Lirone (lira da gamba)

The instrument shown here is an 11 string lirone, based on instruments by Gasparo da Salo of Brescia. Among instruments by him that survive is one in Leipzig that is presumed to have been a lirone, although its neck is not original. There is also a viol in the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford with an almost identical body. It is this latter instrument that is the basis for the body of my lirone, with the neck to my own design and the head based on that of a lira da bracio by Givanni Maria of Bresica from 1575 (also in the Ashmolean Museum).

The tuning of the instrument pictured is taken from ‘Della prattica musicale vocale et instrumentale’ (1601) by Cerretto, which is as follows: G-g (off the fingerboard) c-c´-g-d´-a-e´-b-f#´-c#´. It has a string length of 55 cm and is also available with your specified number of strings and tuning. There is, as always, the possibility of extra decoration, carving or purfling.

Also available: A copy of the Ashmolean instrument – a 6 string bass viol.