Is there any type of guitar that sounds like an orpharion?

[PrettyPickles86]

The orpharion is/was a renaissance instrument similar to a lute, but with metal strings.

 

Here's a youtube recording of one being played:

[YOUTUBE]Mo9bMRu18H4[/YOUTUBE]

 

I really like the sound of it. I couldn't find anyone that makes them anymore. I guess I could get a cheap lute and put some metal strings on it? Any ideas on how to get that sound would be appreciated. I've been playing with keyboards/electronics for 15 years, the recorder (flute) for 3, but don't have much experience with fretted strings.

 

Thank you!

[DeepEnd]

I'm at work and can't watch the vid so no real clue. I guess a 12-string guitar with very light strings might work. Freeman Keller could probably suggest something but he's on vacation.

[PrettyPickles86]

When does he get back?

[Idunno]

[video=youtube;vRTWJgolXW4]

 

Similar but not as droning.

[Freeman Keller]

When does he get back?

 

I'm actually lurking but I honestly don't have any suggestions. Putting steel strings on a lute will tear it apart. When I get back to reality I'll look thru some of the lutherie books but other than building/buying an actual orpharion I really don't know.

[Freeman Keller]

Before we go any farther in this, Pretty, can you explain what you are after. Do you want to incorporate that sound into some sort of modern music or are you interested in playing renaissance music on more or less period instruments. I know of several people building lutes and early guitars if that is what you are after.

[garthman]

Here is some information about the orpharion from Wki:

 

The orpharion or opherion is a plucked instrument from the Renaissance, a member of the cittern family. Its construction is similar to the larger bandora. The metal strings are tuned like a lute and are plucked with the fingers. The nut and bridge of an orpharion are typically sloped, so that the string length increases from treble to bass. Due to the extremely low-tension metal strings, which would easily distort the notes when pushed down, the frets were almost flush with the fingerboard, which was gently scalloped.^[1] As with all metal-strung instruments of the era, a very light touch with the plucking hand was required, quite different from the sharper attack used on the lute.

The orpharion was invented in England in the second half of the 16th century; in sources of English music it is often mentioned as an alternative to the lute. According to Stow's "Annals" (1631), John Rose of Bridewell invented the instrument in 1581.^[2] A Rose orpharion in Helmingham Hall was allegedly given as a gift to Queen Elizabeth, and may well be that first example. It has six courses and the bridge and nut are parallel. The only other surviving orpharion, now in the Claudius Collection in Copenhagen, has nine courses with sloping frets, and dates to 1617.

 

So - "extremely low-tension metal strings, which would easily distort the notes when pushed down, the frets were almost flush with the fingerboard, which was gently scalloped.^[1] As with all metal-strung instruments of the era, a very light touch with the plucking hand was required, . . . "

 

Not surprising really - wire was hard to make in those days. So, to the OP, your ideaof using a lute and stringing it with wire is not so bad really.. I think you'd probably need to lower the frets - some judicious stoning - and perhaps use something like nickel steel wound strings (the wire used in the 16th C would probably not have been wound) and tune to quite low tensions (using wound strings enables you to acieve lower tensions at a particluar pitch). Might work?

 

Or you could buy a cittern: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cittern