Gamut Instruments - Sellas-Model Guitar

Gamut Sellas-Model Guitar

This model of baroque guitar is based on an instrument made by Metteo Sellas in Venice. The head of the original instrument has a label plate in which the year 1638 is given, presumably as the year of production. It is a large instrument with a string length of 69cm. The deep, vaulted back provides a large air chamber that result in a full, bright and projective tone. This is a great instrument for continuo or solo work.

Our version of the Sellas guitar has five double courses, (the first course is most commonly strung with a single string these days). The front is a AAA Engelmann spruce that is at least twelve years old with a three layer wooden inset rose with a decorative purling around the sound hole. The fingerboard and head plate are ebony along with ebony edge binding around the front.

Baroque guitars may be tuned one of several ways, using a mixture of fundamental and octave strings, depending on the repertoire played.

The Standard Tuning for This Instrument is:

    • e-1 - Unison pitches

    • b-2 - Unison pitches

    • a-3 - Unison pitches

    • D-4 - Fundamental and octave pitches

    • A-5 - high octave unisons

Sellas-Model Guitar Specifications:

    • String length 69cm (27 1/8")

    • Overall length 39" (99cm)

    • Body length 18 1/2" (47cm)

    • Neck length 12 1/2" (31.75cm)

    • Body width, lower bouts 10" (25.5cm)

    • Body width, waist 6 7/8" (17.5cm)

    • Body width, upper bouts 8" (20.3cm)

    • Body depth, deepest part of arch 4" (10.3cm)

    • AAA Englemann spruce front

    • Layered, wedding-cake rose

    • Decorative purfling around rose

    • Neck: mahogany

    • Head: mahogany with ebony face plate

    • Ebony fingerboard, with points

    • Bone nut

    • Pear bridge with ebony top plate

    • Ebony bridge decorations

    • Ebony front edge half binding

Sellas-Model Guitar:

Modeled after: Matteo Sellas Guitar, 1638