Description
This collection shows unique or isolated designs that don’t fit neatly into the big families (guitar, mandolin, cittern, lute, etc.), but appeared as one-offs, experiments, or regional curiosities. Think of them as orphans or outsiders in the plucked-string family tree.
These Instruments were developed in isolation, often by a single maker, or that never achieved widespread adoption. Sometimes patented novelties, sometimes folk hybrids, sometimes just ahead of their time. Rare specimens survived and rediscovered by collectors much later.
Many “loners” are now collectors’ treasures, sought after for their rarity and quirky charm. Some became stepping stones to later success stories like the Hawaiian slide guitars that led directly to resonators and electric guitars or theLyre guitars which are nowaday curiosities in museums, but symbols of the Romantic era’s love of ornament. Today, modern luthiers occasionally revive these forms for experimental or historical projects.
Go to collection Loner
