Re: [HG-new] Volume issues with a homemade gurdy - resolved

[Kazimierz Verkmastare]

Wow, I got one right...<grin>   Thanks for the feedback on my advice - I always like to know when other people can add verification to my results.   Looks like you are on the experimental path to creating one of those unique 'genetic improvements' that enhance the playing quality of an otherwise traditional instrument type.  I have seen HG bridges that had screw-type adjusters for the drones to help fine-tune those strings which are sometimes more difficult to shim because of the way the string slot angle is cut in those bridges.   Traditionally the main bridge is for the chanters and the smaller bridges are for the drones - I don't think I have seen an instrument with everything together on one bridge but doesn't mean that it doesn't happen.   As for what your bridge is made of, finding and orienting wood for bridges is a mystic art indeed.  I find close grained hard maple at my local woodcutter, and create thin planks (3/8" or so) of flat-sawn lumber from bigger pieces with my bandsaw and hand planes.  Having the grain lines oriented parallel to one face of the board is necessary, because though sound vibration carries in the heartwood section (the lighter wood between the rings) is carries like a million times better down the dense sapwood ring area.  So you want at least one dark ring line to run from the top of the bridge to the feet, and you want as many rings as possible in the bridge.  On really good bridges made of hard maple the surface just waves because the rings are thick and dense, and when you cut the wood on an angle you get a surface where the colod gradiates and stripes between the light of the heartwood and the dark of the sapwood.   Pine can be strong and tough, but most pine will not hold up to the violent vigrations of a bowed or wheeled instrument string.  You can make your bridge last linger if you very carefully fit a strip of bone or horn (the outer part, no pith or marrow) to the top of your bridge and glue it with a very thin layer of hide glue - too much glue is like putting a rubber pad under your strings.  You can also use thin super glue - my preference, but it requires a perfect fit between the curve of the bridge top and the bottom of the strip.  These natural materials (horn, ivory, bone) are dense and carry vigration well, and I have seen an overlay on a cello bridge that covered 3 rings at the top of the bridge, therefore dramatically increasing direct contact with the part of the bridge that transmits sound best.  Now this bridge was not perfect, and had problems in other areas, but volume was NOT one of it's issues.   And you don't necessarity always want thin, you want to create good stable footing, a good relatively sharp top edge, and then remove wood where it makes sense - you want to leave more in the legs where it is needed and remove more from the body.   Again, it is relatively easy to make a pretty good functional bridge, but making a great bridge is akin to high sorcery in the complexity of the art - an art that dark practitioners hidden away in places unknown (mostly, I find, in Germany) practice for extreme profit and the glory that gets added to their name.  Kinda like violin bowmakers.  Average, playable bows, relatively cheap and common.  Great bows, and yes, you can hear the difference, that's magic.   Chris > Hiya all! > > Just wanted to share with you the results of my recent experiment. > A while ago I posted a question on this group regarding my HG's > volume, the issue being that it played too quietly. As my folk > metal band is currently recording our demo track, it will soon be > my turn to record the gurdy as well. Thus, I was forced, in a way, > to improve the gurdy's performance in a relatively short time and > so I decided to do the following: > > I took the original bridge off the hurdy. This had to be done with > a knife, seeing as I glued it there. But it had to be done if I was > to improve anything. I took this step because of an advice here on > the mailing list saying that the volume depends mainly on the > bridge itself. My former bridge was in one piece (for the drones > and the melody strings) and quite thick (1,5 cm). > > I fashioned three new bridges from pine: One main bridge for the > two melody strings, a lot thinner and narrower,  and two smallish, > side bridges for the drones. I sanded the melody bridge to fit the > string height then finally glued it onto the board. I did not glue > the side bridges, and found this to be a good idea. > > > The results were astonishing. Once tuned, my instrument is now > playing with the volume of a violin, which is more than acceptable > for my needs. The voume of my former bridge was more alike to that > of the tin whistle (a few dB quieter). > > > Here's what I have learnt: > The tone volume as well as the quality to some extent, depend > heavily on the bridge. This pertains the bridge's thickness, also > overall mass (it should be as minimal as possible, meaning the > bridge should also be narrow) as well as material used (pine seems > to work best). > > If for any reason (homemade gurdy, as in my case, or of strange > design) the bridge on your hurdy is in one piece, meaning that it > transfers the vibrations from the melody as well as the drone > strings to the board, the tone will almost certainly be impaired in > some way. If possible, make sure the strings have each its own > bridge, if you wish to resolve this issue. > > If you're not certain about the position of the drone bridges, do > not glue them. This will enable you to slide them independetly left > and right (parallel with the wheel) and thus the strings towards or > away from the wheel, creating a volume adjustment system. I find > this works for me nicely, seeing as in one of our songs, the drones > have a powerful role in one part of the song, meanwhile in another > part, they just have to provide a soft undertone. I can also turn > them on or off by sliding the bridge. > > > Well, that's about it. I hope this can be helpful to someone > someday. I would also like to thank Mr. Simon Wascher, Mr. > Kazimierz Verkmastare and Mr. Miles for their helpful tips and > advice. > > Photos will be posted soon. Enjoy, > > Gašper -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. 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