Hi Dave, Really sweet piece of work! The jointery is superb the bowl looks great (Australian Lacewood?) interesting spring mechanism and round ends on the keys even ball bearings too. For a first attempt at design and execution this is just outstanding. There are some things I see that you may want to consider doing differently next time but then again if it does what you want ... so be it. 1. I suggest that you install ball bearings on the shaft ends only and do not use one under the bridge area in favor of a clearance hole for the shaft to pass through. This allows that especially important area around the bridge and bridge brace to vibrate more freely and thus increases response, tone quality and volume. 2. I don't know what you used to couple the top braces to the lower but when I build I look for the coupling to be light strong flexable and a good conductor of sound. Much like a violin or cello I choose a spruce dowell or sometimes a spruce stick with small rectangle section turned the opposite of what yours is, again to facilitate the bridge braces' movement. Some builders do not even glue in this sound post in favor of inhanced movement. 3. It looks like the lower row of keys is a long distance from the top row. We shoot for no more than 1/8" between the top row and the bottom. This greatly shortens the tangent length and helps eliminate keyflex and lifting torque that can cause excess key slap on the belly side of the keychest when a key is pressed in. But then again your spring system may reduce this to a negligable amount. Enough for now. I fear that to many suggestions tend toward the negative and this is a time for rejoicing. You did it! How does it sound? All the best Mel
________________________________ From: Arle Lommel <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Friday, February 17, 2012 2:59 AM Subject: Re: [HG-new] Golden Wood hurdy gurdy album link I note that you're using coil return springs. I'm curious why you decided to do that rather than using a gravity return? Relatively few makers use springs. Not saying not to do, but curious more about your rationale. -Arle On Feb 16, 2012, at 20:52 , California Dave wrote: > Here is a link to a Facebook album from my studio of the vielle I've been > making. When finished this will be my 120th or thereabouts instrument but my > first hurdy gurdy. Any comments or observations would be greatly appreciated! > > https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.248449061904577.59202.100002184552554&type=1&l=4693e7fb6a > > > Thanks > Dave Bucher, citteraro > The Golden Wood Stringed Musical Instruments. -- 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.
