Thanks for your help, Augusto. I am learning from you guys as I go. I am going to keep my ears open with this group, listen and learn. I will be building the beginning gurdy this group uses for the build thread, too. I saw Graeme's Jiri and just loved the look of it - he made a beautiful instrument. I will only be playing it at home, to scare my dogs (just kidding, but I know I will be making scary sounds for quite a while!). I don't know enough yet which set-up will be best so I appreciate your thoughts.
I know 'fools rush in where angels fear to tread' so I hope to build a simpler set-up gurdy too. Tim On Nov 2, 3:18 pm, Augusto de Ornellas Abreu <[email protected]> wrote: > I myself tend to think that too many strings only muffle and dull the > overall sound of the instrument. Instruments with that many strings usually > sound great through a pickup system, but have a weaker sound acoustically. > It's a question of sharing the load with too many strings... > > Some makers I've talked to - notably Daniel Thonon and others - shared that > impression... > > > > On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 8:15 PM, timw <[email protected]> wrote: > > Hi Roy, > > > Thanks for the help! > > > I'm building Graeme McCormack's Jiri, not the symphonia. But I will > > listen to your voice of experience, glady. I am pretty ignorant about > > hurdy gurdies still. The Jiri is two octave chromatic (360mm scale), > > with four chanters, three trompette and three base drones. I can't > > remember which strings are which without checking with my notes yet. > > It also has sympathetic strings. The wheel is about 7 1/2", I think. > > > Thanks for the tip about the delrin, too. I have a lot to learn, Tim > > > I'll need to read the archives, I don't know of the other RT yet. > > Take care > > > On Nov 2, 8:42 am, Roy Trotter <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Sorry, I'm AN RT.... not THE RT..... different guy. Although I'm > > > flattered, I can't the credit (all that awesomeness &c, &c, &c) ...... > > > That's one reason I don't use many initials. > > > > But ... I need to point out (voice of experience) that you will probably > > > not be satisfied with a symphonia. You really do want/need a 5 or 6 > > string > > > Vielle. Also, generally you probably don't want a small wheel -- much > > less > > > than 5 inches (Reminder: I am now handicapped and it could take all day > > to > > > type these little "bullets". Explaining "why" Is a bit beyond my > > > capabilities. Feel free to discuss, tho.) > > > And then, you really don't want an authentic, historical instrument; The > > > wheel would wobble. I'm not sure about the time frame: Alden would know, > > > the real RT might. The good techniques and materials didn't happen until > > > the 1960's? for wheels anyway. So you really don't want a "historically > > > accurate" gurdy as a first project. You got enough on yer plate as it is. > > > Maybe someday you can do an all wood and bone (oh, yeah... + gut) > > > instrument, but for now you'll be happier with delrin and cold-rolled > > > steel. .... Take my word for it.... > > > > Not the Real RT, (the unreal one?) > > > Roy T. > > > > On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 8:42 AM, timw <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Thank you, Norm! > > > > > I appreciate every little clue and roadmap I can get on this 'journey, > > > > or as RT said, 'gurdymania'. I will check it out. Another book I have > > > > found that is helpful is: > > > > > Historical Lute Construction, Robert Lundberg > > > > Guild of American Luthiers > > > > ISBN-13 978-o-9626447-4-0 > > > > ISBN-10-0-9626447-4-9 > > > > > This book is pricey, and is on building lutes, rather than gurdies,but > > > > should help building the body. Would I recommend buying it for gurdie > > > > making? I am undecided, maybe someone else here would offer their > > > > opinion. If it is available at a public library, rather than buying > > > > it, yes. > > > > > I'm betting Norm's recommendation, even in German, would be more > > > > helpful. Thanks, Norm. Tim > > > > > On Nov 1, 9:21 pm, Norm Sohl <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On another tangent, Tim mentions building the Jiri from scratch, and > > I > > > > > wanted to suggest that he (and any amateur thinking about a luteback) > > > > > consider ordering a copy of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum's Lasnier > > > > > luteback plan, MIN52. > > > >http://forschung.gnm.de/ressourcen/musikinstrumente/service/gnm_tz_ro.. > > .. > > > > > pdf has more information and ordering info. Personally, I found it 27 > > > > euros > > > > > well spent. It requires a little work to muddle through the German > > if > > > > you > > > > > don't already speak the language, but not that difficult, and the > > rewards > > > > > are worth it, at least in my opinion. That way you would invest your > > > > time > > > > > building forms and tools for a more traditional looking instrument. > > Of > > > > > course, if you have fallen in love with the Jiri, I say just go for > > it! > > > > > --Norm > > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > > > Groups "hurdygurdy" group. > > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > > > [email protected] > > > > For more options, visit this group at > > > >http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy > > > > > The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be > > found at > > > >http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts > > from > > > > new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > Groups "hurdygurdy" group. > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > > [email protected] > > For more options, visit this group at > >http://groups.google.com/group/hurdygurdy > > > The rules of posting, courtesy, and other list information may be found at > >http://hurdygurdy.com/mailinglist/index.htm. To reduce spam, posts from > > new subscribers are held pending approval by the webmaster. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "hurdygurdy" group. 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