Wanting to try a cittern (esp. Nordwall) in California/West Coast

[fuz]

I've been admiring the work of Sweden's Esbjörn Hazelius for a long time, and recently learned his cittern is made by Mats Nordwall. I love the sound!

I have a distinctive, 23.5" Irish bouzouki/OM thing from Stan Pope, and I feel pretty confident I'd enjoy playing a Nordwall cittern. And it sounds like he builds them a little lighter by using nylon bass strings, which is encouraging, because my fingers don't like the heavy strings of a regular mandocello. In any case, it's a lot of money to drop on a guess. Visiting Mats Nordwall's shop in Sweden looks like it would be about the same cost as just buying the instrument. Not super practical, much as I want to visit Sweden.

I'm in the San Francisco Bay Area; does anyone around here (or in the Western Continental US?) have a Nordwall instrument I could visit and play briefly? I'd also be curious about other citterns, e.g. by Crump or others. I can bring some of your beverage of choice, especially if I'm only driving.

[Patrick Gunning]

I have a Nordwall Cittern and am based in Los Angeles. It's an amazing instrument.

Sent you a PM to get in touch!

[Dagger Gordon]

Hi Patrick,
I remember the thread about Nordwall building your cittern and I have wondered how that worked out. Pretty well, by the sound of it.
How do you tune it?

Dagger

[Patrick Gunning]

Tuning is CFCGCD low to high, with octaves on the lower courses.

I had to have it repaired a little bit, the bridge developed a humidity crack after a particularly hot day in a car (my fault), but now it's back to good as new!

It really shines once you capo up about 4 frets and up. Remarkably consistent voice up the neck due to the lattice bracing.

I'm working on a video this week to show a little of what it can do :D

[Patrick Gunning]

A little video featuring my Nordwall Cittern :D