Eleven-string alto guitar

The eleven-string alto guitar or altgitarr is an extended-range classical guitar developed by Swedish luthier Georg Bolin in the 1960s.

Original Bolin instruments are now rare and valuable. The Bolin alto guitar most often has eleven strings, but a thirteen-string version also exists.

The 11-string alto guitar is one of the multi-string classical guitars which generally refers to types of classical guitars that have more than 6 strings. Multi-string guitars typically range from 7 to 13 strings, with exceptions of more strings. However, 11-string is the most often used for performance of lute music, particularly Bach and Weiss.

The first 6 strings are tuned in the same interval with the normal classic guitars. Therefore, normal guitar music can be played on 11-string alto guitar with the same fingering.

In the United States, luthier Walter Stanul makes performance instruments ranging from 11 to 13-strings called the Archguitar. The design and the body shape of this guitar is similar to vihuela and thus it is fundamentally different from the one designed by Bolin.

History

Georg Bolin first constructed 11-string alto guitar with collaboration with Swedish guitarist Per-Olof Johnson in 1960s. Johnson is the teacher of a well-known guitarist Göran Söllscher who made this instrument famous through his extensive usage of Bolin's 11-string alto guitar.

Johnson was very fond of lute music, but the difference in playing techniques between guitar and lute is significant and he was looking for a way to be able to approach lute music on the guitar playing technique. Thus the goal of the design was specifically to be able to play rennaisance lute music directly from original tabs using guitar playing technique.

This design goal introduced two main characteristics. The first is to tune the first 6 strings minor third higher (hence the name "alto guitar") in order to assimilate the lute tuning. It is equivalent to putting a capo on the third fret of the normal prime guitar. The second is to add five extra strings for lower notes.

Tuning

The typical tuning of 11-string alto guitar is (from high to low strings): g d a f c G F Eb D C B.

Makers

Current luthiers who build 11-string alto guitars are primarily located in Sweden, such as Heikki Rousu and Roger Strömberg. Ermanno Chiavi in Switzerland is known for his 13-string guitar built for Anders Miolin, but he also builds 11-string guitar as well. It should be noted that Chiavi's guitar has the scale length of normal classical guitar of 650mm which is tuned in the same manner with classical guitar. Therefore, it is technically not an "alto" guitar. Yoshimitsu Hoshino in Japan built 11-string alto guitars with the same specification with Bolin's design in 1980s. However, he no longer makes them.

• Georg Bolin
• Roger Strömberg
• Heikki Rousu
• Ermanno Chiavi
• Joel Jedström, MusikTeknik
• Yoshimitsu Hoshino
• Asturias (Japanese instrument manufacturer)
• Benoit Raby

Performers

Some of the well-known guitarists who use the instrument are as follows:

• Göran Söllscher
• Peder Riis
• Stefan Östersjö
• Kozo Kanatani
• John Francis

Videos

• Coral Sunset by John Francis
• Youtube videos by Kozo Kanatani]
• Youtune videos by Stefan Östersjö

See also

• Extended-range classical guitar#11-string guitar
• Alto guitar

External links

• altoguitar.com, site dedicated to the Bolin altgitarr.
• Altgitarr Links.
• John Francis web page.
• Peter Blanchette, 11-string archguitar