Michael, I don't know if I'd call it a "foolish," pretension, but
perhaps one that some may find impractical. However, if the early
music movement has taught us anything, it is that it isn't foolish to
try anything--just perhaps foolish to stick to something once it
doesn't hold up in performance. And by that same token, we should
define what the performance means. Since I am a performer who makes a
living from medieval music, my criterion would be durability,
reliability in tuning, a consistent sound and convincing visuals and
form. For this reason, I don't mind going the way of stainless steel
axles, teflon bearings and planetary pegs (the latter more for
Baroque & Classical instruments). They look right and are reliable &
consistent. However, I'd feel it's equally valid to make an
instrument using any of the period-accurate materials, if not only
for the chance to try out the stuff but if for example it holds up to
your needs. If those are playability and you don't mind replacing a
piece of horn or wood or leather as it wears, or that the tuning
needs a bit more fiddling than if you had things differently, then
it's great. If it jsut needs to look good in a museum case and never
be played, then the options are again quite different. It's all worth
a try, I think, and what you choose to keep is up to what you plan to
do with it.
Anyhow, I feel the project Chris is up to is great, personally--but
Chris, if you're going to go the whole way with it then try the non-
stainless axle. Maybe this is why the SPanish HGs had such a take-
apart system--to replace parts and keep the axles greased?...who
knows...
cheers to all,
Vlad
Wolodymyr Smishkewych
wolodymyrsmishkewych.com
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
On Feb 10 2008, at 13:10, Michael Muskett wrote:
This sounds like a foolish pretension because no one can possibly know
what a 13th cent instrument sounded like. Early attempts at synfonies
made them very small as shown in the Luttrel psalter, not realising
that
mediaeval artists did not draw to scale but to relative importance.
The
best thing is to make one of a practical size and fit it with an
internal sound board. Forty years ago there was speculation as to what
was in the box - bells? Strings? - but that has now been sensibly
resolved. The instruments were certainly diatonic, while the modes
could
be obtained by adjusting the pitch of melody and drone strings. Things
were pretty simple in those days. No doubt the standard of making and
playing varied greatly. The crank had been known for a long time and
had a number of applications, while metal and woodwork skills were
quite
advanced.
Many string instruments of the time had skin 'soundboards', but this
seems unlikely in a box construction.
MM
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On
Behalf
Of Simon Wascher
Sent: 10 February 2008 16:23
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Re[6]: [HG] purpose of my new project.
Hello,
There are already makers offering modern instruments aiming for
"historical correct" sound of 1300s. So I thought the more intresting
effort is to really go for the original methods and materials.
Many aspects of these old methods and materiales cannot be known
without actually having it done. So to me using bearings and axle
materials that were available is central to find it out. But for sure
there are more important cases like how to get blade split (cleaved?;
not saw-cut) european spruce (Picea abies) and Sycamore Maple (Acer
pseudoplatanus) in instrument makers quality and dimensions for the
top, bracings and bridges.
S.
Am 10.02.2008 um 15:45 schrieb Chris Nogy:
I imagine that if you keep the bearings in use regularly, you will
not have a problem. But if you allow the instrument to sit for a
prolonged amount of time and then try to use it, you will see
problems. Especially with a regular carbon steel or iron axle. I
will probably be using either a regular silver-steel machining
steel, or some form of stainless stock to turn my axle from. I
know it is not period, but I don't think that the material the
shaft was made of (other than how round it was made) would make a
difference in the sound. But then again, if you don't get a
perfect polish on the shaft, maybe the surface textrue of the shaft
running in the bearing would give some small but important tonal
difference.
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