Cittern — Lutherie Encyclopedia

CitternType: instrumentA metal-strung plucked instrument with historical roots in the Renaissance and modern application in Celtic and folk music.## History The cittern (also spelled "cittern" or "cithern") has two distinct historical identities. The Renaissance cittern was a popular wire-strung instrument of the 16th and 17th centuries, with a flat back, metal frets, and a pear-shaped body. It was considered an easier alternative to the lute, commonly found in barber shops for customer amusement. The modern cittern is a revival instrument developed in the 1970s by Stefan Sobell and other British and Irish luthiers, designed as a shorter-scaled alternative to the Irish bouzouki for Celtic music accompaniment. The modern cittern typically has five courses of paired strings and a scale length shorter than the bouzouki, making it more comfortable for players with smaller hands. ## Construction The modern cittern typically features a flat-backed body similar to a large mandolin or small guitar, with a spruce or cedar top and hardwood back and sides. Scale lengths range from 18 to 22 inches, shorter than the bouzouki's 22 to 24 inches. Ten strings in five courses are common, though four-course versions also exist. The body is usually 12 to 14 inches wide at the lower bout. Construction follows general flattop guitar principles with modified bracing to suit the instrument's pitch range and string tension. The fingerboard is typically radiused with metal frets, and the headstock accommodates ten tuning machines. Some builders produce citterns with carved tops following mandolin-family construction. ## Tonal Characteristics T…