Playable old lutes, with rare exception, simply don't exist. The tons of pressure on the neck and belly tends to destroy them. We are on about the 3rd generation of the 'new' makers, those prior to the 50's were building what is affectionately called glutes (guitar-lutes). Somewhere around the mid seventies the luthiers finally figured out the process through close examination of those instruments in museums and improvements slowly but surely occurred. Ttoday the instruments being built are about as historically accurate as one could possibly wish for.

I think I've only heard a couple instruments that have been restored to playability. Hopkinson Smith recorded on a 1644 Railich, which can be heard on his disc of Dufaut, and Toyohiko Sato plays a 1613 Greiff that you can hear on his 'Style brise'. There is a great list of extant museum instruments in Robert Lunbgerg's 'Historical Lute Construction'. That book by the way is an amazing work which documents lute construction from beginning to end for those luthiers interested. Trouble is violin construction where the money is and only truly dedicated luthiers seem to pick up building lutes.

Funny story for you. I was out with an instrument last week and had an elderly man correctly identify my Baroque lute from its case. When I asked him if he played too, he laughed at me and said he had better things to do than play a gourd with strings attached. Turns out he was a piano salesman from a nearby piano store. I laughed with him rather than argue the point, then showed him the instrument. That quickly shut him up.