Thames Dresden 13-String Guitar

The School of Music announces a new school-owned instrument for use by classical guitar majors, the Dresden 13-string by Michael Thames

Absolutely unique, this instrument is specifically designed to replicate the string and tuning of the Baroque lute for the guitarist. Single-strung with standard guitar string (not double-strung with gut), and tuned with machine heads (not friction pegs), the instrument is set up with eight string on the fretboard and five floating and strung to and extended theorbo-style head extension. The instrument is kept tuned like a Baroque lute (open d-minor triad tuning) so that Baroque lute tablature can be read directly and easily. The transition for guitar students is vastly simplified, therefore, with the only hurdles to exploring this extraordinary repertoire being additional string and tablature notation.