Author Topic: Stringed Instruments  (Read 3375 times)

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Offline Marc St Louis

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Stringed Instruments
« on: January 08, 2015, 06:48:04 pm »
Probably some here remember when I built this for my musician wife back in 2009



A couple months ago some local people expressed an interest in getting their own harp so I put aside my bow building and started working on plans for a smaller version of the 4 1/2 octave harp pictured above.  I drew up plans for a 3 octave harp (E3 to E6) and started to collect the materials I needed.  We started stringing the first one last week.  After a week of bumping up the tuning she has settled down and turned into a very sonorous little instrument.  The neck and pillar are Black Cherry, the sound board is Spruce and the sound box is Black Ash.  Here is a picture of #1



This week we started stringing the second one and it's starting to settle in.  It's more or less a copy of #1 and is also very sonorous



Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com

Offline Knoll

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #1 on: January 08, 2015, 07:04:34 pm »
Congrats on successful project completion.  They're beautiful!
... alone in distant woods or fields, in unpretending sproutlands or pastures tracked by rabbits, even in a bleak and, to most, cheerless day .... .  I suppose that this value, in my case, is equivalent to what others get by churchgoing & prayer.  Hank Thoreau, 1857

Offline JW_Halverson

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #2 on: January 08, 2015, 08:55:14 pm »
Who knew you were a luthier as well?  Those are some fine looking harps.

I had a harpist bring me one of her pieces to be repaired, glue joint had started to open and she had been slowly loosening the strings to take off tension.  I looked it over for a few days and sent it back to her untouched.  I'd rather not cost her a good instrument while I learned about fixing them.  She talked with me about how harps are built and how dang much tension they are under when you add up all the strings.  Her comment was "A harp begins to die the day it is first strung".

But in the meanwhile, they sure can sing...
Guns have triggers. Bicycles have wheels. Trees and bows have wooden limbs.

Offline Pat B

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2015, 11:15:53 pm »
Very cool, Marc.   8)
Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2015, 11:17:47 pm »
Thank you guys.  Making musical instruments is interesting and I'm sure these are not the last ones I'll build
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Offline wizardgoat

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #5 on: January 09, 2015, 04:16:55 am »
Wow those are all awesome.  Do you build other instruments as well?

Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #6 on: January 09, 2015, 09:59:56 am »
No I don't build any other instruments but I did promise my wife to make her a Hurdy Gurdy a few years ago.  That may be next on the list
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

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Offline YosemiteBen

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #7 on: January 09, 2015, 11:46:58 am »
Very beautiful pieces Marc! I think I will stick with flutes and thumb pianos for now!

Offline lesken2011

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #8 on: January 10, 2015, 10:09:54 am »
Nice job, Marc. I would love to hear it. Maybe you could post a vid of your wife playing it.
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Offline Marc St Louis

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Re: Stringed Instruments
« Reply #9 on: January 10, 2015, 10:25:37 am »
We did tape a few sound clips and will upload some to my site
Home of heat-treating, Corbeil, On.  Canada

Marc@Ironwoodbowyer.com