Dear Alfonso, > Approximately one year ago I received my new theorbo made by Nico van der > Waals in Holland. He suggested me an average string tension of 3.6 kilograms > for a string length of 82 cm. Yesterday, speaking to the phone to a fellow > lutenist, I discovered that he is using an average string tension of 4.2 kg > on an instrument of 84cm string length. > I am wondering now what would be the ideal tension for an instrument of this > type. What are your suggestions?
I don't think I know ideal solutions, but here are my experiences in stringing my new big Dieffopruchar theorbo. (http://www.cs.helsinki.fi/u/wikla/mus/Chitarroni_300603/) The string lengths are 87cm and 160cm. First I tried double courses, but they did not feel god. My first try was (all nylgut): a'=415Hz a'=440Hz 87cm 3.4-4.0 Kg 3.8-4.5 Kg 160cm 2.9-3.1 Kg 3.3-3.5 Kg That was definitely too little - well I have only tuned to a'=415 - but that is where I play nearly always. And those tensions were meant for double fingerboard courses. Then I odered new strings from Aquila; there was some hurry, because gigs and courses were coming. The new tensions vary: a'=415Hz a'=440Hz 87cm 3.9-4.4 Kg 4.4-5.0 Kg 160cm 3.4-3.7 Kg 3.8-4.2 Kg And that feels quite good! I still have not tried the a'=440. At the end of my message I'll talk more of details. > Do you think the instrument will gain in volume by using thicker strings? I guess that is not so easy; I think "the best" tension also gives the best volume and sound. But what is best... You just must test... :-) > Besides this I have another question: > > Aquila strings states that the string gauges for Nylgut are the same as for > gut strings. I have heard some people saying that Nylgut should be slightly > thinker than gut in order to obtain the same tension. What are your > experiences about this? I have heard that too, for example Jakob Lindberg says just that. I cannot comment because I have so little experience of gut strings. One thing I do know: it takes quite long for nylguts to achieve their final feel. So "quick testing" is not possible. Here is my stringing now, if someone is interested in details. There are certain problems, and also the available diameters have some effect to some variations. And I am so used of having 8 strings on fingerboard - for the sake of continuo - that there are two or three extra problems. I might have a solution too, see below. (Use monospace!) note string tensions Kg (415, 440) a 54NG 4.0, 4.5 e 76NG 4.4, 5.0 b 50NG 4.3, 4.8 g 60NG 3.9, 4.4 d 85NG 4.4, 4.9 A 112NG 4.3, 4.8 problematic G 1.05 Carbon! 4.1, 4.6 problematic! F 1016 Pyramid wound!! 3.9, 4.4 problematic!! E 76NG 3.7, 4.2 D 85NG 3.7, 4.2 C 91NG 3.4, 3.8 B' 100NG 3.6, 4.0 A' 112NG 3.6, 4.1 G' 124NG 3.5, 3.9 Mainly the feel and sound are very good. Only lowest fingerboard strings are problematic: the 6th is nearly ok as nylgut, but 7th and especially 8th could not be nylgut. I am going to try the new Aquila Nylgut Wound 'DE' strings as the strings 6th to 8th. See the Aquila pages http://www.aquilacorde.com/home1.htm http://www.aquilacorde.com/catalogo7.htm They write: "These strings consist of a Nylgut* multifilament core (characterized by a remarkable stability in climatic changes) with varnished copper winding." "These strings were specifically designed for the deep basses of archlutes, d minor-lutes, theorbos with shortened extention, but also for the basses of regular Reanaissance and Baroque lutes if you prefer a more fundamental oriented sound. The innovative characteristic of our DE strings lies in the fact that they were specifically conceived to best reproduce the timbric and acoustical qualities of our C type loaded gut strings which are strongly fundamental oriented." At least their description sounds good! I hope this was not too thorough and detailed... ;-) Arto
