VERY interesting. Are your basses single strung and if not, what did you use for the octaves? I have avoided Swan Necks for the sustain issue but this could be a good solution that also boosts volume. I really do enjoy the sound of the gut basses on my archlute and they seem to balance OK with the nylgut on the upper courses.
DS On Thursday, November 29, 2007, at 02:04PM, "Mathias Rösel" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >I'm not an expert, but I've recently strung my swan neck basses with gut >(6th through 13th). The results in terms of sound and sustain are better >than I had expected. Not much sustain in the basses. Rather, there is an >impulse, and then the tone quickly fades, which is what I wanted. As for >its superior sound quality, I will always prefer gut, provided I can >afford it. Since gut in the basses will probably last forever (or at >least for two or three years), it's the material of choice. My two >cents. >-- >Mathias > > >"T. Diehl-Peshkur" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> schrieb: >> Dear all, >> I know this subject has been discussed before, and I have recently followed >> the interesting discussions on the d minor continuo lute >> the last week. However, regarding the choice of rider vs. swan necked >> instruments for solo work, I have checked the archives, but I still >> have some doubts about the =8Cgeneral consensus' re: one or the other for >> late >> works such as Weiss, Bach and others. >> A number of modern players have dropped using the 13 course swan necked >> instruments (like R. Barto) to the rider type for several musical and >> technical reasons. O'Dette has also chosen a rider type for his Bach works >> Vol. 1 (so far at least!) and there is a general feeling that the swan neck >> variety >> is more a continuo type instrument. >> But my gut feeling (no pun intended!) is that the swan neck type was >> primarily popular because it could use plain gut strings instead of any >> overwinding >> (of whatever type). I really see the smaller, circa 70cm (stopped) swan >> necked instruments as really fitting that role. >> To put it differently: could it be that the use of more modern stringing has >> given an impression of =8Ctoo much sustain' and other such difficulties >> with the 13 course swan necked instruments? >> As yet I have never had a chance to hear one entirely strung in good gut
