minstrel: My new EMS lute

[Lutr Ruckstandewerfer]

Greg Lindahl wrote:
> On Mon, Nov 17, 2008 at 05:16:43PM -0500, Jason Benson wrote:
>
>   
>> So I finally have the chance to order one but 
>> the only one I can afford is one of the EMS lutes made in pakistan.
>>     
>
> Wow, those are really inexpensive -- 389 pounds plus shipping for the
> least expensive budget model. If the quality is reliable, then that's
> a great buy. I guess the main reason people were recommending against
> cheap lutes was that there wasn't a good middleman to ensure quality.
> But with these lutes, there is.
>   

I think it's the "reliable" part that's the rub.  A lot of people report 
that EMS lutes are fine, but a lot of people have real problems with 
them, too.  I considered an EMS lute when I was shopping for mine, but 
the one I played at the showroom in Bristol was... well, to be honest, I 
don't know how it was, because the pegs were so bad that it couldn't be 
brought even close to being in tune.  But any lute maker can fix bad 
pegs, and that's the usual advice if you're considering an EMS lute:  
find a local lute maker and get them to give it a thorough look once you 
buy it.  Even if it's in pretty good shape, chances are they'll find 
small ways to improve it, and if it's a disaster, they'll probably be 
able to rescue it for you. 

It's good to hear that Cedric's lute turned out well, though.  
Congratulations!

cheers,
Lutr