8-Course Lute,Variegated, Taylor (Item Code: LT8BZT) The variegated Taylor lute has a body of alternating rosewood and lacewood staves, with a rosewood neck, peg box, and rosewood finger board. The tuners are ebony. The soundboard is made out of European spruce with a rosewood bridge and rosewood end pin. There are six nylon frets and six rosewood frets. The nut width is 67 mm. The bowl has 5 Lacewood staves and 6 Rosewood staves with a Rosewood end cap.The 7 and 8 course Renaissance lutes designed by Zachary Taylor are based on an instrument made by Hans Frei, the original of which may be seen in the Warwick Museum in England. This lute was made in Bologna about 1540 and since then may have been the subject of conversions to the stringing and the soundboard. Apart from shortening the string length from 670mm to 600, for ease of left-hand fingering, the instruments follow Hans Frei"s principles of construction. Hard case included.