Hi Mike, I own an alto too, having a low C string (obligato) which makes it even worse, as one tone lower you get less load on the string. Certainly, when you turn the wheel fast, it goes up to harmonics and you lose the deep "cello" sound. However, in my experience you can use more pressure against the wheel with this string, as scratchy sound due to excess of contact is not as noticeable as on high strings. Also, increasing the bridge to wheel distance helps, specially on the higher octave (21mm on my instrument).
Anyway, it is an amazing sound when you play slow airs. Regards, Oscar. 2007/12/14, Eaton Mike <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>: > > Hi, I've been off the list for a while and am just catching up. > > I'm flattered by your comments! Yes, it is an Alto. I have 4 melody > strings: Octave D's and Octave G's. For this set of tunes tune I was using > was the Octave G chanters with a G drone and D trompette. It was recorded > at the first annual Hurdy-Gurdy Festival at Lancaster in the UK last April. > The festival itself was a great success (I think we must have had about 40 > HG players, plus many other associated musicians and interested parties) - > enough to pursuade the organisers to put on another next year. > > I agree about using the viola C for a low low D chanter - a > fantastic deep, rich sound. I find it does have its drawbacks though: a > slower response time, so you cant do rapid trilling, and the richness of the > sound can tend to vanish when you crank at trompetting speeds. It's the > least reliable of my melody strings and I have to work hard, constantly > fiddling with rosin/cotton wool/shims etc to maintain a reasonable sound > quality. > > Question for other HG players with low low D chanters - do you also find > that the low low D is hard work to keep it sounding good? I'm currently of > the opinion that having a fairly firm contact against the wheel helps. > > Also, I've forgotton the name of the 3rd tune in the set of tunes that I > play in this video clip - anyone help ? > > Mike > > -----Original Message----- > *From:* Jocelyn Demuth [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > *Sent:* 13 October 2007 04:06 > *To:* [email protected] > *Subject:* Re: [HG] great tune played by Mike Eaton > > It sounds similar to my hg. I have a D-G instrument. I've equipped it > with a viola C which I've tuned to a D for the lower chanterelle. I also > have a cello C string which I've also tuned to a D below that D for the Gros > Bourdon. I have a renaissance gurdy by Olympic musical instruments. People > tell me all the time that it sounds like a Cello. Now of course, I don't > play it as ably and beautifully as Mike Eaton, but I think you can get a > similar sound with this tuning. - Jocelyn > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Augusto de Ornellas Abreu <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > *To:* [email protected] > *Sent:* Friday, October 12, 2007 3:33 PM > *Subject:* Re: [HG] great tune played by Mike Eaton > > I suspected it was the Alto, but can anyone figure out how each string is > tuned? I really like the harmony... > > On 10/12/07, Arle Lommel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > It's this type of instrument, which the maker calls the "Alto": > > > > > > http://www.weichselbaumer.cc/english/alto.html > > > > -Arle > > > > On Oct 12, 2007, at 3:59 PM, Augusto de Ornellas Abreu wrote: > > > > Hi there > > > > Can anybody with a better ear than mine tell me what kind of tuning > > (chanterelles, drones, etc) does Eaton has on this marvellous tune? > > > > http://youtube.com/watch?v=vRQaWbI1rus > > > > Are his chanterelles (at least one of them) an octave apart? Is this an > > alto HG - it sounds almost cello-like... Great! > > > > Augusto > > > > > > > > > > > This email, including any attachment, is a confidential communication > intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is > addressed. It contains information which is private and may be proprietary > or covered by legal professional privilege. If you have received this email > in error, please notify the sender upon receipt, and immediately delete it > from your system. > > Anything contained in this email that is not connected with the businesses > of this company is neither endorsed by nor is the liability of this company. > > Whilst we have taken reasonable precautions to ensure that any attachment > to this email has been swept for viruses, we cannot accept liability for any > damage sustained as a result of software viruses, and would advise that you > carry out your own virus checks before opening any attachment. > >
