Lute Rental Program Collection
In terms of the instruments included in this rental collection, please note that the Lute Society of America neither endorses nor discriminates against any particular luthier or lute maker based on any factor other than the quality of the instruments produced. We encourage and support the outstanding work of all!
The list below displays the instruments in the LSA Rental Collection. "Courses" means the number of pairs of strings on the instrument and "mensur" is the vibrating string length (the length of the string from the point it leaves the bridge to the point it touches the nut). The best instrument for a beginner interested in learning to play the available written music of the late Medieval through the Renaissance periods (ca. 1400 - 1600) is a 6, 7, or 8 course Renaissance lute. Baroque lutes of 11-14 courses are built larger and are designed and tuned in d-minor to play the Baroque repertoire (ca 1600 - 1750). They are not appropriate for playing lute music written before the Baroque period. The Renaissance lutes in this collection are tuned to g' (unless otherwise noted for a particular instrument) and at a pitch standard of A = 440 Hertz (modern concert pitch). The Baroque lutes in this collection are tuned to d minor and at a pitch standard of A = 415 Hertz (a pitch that is often called the "Baroque pitch" but is really a compromise between a variety of "Baroque" pitches that ranged between 392 and 465 depending on where one was in Europe in the Baroque era, what instruments were being played, the mood desired, etc.) The rental rate for all instruments (exceptions noted below) is $55 a month. See the Rental Agreement for more details. All instruments are valued at, and must be insured for between $1,000 and $5,000, unless otherwise stated.
NOTICE TO THOSE DESIRING TO RENT A LUTE
There has been a dramatic increase in interest in lute rentals since the beginning of the pandemic, and we anticipate that once we've processed our current backlog of applications, there will be a shortage of Renaissance lutes, in addition to the current waitlists for theorbos and 13-course Baroque lutes. If you would like to rent an instrument, or join a waitlist for one, please fill out our Lute Rental Application Form, and somebody will get back to you as soon as possible about availability! Please check this page for any necessary updates. Thank you for your patience! We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause, and we look forward to helping you soon!
Inventory # | Photo | Instrument Description | Availability |
|  | 13-course Baroque lute tuned to d minor (A=415) Mensur 71 cm Made by Lyn Elder, 1991 Donated by Jim Washburn |
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| 6-course Vihuela Mensur 59.7 Made by Lyn Elder |
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See and hear this lute being played: https://youtu.be/Ef8MCPkyuvY |
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See and hear this lute being played: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0bUm3JgkXA |
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See and hear this lute being played: https://youtu.be/rCf1nF1F0VI |
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See and hear this lute being played: https://youtu.be/DKowq7kuexo |
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AVAILABLE FOR RENT IN CANADA ONLY |
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See and hear this lute being played: https://youtu.be/HOeOyW5ZkE8 |
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See and hear this lute being played: https://youtu.be/kV1N1-bQHP4 |
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See and hear this lute being played: https://youtu.be/mzaOSVK2ls4 |
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| 7-course Renaissance tenor lute tuned to g' (A=415) Mensur 64 cm Made by Mark Butler, 1982 Donated by Greg Silverman |
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AVAILABLE FOR RENT IN CANADA ONLY |
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AVAILABLE FOR RENT IN CANADA ONLY |
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This instrument is valued between $5,000 and $10,000. Because of the high value of this instrument, the security deposit and monthly rent will be higher than for other instruments in this collection. |
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This instrument is valued between $5,000 and $10,000. Because of the high value of this instrument, the security deposit and monthly rent will be higher than for other instruments in this collection. |
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| 4-course Renaissance
guitar Mensur 50 cm Attributed to Larry K. Brown, 1990 Donated by Elise Stiles |
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AVAILABLE FOR RENT IN CANADA ONLY |
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This instrument is valued between $5,000 and $10,000. Because of the high value of this instrument, the security deposit and monthly rent will be higher than for other instruments in this collection. |
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This instrument is valued between $5,000 and $10,000. Because of the high value of this instrument, the security deposit and monthly rent will be higher than for other instruments in this collection. |
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| 5-course Baroque guitar tuned to e' |
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This instrument is valued between $5,000 and $10,000. Because of the high value of this instrument, the security deposit and monthly rent will be higher than for other instruments in this collection. |
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