The Paris Vihuela
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The Paris Vihuela pictured here is a replica of a historical instrument in a museum in Paris that is the predecessor of the Modern guitar. The original dates back to c. 1500 AD. This replica was made in London in 1974 by Raphael Weisman, the founder of Harps of Lorien, after examining the original, measuring and photographing it and creating a full scale drawing of it so that the replica could be made. This replica took a year to make and the research and measurements of the original were documented in the Galpin Society Journal, Volume XXXV, March 1982, which includes details of the methods of construction of the replica. The instrument is in a private collection.
The following are views of details from the replica made in 1974 in London. The inlays on the back, neck and the (legal) ivory and ebony and other wood marquetry are all made up of many individual pieces as well as the sections of the fingerboard. The article may be posted at a later date once it can be scanned in and inserted. It shows how many of the detailed parts were made and put together. The dimensions of the instrument ( in cm.) are: Total Length 112.3
Body length – 58.8
Width at lower bout – 31.9, at waist – 27, at upper bout -29.8
Body depth (Sides including back and front) tapers from 6.4 at neck/body joint to 7.6 at endblock.
More detailed dimensions are available in the Galpin Society publication.
here are some detail photos:
