Confidential to Chris, this is not the worst (not the Best either) of the
old recordings. I don't own any of the field recordings under discussion. I
have heard enough to lose interest.... The biggest problem in the early
recordings is lumpy wheels and squeal. There was something on Youtube of a
very pretty girl playing fairly well, but the poor machine was squealing
like a pig in a fence. I didn't run that one much, and can't find it now.
It sounds to me that Mr. Hogwood is not a HG player, just somebody that was
playing at the moment. (Is this this was the same Sir Christopher Hogwood
that went on to fame as fortune as a conductor? ) The notes are too passive.
I may be spoilt to that zesty, emphatic, precise playing of MM Imbert,
Bouffard, Chabenant, et al.

I understand and appreciate your project, but unless you really like
scraping the wheel everytime the humidity changes, you really want a twencen
laminated wheel. In some of the old instruments, there is some evidence that
the shaft was pounded into the wheel... I hope into a pre-drilled hole....
Players that have seen me build, comment on the violence involved, but
driving a shaft (pig-iron or wood) into wheel like a nail is too much even
for me. I'm not trying to discourage you from something you really want to
do, but personally, I wouldn't want an instrument that took all my playing
time up in maint. Carved body sounds interesting though.

Doing a re-rosin during a performance is par for the course. I never liked
performing solo, My first choice for a partner is a good storyteller that
can keep an audience enthralled during an emergency re-cotton. I refuse to
true an oval wheel on stage. OK call me a snob...

Roy

On Feb 5, 2008 11:46 PM, Kathy Hutchins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> From: "Thomas A. Frank" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> >> and dogs and cats will run from it
> >
> > Is this a common occurrence when playing the HG?
> >
> > I ask in all seriousness, because I am quite interested in getting an
>  HG,
> > but if it scares the cats, it won't be welcome in the house.
>
> We have a number of odd instruments in the house. Besides my harp and
> embryonic HG, I also have a circa 1870 Erard grand piano. My husband plays
> viola, accordion, tenor saxophone, Irish flute, and smallpipes. My older
> daughter is a cellist. My younger daughter is a percussionist, and has in
> addition to the standard school-issue snare drum, a bodhran and a medieval
> rope tension drum. We have a wooden bucket full of pennywhistles,
> recorders,
> and bamboo flutes. Out of all these instruments, the only one that affects
> the animals (two dogs, eight cats) is a Generation D tinwhistle. I don't
> know what it is about this particular whistle, but the minute I start
> playing it both dogs put their noses in the air and start howling like
> wolves, and the cats all either rush to the door to be let out, or go hide
> upstairs.
>
> I mean, it has to be the instrument, right? It couldn't possibly be my
> playing.
>
> And to the fellow who was going to use that mp3 to scare raccoons out of
> the
> attic: to me, it kind of sounded like raccoons mating, so I'm not sure it
> will have the effect you intended. My attic is actually full of squirrels
> right now. and nothing seems to frighten them.
>
> Kathy Hutchins
> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>

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