Cithrinchen or Bell Cittern just completed

[Dusepo]

For the unfamiliar: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cithrinchen

[Richard500]

As usual, interesting and educational! The offset cylindrical part of the neck looks like an ergonomic feature - is it? The wiki article says brass or steel (!) strings in that era. I can believe brass but actual steel wire, or really iron?

[Charles E.]

Very nice Jo. Do you ever stain the shafts of the boxwood pegs to match the heads?

[Dusepo]

As usual, interesting and educational! The offset cylindrical part of the neck looks like an ergonomic feature - is it? The wiki article says brass or steel (!) strings in that era. I can believe brass but actual steel wire, or really iron?

Yes, the neck is typical of the cittern family. It's only on the treble side, and the idea is (I think) that your thumb rests in the gap.

You are correct - the strings are a mix of brass for the lower courses and soft iron for the higher ones.

Very nice Jo. Do you ever stain the shafts of the boxwood pegs to match the heads?

Personally, I would've left them all unstained, but this was to match the look of the pegs used on surviving historical cithrinchen I've seen in museums, which were often ivory with bits of ebony or dark stained wood, and this shape. I don't use ivory or ebony because I like to be ecologically responsible (ivory would also be illegal of course).

[Charles E.]

Gotcha, plus if you choose not to stain, you save yourself from dealing with nitric acid and or ammonia. Nasty stuff that.

[Dusepo]

Here's a sound and video sample: