Double frets indeed - as generally used historically and with the advantage of a simple elegant knot to boot.
The advantages of double loop frets have been explained in this forum before. The continuing, if strange, fascination single loops seems to defy historical evidence and practical experience MH. --- On Thu, 18/2/10, Martin Shepherd <[email protected]> wrote: From: Martin Shepherd <[email protected]> Subject: [LUTE] Re: New frets To: "Lute List" <[email protected]> Date: Thursday, 18 February, 2010, 14:20 Hi All, The breakthrough for me came when I changed my method of fret knotting. I used to tie a slip knot ("granny knot" - a reef knot with the second turn the wrong way). Works fine for thin frets, and with smooth-finished gut, but otherwise the slip knot is not so willing to slip. So I tried the method someone suggested to me (Pat O'Brien?) which is to tie a single overhand knot near the end and pass the free end through it - the ultimate slip knot, not really a knot at all. Surprisingly, the gut has enough friction that when you pull this up it holds without slipping back, so you tighten it nearer the nut than you want to end up (a choix), trim off the free end and burn it down to lock it, then slide the fret up to where you want it. It's very neat, too. But as for double frets..... Best wishes, Martin Martyn Hodgson wrote: > > The gut should be pre-stretched before fitting. Mace (1676 p 69) > confirms this and provides good practical advice: > > ' And you will find, that the first Fret, will be ever the hardest to > Tye well on, for two Reasons. > First, because it is the Thickest, therefore not so ready to ply, and > stretch. > 2sly. Because there is but a little narrower room above It, by reason > it is so near the Nutt: Therefore you must be the more careful , to > stretch it very well, before you settle It.' > > He also recommends tying it higher (ie to wards the nut) and stretching > by forcing down to its alotted position a number of times: 'Thus do it > three or four times, till at last you find it stiff,....' > > Finally he suggests a second knot to prevent any possible slipping: > '... you are (after all stretching) to Tye it, of another hard Knot, > and then it is firmly fast'. > > MH > --- On Wed, 17/2/10, Christopher Stetson <[1][email protected]> wrote: > > From: Christopher Stetson <[2][email protected]> > Subject: [LUTE] Re: New frets > To: "Lute List" <[3][email protected]> > Date: Wednesday, 17 February, 2010, 20:35 > > Neat tricks, Sterling and Leonard! They've allowed me to yet again > put > off refretting. > While we're here, does any have any tricks for getting and/or > keeping > the 1st fret really tight? > Best to all, > Chris. > > > -- > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > [4]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > -- References 1. http://uk.mc263.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 2. http://uk.mc263.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 3. http://uk.mc263.mail.yahoo.com/mc/[email protected] 4. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
