It was during 1976 that the desire to build an instrument germinated in me. I was studying at the Institut Marguerite-Bourgeois in Montreal, affectionately named “Maggie-Bou” by many of my peers at the time.
Classical guitar was central to my activities, and my excellent teacher Rafik Saman initiated me to the wonderful music world of the lute. It is with him that I discovered the repertoire from the Renaissance transcribed for guitar, especially the Elizabethan era. The Batchelor, Cutting, Dowland, Holborne, Johnson, Morley and others considerably occupied my listening to music at that time.
While discovering the guitarist Julian Bream was playing the lute repertoireand that its instrument was of a particular making, that is to say; designed for guitar technique with a string tension similar to guitar, and with metal frets; I undertook my first steps to get one. Very quickly I had to go to the evidence that the required amounts were beyond means.
Therefore, the only option that came to my mind to concretize this dream somehow: Well it was to concentrate my efforts towards the objective to realize This lute myself.
The project was carried out over a period of about 12 months, and its construction was effected in several places: bedrooms, kitchen, garage, etc.