Page 2 of 2 FirstFirst 12
Results 26 to 42 of 42

Thread: Long scale, high pitch

  1. #26
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    SD
    Posts
    3,658

    Default

    I hope they don't visit those height often i would think the metal strings would -lay hell on wood frets. What are the tied frets made of? John
    My avatar is of my OldWave Oval A

    Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.

  2. #27

    Default

    Fishing line. Seriously. (Eugene, are you listening?)

    The lower frets are of the thickest grade of fishing line, the higher ones of medium thickness; all of them, three rings around the neck, tied in the back, knot on the "north" side, so as not to get in the way of the thumb as it shifts. Obviously, the action is very, very low.

    If —I still say IF—#I acquire this, and become dissatisfied with the more "authentic", tied frets, I could have a luthier set fixed, metal frets into the fingerboard; that can be done, and IS done on such laouto specimens as are more, ehm... practicality-minded.

    But all that is pending...
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  3. #28

    Default

    Aha! Just found this on luthier Theo Kanellos' site:

    [QUOTE]"This [the laouto] is a string instrument of the lute family with long neck. Although measurements do very from maker to maker, however, the string length is between# ( 680 -750 ) mm, the body length ( 450 - 500 ) mm, body width ( 310 - 380 ) mm, body depth ( 160 - 200 )mm, neck length ( 325 - 365) mm, neck width at the joint with body ( 50 ) mm and (35- 45) mm at the top end ( joint with head ), and head length ( 130 -160 )mm. The soundboard is made of spruce, and the body usually is made of maple, walnut, ebony, rosewood, or a combination of white and darker woods. The laouto has four double sets of strings, which are tuned in fifths ( Cc-Gg-Dd-aa ) starting from the bass. Laouto has a re-entrant tuning , because ( Gg ) is tuned a fourth lower than ( Cc ). In the mainland of Greece at the end of the 19nth century the laouto was build in three defferent sizes, nowadays, one finds only two sizes. The middle size, which is found in the mainland of Greece, and the larger size which is played mainly in the island of Crete, which has different tuning ( Gg - Dd - Aa - ee ), the re-entrant tuning is still a characteristic of the Cretan laouto, because ( Dd ) is a fourth lower than ( Gg ). The role of the laouto in Greek traditional music is that of accompaniment, either providing the rhythmical values, or following the melody of the song."

    In other words, speaking of the laouto in general, the second northernmost course is the lowest one, pitch-wise. In other words, D's, A's, and E's progress upwards, pitch-wise; the G's stand a mere major second below the A's, or (as Maestro Kanellos writes) a fourth higher than the G's.

    Ugh... a straightjacketed, classical musician I know is getting a headache. Now I am seriously considering restringing this creature, IF, as I said before, I get it. Mental cogwheels grinding away...
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  4. #29
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default

    You may find the reentrant tuning odd, but it is very common on such instruments of the ukulele family. I suppose it also extends to the 5 string banjo but I would think of that fifth string as more of a drone.

    Jim
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  5. #30

    Default

    Jim is perfectly right. No, if this comes through, no restringing—#I have seen the light!

    I may, however, tune the highest-pitched course to D, instead of E. That way, it will have its dominant drone in the A-course; its tonic drone in the low D-course; it will become the dominant of the G-course, thus setting up all the "classic folk" possibilities for self-accompaniment.

    Not to mention that, with the uppermost two courses tuned a fourth apart, not a fifth, some common double-stops (e.g. thirds) become graspable, despite the enormous scale.

    Meanwhile, no word yet from the owner. I do not complain, though. Dreaming is often the better part of achieving.
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  6. #31

    Default

    Continuing my search for the elusive laouto

    Judging by ear (from the attached sound-byte):

    Range: Two and a half octaves, from G (fist line in bass clef) to D (fourth line in treble) In other words, the fingerboard is operable up to the 10th fret, D on the E string. Perhaps this is the reason for the tuning of the uppermost course to E, as (my own, goofy preference of) D would "shrink" the upper limit to C.

    Stringing: Octave courses on G and D; from the A on, one hears obviously unison-course sound. No re-entrant tuning that I can hear.

    Oh... and you CAN read Flemish, can't you? #



    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  7. #32
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default

    I can't read Flemish but there is a nice linek to the Museum of Popular Instruments in Athens, with over "1200 Greek popular musical instruments dating from the 18th century to the present day."

    In fact, here are a few items of interest from that museum. BTW, what is the "pick" they use for these things?

    Jim





    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  8. #33

    Default

    Quill from feather of vulture, eagle, or other predatory bird.

    I plan to visit that museum in the summer. Meanwhile, I have a book with GLORIOUS illustrations by the museum's curator, Phoebos Anogeianakis. If you ever drop by my office, I'd love to show it to you.

    Cheers,

    Victor



    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  9. #34
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default

    An interesting book by Fivos Anoyanakis on Greek instruments is also mentioned on that Flemish site.

    Jim
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  10. #35

    Default

    Ah, what a meeting of minds! THAT's exactly the book I have.
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  11. #36
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Location
    Helsinki, Finland
    Posts
    454

    Default

    The book is really good, though of course covers all kinds of instruments, not only plucked chordophones we love most... I don´t own it, but we have it here in the local library.

    Nice to know about the museum. Definitely a place to go, if I´ll be in Athens some day!




  12. #37
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Westchester, NY
    Posts
    30,753

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by (vkioulaphides @ Jan. 06 2005, 13:40)
    Ah, what a meeting of minds! THAT's exactly the book I have. #
    I figured you, Victor, of all people, would have that one.

    Jim
    Jim

    My Stream on Soundcloud
    Facebook
    19th Century Tunes
    Playing lately:
    1924 Gibson A4 - 2018 Campanella A-5 - 2007 Brentrup A4C - 1915 Frank Merwin Ashley violin - Huss & Dalton DS - 1923 Gibson A2 black snakehead - '83 Flatiron A5-2 - 1939 Gibson L-00 - 1936 Epiphone Deluxe - 1928 Gibson L-5 - ca. 1890s Fairbanks Senator Banjo - ca. 1923 Vega Style M tenor banjo - ca. 1920 Weymann Style 25 Mandolin-Banjo - National RM-1

  13. #38

    Default

    I guess my lowball went off the field... no response yet. Even factoring in some people's habit of checking their e-mail only sporadically, there should have been some response by now. Oh, well...

    But one must be stoic: Just think of all the mando-goodies I can get with all the money I will have saved by not buying this creature!
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  14. #39
    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    1,130

    Default

    There's always short scale, low pitch in red, blue or the always popular black.

  15. #40

    Default

    Uhm... not exactly what I had in mind but, as I am here to be educated, ah... silicone strings? And just what gauges would said strings need to be, to sound (presumably) in the contrabass octave, stretched across an 18 in. scale?
    It is not man that lives but his work. (Ioannis Kapodistrias)

  16. #41
    '`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`'`' Jacob's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2002
    Posts
    1,130

    Default

    I haven't found the string sizes listed at the Fender string website, but there is a very large photo under zoom.
    For reference the electric guitar jack has a 1/4 inch diameter opening.




  17. #42
    Registered User John Bertotti's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2002
    Location
    SD
    Posts
    3,658

    Default

    Victor think how fast you could fly up and down that fret board with silicone strings. Better be careful liable to stub a finger on the nut or bridge when you move to fast. John
    My avatar is of my OldWave Oval A

    Creativity is just doing something wierd and finding out others like it.

Similar Threads

  1. Cittern 25 inch  scale vs what scale?
    By mrkrishna in forum CBOM
    Replies: 7
    Last: Jul-06-2008, 6:48am
  2. Magnetic pickup for 10-string long-scale
    By groveland in forum CBOM
    Replies: 12
    Last: Jan-07-2008, 7:34pm
  3. How to adjust pitch of frettet notes
    By skippy in forum Builders and Repair
    Replies: 2
    Last: May-27-2007, 2:38pm
  4. Short  vs long scale
    By Mike Buesseler in forum Builders and Repair
    Replies: 17
    Last: Dec-29-2006, 2:11am
  5. Sam Bush DVD not in pitch
    By lakedog mando in forum General Mandolin Discussions
    Replies: 18
    Last: Aug-24-2005, 9:35pm

Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •