All instruments built by Clive Titmuss come with custom-fitted cases.
Prices do not include shipping and insurance.
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10-course lute after Raillich, Venice 1640’s by BC luthier Clive Titmuss
CAD 6500
Built Feb. 1987. 61.5 cm string length, Amazon rosewood, 100-year old German spruce, boxwood pegs, pear bridge, maple purfling, neck veneered in the same style as the back, wide string
spacing, with case, KF harp string basses. This instrument is perfect for Kapspberger and transitional tunings of Dufaut and Mezangeau. Though materials are pre-CITES, the instrument cannot be shipped to the US, pickup only.
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Six-course lute after Gerle
CAD 3800
string length 56.5 cm, lightly-figured Swiss elder with rosewood spacers, and the neck is also solid elder, boxwood pegs, Engelmann soundboard, pear bridge, spalted holly fingerboard trimmed with ebony, laminated plum pegbox, reinforced case with brass hardware.
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Sound sample for the six course lute : Piva by Joan Ambrosio Dalza
The back is old-growth elder from Switzerland, and the neck is the same. The pegs are boxwood, modelled on a painting from 1500. The pegbox is laminated from plum wood and holly. The bridge is Swiss pearwood. The fingerboard and peg-box backing are both spalted holly. The top is Englemann spruce from Revelstoke, B.C, a beautiful piece of wood, whose fine grain enabled me to cut a very small rose with a lot of details. The rose pattern is found in a 19th Century French book of Arabic ornaments, and it closely resembles the ones used by the Fussen lute makers of Germany.
The case is custom made for this instrument, from birch plywood which is heavily re-inforced with hardwood barring, lined with foam and red velvet, with matching hardware. The case is made with a special piece of wood that enables you to hang it on the wall easily, and simply open the case, withdraw the lute, play and replace it. You simply lift it from the wall to carry it anywhere.
Only I have played this instrument, it is nearly new, and I removed and replaced the soundboard once to improve the action. It’s now perfect for easy playing, and this simple instrument can be played very fast and easily. It’s ultra-light and responsive and would suit a student very well. There is a wealth, thousands of pieces by English, French, German, Italian and Dutch composers of the 1500’s. You may play the many folksong-like pieces by Dowland on this instrument. It makes playing many of the most demanding passages much easier than on a larger tenor lute. The music of Capirola and Dalza has a particularly good sound on this lute.
The price is 3800 CAD, there is no tax and the shipping and insurance are specific to the destination. I ship in a heavy cardboard box, double walled and lined with packing material.
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Four-course mandolin by Cesare Montaldi, Naples, 1850, completely restored by Clive Titmuss,
CAD 1200
This Neapolitan mandolin was made by Cesare Montaldi around 1850, then sold at a franchised store in London, according to the label. The instrument is completely restored by BC luthier Clive Titmuss. The neck is re-set, body completely removed and repaired, new rosewood fingerboard, new brass frets. There are more than 30 tiny pearwood butterflies holding the back together. The tuning machines are excellent modern reproductions with the correct gauge light stringing for the period. The sound is absolutely stunning, crystalline and completely authentic. The action is perfect at 3.2 mm at the body/neck joint. No case.
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Sound sample: Over the Sea to Skye, duet with an 1809 Broadwood Piano
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Six-string guitar after Panormo by Clive Titmuss, 2011,
CAD 6500
Maple neck stained black, perfect figured European Maple back and sides, turned blackwood buttons, applewood peg head and ebony pegs, with fossil ivory frets, French-polished finish. Comes with a heavy-duty reinforced case. Because of CITES restrictions, this instrument cannot be shipped to the USA.
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Six-string guitar after Louis Panormo, London, c. 1812 by Clive Titmuss, 1987,
2155 CAD with free shipping
European figured maple body: European spruce soundboard, maple neck and applewood head stained black; pre-CITES ivory nut, frets and bridge pins; Brazilian rosewood pegs; Rio rosewood bridge; spotted ebony fingerboard, currently strung in gut.
The ivory frets are a period detail copied from the original–exceptionally kind to the strings, and very easy on the hands. This is the guitar for the brilliant style of Sor, Aguado, Carcassi and Giuliani. It is amazingly easy to play, incredibly sweet and well-balanced. Carefully maintained, excellent playing condition. Perfect for folk music too.
While there are restricted species on this instrument, they are all pre-CITES. The frets and bridge are recycled from a junked Broadwood piano. The instrument may not be shipped to the US, but it may be picked up or shipped to any location in Canada.
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Sound sample: “Romanza” by Clive Titmuss, Susan Adams.
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Surplus sets for classical or jumbo acoustic guitar
CAD 450
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I have a number of surplus sets for classical or jumbo acoustic guitar. It’s responsibly grown and harvested Java rosewood, very similar to Indian Rosewood (Dalbergia Latifolia) in texture, hardness and working properties. Unless you are making a smaller guitar, you would use a three-piece back and harvest a large amount of surplus for head stock veneer or small fingerboards. The grain is very straight and most pieces approach quarter-sawn grain. You never see Rosewood of any kind this good anymore. I found it to be a superb tone wood and wonderful to work. It’s expensive, and won’t ship to the US: CAD 450.00. Write to me if you need more details.
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If you have any questions about the instruments, please contact me.
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