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Thread: My prim tamburitza arrived

  1. #1

    Default My prim tamburitza arrived

    Picking up from where this thread left off. The instrument seems to have been well cared for and probably minimally played, there are some places where the finish looks foggy or dry. It has a nice low action. One thing I noticed is the fretboard is flush with the soundboard, so it is pretty challenging to to pick without hitting the soundboard using my usual picking technique. It has a 16", I wonder if I could tune it as a mandola with the proper strings. For now though I'll keep it in the conventional EADG. Here are some pictures and video.










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  3. #2
    Registered User DavidKOS's Avatar
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    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    It looks great - how does it sound and feel?

  4. #3

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    It looks great - how does it sound and feel?
    The bottom pic is actually a YouTube video. Easy to miss, I did at first. Kinda cool little instrument!

  5. #4

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Quote Originally Posted by Seter View Post
    Cool!

    I'm not sure what I would do about the flush fretboard though, I might be tempted to make an additional soundhole to allow room for the pick. Although that might not be a good idea from a structural point of view, not sure.

    It's intriguing what you mention at 0:34, that the neck goes all the way through the instrument. I've heard of other instrument makers doing neck-through construction, not just for electrics, for instance Jonathan Mann mandolins and the late Dixie Michell (video), and of course banjos are somewhat similar.

    Anyway, thanks for posting, cool instrument!

  6. #5

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Well it's not exactly neck through in an electric guitar sense, more like the head, neck, and and at least least some of the side of the body are one piece; the luthier may have cleverly joined the rest of the side, I'm not sure. It is a fairly quiet instrument; but it has a much larger body than most prims and so a deeper, more full sound. It's more mellow, less bright than a normal one I'd say. Not a whole lot of sustain but I guess that's not desired for an instrument meant to play fast melodies. There are some odd metallic sounds that I think are due to the stringing; I'll see about cobbling together a new set from JustStrings. The mix of single and double courses means I can get some diverse sounds out of it. I've asked my Serbian friend for some tunes to learn; once I get a little more proficient I'll try to do a proper recording. There a lot of YouTube videos of people jamming on them as a duo with a rhythm guitarist that sound pretty good.

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  8. #6

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Came across this video whilst perusing youtube for songs to play along with, figure some you'd enjoy:


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  10. #7

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Okay I recorded this song, the lead instrument in the first half is a kantele I made from a Musicmaker kit (highly recommended), and then the bisernica takes over the lead after about 3 minutes. It definitely has a sound reminiscent of of a mandolin, but with a guitar-like tuning that makes borrowing guitar scales and tunes easy.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EU4S7zh5M2k

  11. #8

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Quote Originally Posted by Seter View Post
    Came across this video whilst perusing youtube for songs to play along with, figure some you'd enjoy:

    Hey that was fun! First time I've heard Dueling Banjos *and* Take Me Home Country Roads performed by an orchestra, I like this version a lot better than the originals!

    But, pardon my ignorance, I didn't realize orchestras had so many bass players. I was surprised to see all those big basses there all going at it at the same time, guess I'm just used to the small stringband one-bass-per-band idea. Anyway, sounded pretty good, IMO. Pleasant singing voices too.

  12. #9

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Just for future reference, I ordered a set of individual strings from JustStrings based on the string gauges listed here for G prims (.009, .012. .020, .024), we'll see how they sound. The strings on it weren't particularly rusty or anything, but had likely been on there for decades so hopefully the new strings liven it up. I was sort of surprised how tamburitza string sets seem to not be available in the USA at least, I guess players here just buy individual strings.

  13. #10
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    I bet you can get actual tamburitza strings from Joe Todaro. OTOH the custom gauges might be fine.
    Jim

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  15. #11

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Thanks, I might see what he says sometime. I've thought about getting one of his charangos.

  16. #12
    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    I got my charango from him. Still have it and pluck away once in awhile.
    Jim

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    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

  17. #13

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Another good place for tamburitza strings is Deligo Picks http://www.deligopicks.com/
    Fast and they can answer questions.....Not that I'm an expert, but tamburas are a bit different than mandos. I play both, but the tremolo is a bit different on them. When I first started playing prim, I tuned it like a mandolin, but once I got my head wrapped around the tuning in 4ths, all is well!
    Have fun!
    "There are two refuges from the miseries of life--music and cats" Albert Schweitzer

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  19. #14

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    The tambura thread reminded me to post some recordings I recently did with my bisernica, I tuned it to DADG instead of the usual EADG to get more of a drone sound going for using it as an accompaniment instrument.



    I used it in standard EADG for lead work in this recording:


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  21. #15

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Sorry to add so long after the OP.

    1993 Tamburitza Hall of Famer - Walt Naglich sells tamburitza strings: naglichstrings@aol.com or you can call him @ 724-838-7615

    Tamburitza Luthier as well.

    http://www.tamburitza.org/TAA/bios/naglich.html

    Mailed out G Prim (9-12-20w-24w) & G Brac (12-18-26w-36w) strings to me last week. VERY affordable, old school; sent an invoice with the strings.

    The gauges are right in line with Ed Sindicich's from http://learningtambura.byethost6.com/strings.html?i=1 recommendations. Walt's contact info is on that page as well.

    Best!

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  23. #16

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Thanks for the heads up. I'm still using my bisernica fairly occasionally, I'll keep those links in mind next time I'm due for a string change.

  24. #17

    Default Re: My prim tamburitza arrived

    Here is my most recent recording with the bisernica as well as a kantele I built from a kit.


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