Yes, we really did

buy a lute.

And here's the picture to prove it.

I bought it when I was down in Yorkshire in September for a few days - it came from the Early Music Shop in Bradford. Officially it is our Christmas present to ourselves, but I daresay come Christmas there will be other presents on the pile. No matter ....

It arrived the week after I'd bought it and in less than three hours the OH had snapped a string trying to tune it. As the days went by the same string snapped several more times. This is not uncommon apparently with the top string on a lute. Well, so says the Interweb anyway. There was also a slightly rough patch on the bridge which the OH sanded gently but the string just kept on snapping. 

The Early Music Shop were very good and sent a free replacement and we also bought another one, but the problem persisted and so, when the OH went south recently, the lute went with him for the EMS' 'lute man' to have a look. He adjusted the peg slightly, gave the OH a handful of free gut strings and also a nylon one for 'if all else fails'. Happily whatever he did seems to have cured the snapping problem so now we can turn our attention to learning to play the thing.

I have had a go at holding it and came to the conclusion that for a woman with a full front playing a lute might line up with yoga and archery in the Not to be Recommended section of the paddock. But I do want to learn to play it so I will just have to find a comfortable position and get on with it. It has been rather monopolised by the OH since they came back but tomorrow I start seriously trying to learn. Wish me luck!