EM
Good instrument if you put the work in
I have used the archlute for four weeks now and I feel it is right to submit a review. Firstly, I wish to thank the other reviewers who helped me decide whether this was worth the risk with their highly detailed and knowledgeable observations.
Things didn’t start well. The peg for the 14th course was stuck fast, and to make matters worse whilst applying gentle pressure part of the upper peg actually broke away which must have been because it had been forced in and damaged prior to purchase.
I brought the rest of the nylon strings up to pitch (415) to get a first impression. I was not surprised, but the instrument was totally unplayable as the individual string tensions were wildly different. I removed all the strings and was able to remove the stuck peg, which I glued back together.
I ordered some Aquila nylgut strings according to an online string calculator and strung the lower pegbox first to see how things might come together. The pegs were nicely seated and I was pleased to see the sound was quite clean even up to the “dusty end”. I have a small amount of fret buzz on the 6th course but that can be overcome by technique.
So I ordered some Aquila loaded bases for the diapasons and in order to fit them I had to carefully increase some of the string hole diameters on the bridge. I also decided to run courses 11-14 outside of the tiny upper pegbox by carefully drilling holes in the pegs. I also did this on 1st course. (I swapped mended peg 14 for peg 8 which was the same size thankfully). I had to carefully file the nut to receive the strings and after a bit more TLC it has settled down nicely.
I did not change the nylon frets because the higher notes all sound clear and fret well. The archlute sounds good and plays nicely with my alterations and represents very good value for money if you are prepared to take a moderate risk.
The gig bag is a nice freebie, (a proper case would cost as much as the archlute!) but I strengthened the upper part with a lining of cardboard and padding on three sides to protect the upper pegbox and the diapasons.
Things didn’t start well. The peg for the 14th course was stuck fast, and to make matters worse whilst applying gentle pressure part of the upper peg actually broke away which must have been because it had been forced in and damaged prior to purchase.
I brought the rest of the nylon strings up to pitch (415) to get a first impression. I was not surprised, but the instrument was totally unplayable as the individual string tensions were wildly different. I removed all the strings and was able to remove the stuck peg, which I glued back together.
I ordered some Aquila nylgut strings according to an online string calculator and strung the lower pegbox first to see how things might come together. The pegs were nicely seated and I was pleased to see the sound was quite clean even up to the “dusty end”. I have a small amount of fret buzz on the 6th course but that can be overcome by technique.
So I ordered some Aquila loaded bases for the diapasons and in order to fit them I had to carefully increase some of the string hole diameters on the bridge. I also decided to run courses 11-14 outside of the tiny upper pegbox by carefully drilling holes in the pegs. I also did this on 1st course. (I swapped mended peg 14 for peg 8 which was the same size thankfully). I had to carefully file the nut to receive the strings and after a bit more TLC it has settled down nicely.
I did not change the nylon frets because the higher notes all sound clear and fret well. The archlute sounds good and plays nicely with my alterations and represents very good value for money if you are prepared to take a moderate risk.
The gig bag is a nice freebie, (a proper case would cost as much as the archlute!) but I strengthened the upper part with a lining of cardboard and padding on three sides to protect the upper pegbox and the diapasons.
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It's been a little over a month...
I replaced all the strings with Aquila strings for a 415 tuning. Now the instrument is stable although it's still very fresh. The sound with the new strings is truly beautiful. As others have noted, it's surprising for such a low-priced instrument. The weak point is the bass pegbox. The strings are too tilted with angles that make it difficult to hold and tune the V, VI, VII, and VIII drone bass strings. I solved the problem by drilling out the VI, VII, and VIII pegs on the outside of the box. However, the position of the V drone is extremely awkward, both for securing the string to the peg if it needs changing (unless you remove all the other strings). Furthermore, when tuning, the peg can touch the neighboring one, preventing either from turning easily, which is truly impractical. It may seem like a minor issue, but in concert, you don't want to find yourself with a stuck tuning peg if you need to quickly adjust the tuning, which is already a uneasy task with the drones.
Because of this, I was hesitant to confirm the 4-star rating for quality. However, overall, the instrument is well-made, solid, carefully finished. I would still recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the instrument's specific repertoire and the practice of basso continuo.
I replaced all the strings with Aquila strings for a 415 tuning. Now the instrument is stable although it's still very fresh. The sound with the new strings is truly beautiful. As others have noted, it's surprising for such a low-priced instrument. The weak point is the bass pegbox. The strings are too tilted with angles that make it difficult to hold and tune the V, VI, VII, and VIII drone bass strings. I solved the problem by drilling out the VI, VII, and VIII pegs on the outside of the box. However, the position of the V drone is extremely awkward, both for securing the string to the peg if it needs changing (unless you remove all the other strings). Furthermore, when tuning, the peg can touch the neighboring one, preventing either from turning easily, which is truly impractical. It may seem like a minor issue, but in concert, you don't want to find yourself with a stuck tuning peg if you need to quickly adjust the tuning, which is already a uneasy task with the drones.
Because of this, I was hesitant to confirm the 4-star rating for quality. However, overall, the instrument is well-made, solid, carefully finished. I would still recommend it to anyone who wants to learn the instrument's specific repertoire and the practice of basso continuo.
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