Martin- Thank you again for a most enlightening blog post. So glad that
you keep us tuned in to the basic foundations and your newest revelations.
Yes indeed, "all good stuff again"- my first lute (8 course, Hugh Gough
1972) had the doubled frets kindly tied on by Hugh himself; and when I
played viola da gamba that was also double frets (don't even try singles
on a viol!). But the singles tied up so fast, so easy, and boy do you
save on gut- never the cheapest of string materials, even so-called
"fret quality" -which, if anything, needs to be the highest quality- at
least for strength, durability, and structural integrity.
Every time a complete refretting is called for, I am always tempted to
go back to the doubles for the good reasons stated- but unfortunately
the gut pile that constitutes my fret reserve is dwindling down to ever
shorter bits- so it's always "Next year I will spend a pile of money for
a good, new stock suitable for proper doubles!"
Interesting about the guitarists being used to big single frets &
wanting to reproduce the effect with fat gut singles- hadn't thought of
that one.
By the way, I would expect that nylon frets would not work doubled-
would they not fail to bed down properly, resulting in permanent
buzzing? Never could stand nylon in any case; not aesthetically not
musically and a complete pain to tie properly.
Dan
On 9/3/2016 12:26 AM, Martyn Hodgson wrote:
All good stuff again Martin. I wonder, though, if it might not also be
useful to mention another advantage of double fret loops: the ability
to adjust position (both sideways and up/down) whilst still retaining a
decent grip. This is all described in the short FoMRHI Comm. 1976
pasted in below.
regards,
Martyn
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
FoMRHI Comm 1976 - More on double frets
Further to Comm. 1969 - Early evidence for the use of double frets and
a list of their advantages over single frets.
Tim Watson is quite right in Comm 1969 ('The lute and the case for
double frets') to advocate the use of double frets on the lute and
guitar and his photos of early paintings well support this position -
although, of course, the fretting on the extant instruments he pictures
is modern and thus doesn't substantiate any historical position either
way. But he is mistaken in thinking that most players are unaware of
the use of double frets: most players (and makers) I come across seem
well aware of it but, through ignorance, inertia or innate
conservatism, are reluctant to try anything other than what the
instrument maker supplied or some professionals they may know or their
acquaintances use. Single loops may also be a continuation of (modern)
guitar practice of single (here fixed) frets which early modern
lutenists (mostly ex-guitarists) copied and seem reluctant to discard -
and the habit continues down to their pupilsa|....
Certainly these days some players, and it may well be a large majority,
still use single frets but a number of players (myself included) use
double frets, being wholly convinced of their great superiority on a
number of counts (see below).
There is, in fact, also at least one good early printed source which
supports the general use of double frets on the lute: Thomas
MaceMusick's Monument (London 1676). Whilst Mace says tells that aThere
is a way which I have lately try'd' to tie single frets, which he
likes, he ends by saying aThis is I confess a Curiositya|' and it is
pretty clear that the general practice is to employ double frets. More
telling is that, when he comes down to it, the only fret knot he
describes for others to use (p.69) is the double fret knot!
To briefly recapitulate the advantages of double frets:
i. - Easier to tie;
ii. - Their double length (over a single loop) gives double stretch
thus enabling significant adjustments to be made (adjusting for
temperaments etc) and still holding firm. Being double the length of a
single loop, the double loop possesses twice the elongation(stretch)
for the same tie force thus allowing them to be tied lower (i.e. closer
to the nut) as Mace advises and then pulled up to ensure a very secure
position. - particularly important for the tricky to tie first fret;
iii. - At least double life - the loop nearest the nut takes most of
the wear and the other acts as a mini nut itself. It has been
speculated that double frets create buzzing and this may be the case at
first (in practice I find there's usually little problem), but in fact
the gut closest to the finger takes most of the heavy wear and soon
beds down leaving the second gut to keep a clean take-off; and for
considerably longer than a single loop. Tom Watson suggests that double
frets only last as long as single (I presume before significantly
effecting playability and tone produced): this is certainly not my own
experience nor of those others I know who use double fret loops;
iv. - Because of the increased elasticity there is a capability to move
the whole fret half a course separation to the side whilst still
retaining firmness of hold and thus placing o worn section between the
courses and an unworn section below the courses (this with iii above
effectively quadruples the life over that of a single fret);
v. - A more elegant knot - there is really no need to put a second knot
to hold the traditional double fret knot - if using gut it will hold
itself through friction alone (though synthetic strings may need an
additional knot to secure);
vi. - As Tom Watson correctly points out, in practice double frets
allow the use of thinner frets and, in fact, more in line with early
sources on fret sizes (such as John Dowland's aOther necessary
Observations' in Robert's Varietie of Lute-lessons (London, 1610). With
such very thin higher frets as Dowland recommends, a lute can be set
very fine indeed so facilitating play in the higher positions.
Martyn Hodgson October 2012
__________________________________________________________________
From: Martin Shepherd <[email protected]>
To: Lute List <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, 2 September 2016, 19:22
Subject: [LUTE] latest blog
Hi All,
Sorry I'm a bit late with the notification, but the latest luteshop
blog
is at: [1]http://luteshop.co.uk/blog/
All comments gratefully received.
Martin
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