeck 5 Course Baroque Guitar, Lacewood

We’ve received shipments from Mid-East Instruments including the Roosebeck 5-course Baroque Guitar and Renaissance Lute!

The Roosebeck 5-course Baroque guitar is based on historic instruments, and is built using materials not covered by CITES export restrictions. The top is Spruce, the body and neck are a combination of light-coloured Lacewood and darker Sheesham. Lacewood is a term used for a variety of woods but often Roupala Brasiliensis, while Sheesham is Dalbergia Sissoo, also known as North Indian Rosewood.  On some versions of this instrument, Mid-East has used Walnut in place of Sheesham. 

A visually striking feature of this instrument is the complex  three-level lattice Rose, which goes into the body over 30mm. 

Traditionally, frets on instruments like baroque guitars, lutes and vihuelas were tied-on sections of gut string, as metal frets were not available. On the body itself, the extension frets are small pieces, sometimes Maple, Ebony, or Ivory. Gut is seldom used because it is fairly unstable, and Nylon has taken its place just as it has for strings. The first nylon strings were developed by duPont for Albert Augustine around 1948, in co-operation with Andres Segovia.

A very nice, heavily padded soft-shell case is included.

Here how Mid-East describes the Roosebeck 5-course Baroque Guitar:

“The body is made with alternating staves of lacewood & sheesham on sides & back; in a matte finish. The soundboard is spruce. The neck is lacewood with a sheesham finger board. The frets on the neck are tied nylon, there are 6 sheesham frets on the spruce soundboard. The tuning pegs are sheesham.

It has 5 courses of 2 strings each (course 1- 3 nylon and course 2 – 5 nylon & silver wound). The bridge has a sheesham base with lacewood top; the ornate sheesham mustache stands out against the light spruce soundboard. It has one soundhole in the center of soundboard which is exceptionally ornate, 4 layer deep, parchment style rosette.”