The instrument has a regular six-stringed guitar setup on a lute bowl,[1] however there are many theorboed variants with up to 11 strings.
(see de:Deutsche Basslaute) The instrument is associated with the Wandervogel countercultural movement in Germany in the first half of the 20th century.
The headstock commonly ends in two styles, either a head (representing animals or humanoids) or a curve (into a flat finial, carved or undecorated).
Several ribs (or panels) of curved wood (usually maple or rosewood) make up the back of body, glued to a wooden frame underneath.
Lute guitars, however, may have intricate designs carved into the soundboard, such as geometric patterns or representational decorations such as flowers, castles, and scrolls.