Roosebeck 7-Course Descant Lute

Looks-Let me start with that this is a quality instrument. I can't find any cosmetic flaws what so ever, It's a beautiful piece of work.playing- This lute plays more like a oud then a lute. First the neck is not parallel , it tapers towards the head stock similar to a guitar. This would be fine but the frets are tied and ment to be adjusted depending on what scale you're playing in. Also, the higher frets are made out of wood. I remember reading someone saying that the neck is very small and I would disagree if it were a oud, but since it's a lute I have to agree the neck is very small width wise. If you have bigger hand this may not be the instrument for you.The sound is very nice, clear, crisp, fantastic. I just wish I could get the tuning pegs to work, The tuning pegs begin to slip a little after tuning. NOTICE, the lute has specific tunings you have to tune it tolowest to highest *GG AA DD GG BB EE A* (I believe any tuning higher then this will void your warranty but don't quote me on that.)Conclusion: I would love to keep this instrument but the tuning pegs slipping and non parallel fingerboard really makes it difficult to tune and play. Though, this is a beautiful instrument with fantastic quality it should use maybe synthetic pegs or a gear tuning system for the strings and a parallel fingerboard for the frets.

I love this little guy. I have a full sized lute too, which turned out to be a bit hard to manage for my little hands, so I thought I'd give this smaller one a try and it's much more comfortable to hold and play for me. It sounds nice and isn't too quiet. It comes with a little booklet with the recommended tuning. The pegs slip a bit, so it doesn't just stay in tune, but it's nothing a little chalk can't fix. (edit: post review, I did end up putting some chalk on and now it tunes like a dream. Stays tuned about as well, if not better than my acoustic guitar.)It also comes with a case, which is better than nothing, but it really is hot garbage and you'd probly want to look for something a little nicer. It's got, like, quilt batting in it and the lining fabric is the kind that rips easily. The neck is also made to accommodate an instrument with a straight peg box, soot fits on the lute really awkwardly and is difficult to zip up. It'll do in a pinch, but I wouldn't trust it too much for big travel.That aside, the lute itself is beautiful and nicely made. I'm in love with it. I have pictured it with an acoustic guitar and a full sized lute for scale.

It doesn’t stay in tune at all, and it’s far too small to be played properly. I wish i refunded it when I got it, but I wanted a lute so bad I held on to it and regret it. Spend the extra money and get a full size, don’t make my mistake.

It looks nice but feels cheap to me. Mine does not hold its tuning; the pegs slip. There's probably a way to rework it, but I wanted a hobby playing a lute, not becoming a luthier. I wish I had spent more on a quality instrument.

I ordered this lute with fear and trembling because I'd read bad things about these inexpensive lutes made in Pakistan. When I unpacked it, I was pleasantly surprised: very well made, with a pleasant cheerful tone, albeit a bit quieter than my handmade lutes.First of all, what it _isn't_. It is not a "descant lute" as advertised, but is rather a "treble" or "alto" lute. A true descant lute, such as Larry Brown used to make, would have a string length of about 44 cm. and could be tuned up to d" (pitch of top string). This lute is larger, with a string length of 50 cm., and seems happiest tuned to a'. This was a popular size of lute in the 16th century, and much ensemble music survives for it. I have heard that the Lute Society in England is using this as a "child's lute" for teaching young people. It certainly is easier for people with small hands to manage than a standard tenor lute in g'. The downside of this is that the strings are rather close together, both on the fingerboard and at the bridge, making clean fingering and plucking a bit of a challenge for my large hands. However, I'm persevering, and my technique is becoming more accurate as a result.The workmanship is excellent. I'd heard that the strings supplied were junk, and ordered a new set of strings, but the supplied strings tuned up quite nicely to a'. The frets are nylon, and I will get around to replacing them with gut frets eventually. The tone is pleasant, though a bit quiet, probably due to the heavy build of the instrument. I have yet to try it in ensemble, but it works quite well as a solo instrument.For the money, this instrument is excellent value. If the larger lutes and early guitars from the same source are of similar quality, I'd recommend them too.

I am really happy about the lute that I purchased! It is wonderful, and much better than expected. Most professional lute players do not recommend purchasing a lute over the internet, but my teacher thinks it's a great lute! It was supposed to have a scratch on the body, but I can't find it anywhere. It has a wonderful, rich sound.

This a well made instrument with a pleasing sound. The strings are close together, as is necessary for the small (descant) size. The lute is probably better suited for people with smaller hands, but I would definitely recommend it.

This is a very good quality, nice sounding lute. Know what you are buying, though. Friction pegs can be a little tricky. If you ever played violin or cello, you know. They work fine but require a bit more technique than geared tuners. This is also a smaller, lute than you might expect, kinda like the soprano or alto size. Like a ukulele or mandolin, though, with practice, even big hands can play just fine.