Baldosa / Vihuela de Péñola
I’ve designed this instrument together with Efren López on some paintings showed in Cantigas de Sta. María by Alfonso X “The Wise”. It’s name becomes confusing because several instruments from the same time and with similar features received very different names (mandole, bandore, pandure, vihuela de péñola or plucked vihuela…).
It’s a long-necked lute that is carved in a solid piece of Spanish Cherry with glued on fingerboard and sound top. This belly is made half in Spruce, half in skin, like the rebec in Cantiga n. 170.
It’s strung with 3 melodic double courses, and 10 sympathetic strings in bronze and steel that pass through the bridge in a lower level than the melodic ones, and run to the pins through the characteristic bows between the soundbox and the neck that can be seen in Cantiga n. 140.
String length: 700 mm
You can hear this instrument here: Efrén López improvisation with baldosa
