It’s good to bring these things up from time to time to help our new crop of players. I took the liberty of changing the subject line for that purpose. Here are a few more tips if I might be so bold (after M&M’s dialogue).
Martin’s video for reference: https://youtu.be/Qs_pXOoBVLU Martin: Thanks for your feedback. I agree with everything you say. These videos are usually done very quickly and without a script, so I'm bound to forget something somewhere! Also the focus is on beginners, and of course there are many things which experienced lutenists do differently. I have interspersed some comments with yours: On 23/10/2016 21:48, Matthew Daillie wrote: > > > Dear Martin, > > Thanks for the video. Without wanting to question anything you demonstrated I > thought I might add a few points which I consider to be important. > > I think that it is advisable to have a set of fret gauges for a particular > instrument (often supplied by the maker) rather than just measuring a fret to > be replaced. Very often over time the diameters of frets change considerably > (the gut generally absorbs humidity and becomes thicker) and even if one > measures an old fret on the part that was sitting on the back of the neck, it > is not necessarily the correct gauge for a replacement. It also imperative to > measure thicknesses of new fret gut with a micrometer as they rarely > correspond exactly to what the manufacturers note on the packet (especially > if they have been stored for some time). Once the new fret is in place it is > always good to check that there are no buzzes. MS: The list of fret sizes provided by the maker is a good starting point of course, but often makers - particularly those who are not expert players - give a rather arbitrary list which may not be the best solution. And as you say, the diameter is often different from the one on the packet. > > To avoid the issue of scratching a varnished neck (or a plain fruit wood > neck) with a knot, some people suggest using a slither of thin plastic taken > from an old credit card or the like which can be put under the knot as one > slides it into position. Some makers use a hard wood for the fingerboard > edging which overlaps the neck enough to be able to place the knot on and so > avoid damage to the softer wood on the neck. I have also noticed that it is > advisable to put the running end of the fret through the knot in such a way > as it comes out parallel to the burnt end. In this way one makes sure the > knot lies flat and does not gouge a ridge into the neck. Credit card would be too thick. The fingerboard should be hard enough at the edge, as you say, hence the importance of having the knot right at the top. You're absolutely right about the direction of the running end, but this is hard to describe and/or demonstrate. > > I try to place the new fret as close as possible to the fret below it (or the > nut in the case of the first fret) so that when put into position it becomes > tight enough (you suggest one centimetre lower than its final position which > doesn't seem quite enough to me). I find this method of tying allows me to get frets very tight without having to pull them a long distance up the taper of the neck. In fact with a colour-varnished neck I have found it useful to tie them in their correct position, helped by the fact that the varnish tends to hold them tighter than a smooth ebony-veneered neck. > > I have never used a soldering iron to burn the ends of fret gut but find that > good quality matches or a lighter with an adjustable flame are perfectly safe > as long as one holds the neck of the lute horizontally so that the flame is > above the part of the fret one wishes to singe and one proceeds by gentle > touches using the base of the flame. I often use matches - but I thought it was good to recommend a safer alternative for general consumption. > > One last thing. When passing the fret gut under the strings, it's good to > check that no strings have been missed out before tying the knot. There is > nothing more annoying than starting to move a fret into position and > realising that a string has escaped your attention and is above the fret > rather than below it! Yep - I thought I mentioned that in the video - but maybe it was in an out-take. Sean's additions: I’d rather use a set fret schedule, too, and if I have to measure a previous fret (removed) I always measure the bit where the thumb is. Then I measure it in a couple of different orientations for an average since they flatten just little bit. The micrometer Martin uses can work fine. I might suggest placing it in your left hand with the knob upright, putting your little finger through the loop (back of the loop against the palm) to hold it and moving the knob between the thumb and index finger. Then use your other hand to place the string/whatever on the anvil. I find it a smidge less awkward. A few years ago I switched to digital calipers. For some reason I got more repeatable results from the 6” length rather than a the 4”-, 2”- or 1”-inch tools. The small spring-loaded string digital calipers aren’t so accurate either. In the US/Canada, you can get a good last-a-lifetime calipers fairly cheaply from HarborFreight Tools. When using calipers, always measure at the inside of the jaws and not the tips. Caution: it’s a very pointy tool so keep your movements careful and your eyes forward. Always measure the fret gut you are putting on whether used or fresh from the supplier. I save an awful lot of used gut strings and have them organized for fret use but the last minute check is always useful and sometimes surprising. Measuring a fret while on the lute can be done with a digital/dial calipers that points a rod from the far end (opposite the jaws). It won’t be quite as accurate but it will do in a pinch. This is helpful if you are faced with a missing fret and schedule. Measure the two adjacent frets and use the average. Always tie your knot so it ends with the ends facing away from the neck. Difficult to wordify, I know, but visualize it tightening while you decide which end to put where in the knot. They will less likely scratch your finish when you shift them. If you have to tie a fret right next to the nut for most tautness and you have a tastino, you can lift it over with a strip of cardboard passed underneath. When you are pulling your fret gut tight before the match, don’t use pliers. You don’t want your next fret from that stock damaged. Also, if your first course is close to the fingerboard edge, a too-tight fret may not stand as tall directly under the string. Additionally, the knot may pop later. If I'm tying a complete set, I start from my 8th or 9th rather than the nut end. I’ll know at each step if you clear the previous. If I start from the nut and my 8th fret doesn’t clear the first wooden fret I will almost certainly use foul language. Tying frets is one of the many nerdly things we have to know and do on the lute — ok, besides everything else. (is this comparable to oboists tying their own reeds?) I have a 6-c w/ a low action and the diagrams and notes I’ve made for myself have been amusing over the years. I would love to hear others’ tips, too. Sean To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
