This sounds like a foolish pretension because no one can possibly know what a 13th cent instrument sounded like. Early attempts at synfonies made them very small as shown in the Luttrel psalter, not realising that mediaeval artists did not draw to scale but to relative importance. The best thing is to make one of a practical size and fit it with an internal sound board. Forty years ago there was speculation as to what was in the box - bells? Strings? - but that has now been sensibly resolved. The instruments were certainly diatonic, while the modes could be obtained by adjusting the pitch of melody and drone strings. Things were pretty simple in those days. No doubt the standard of making and playing varied greatly. The crank had been known for a long time and had a number of applications, while metal and woodwork skills were quite advanced. Many string instruments of the time had skin 'soundboards', but this seems unlikely in a box construction. MM
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Simon Wascher Sent: 10 February 2008 16:23 To: [email protected] Subject: Re: Re[6]: [HG] purpose of my new project. Hello, There are already makers offering modern instruments aiming for "historical correct" sound of 1300s. So I thought the more intresting effort is to really go for the original methods and materials. Many aspects of these old methods and materiales cannot be known without actually having it done. So to me using bearings and axle materials that were available is central to find it out. But for sure there are more important cases like how to get blade split (cleaved?; not saw-cut) european spruce (Picea abies) and Sycamore Maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) in instrument makers quality and dimensions for the top, bracings and bridges. S. Am 10.02.2008 um 15:45 schrieb Chris Nogy: > I imagine that if you keep the bearings in use regularly, you will > not have a problem. But if you allow the instrument to sit for a > prolonged amount of time and then try to use it, you will see > problems. Especially with a regular carbon steel or iron axle. I > will probably be using either a regular silver-steel machining > steel, or some form of stainless stock to turn my axle from. I > know it is not period, but I don't think that the material the > shaft was made of (other than how round it was made) would make a > difference in the sound. But then again, if you don't get a > perfect polish on the shaft, maybe the surface textrue of the shaft > running in the bearing would give some small but important tonal > difference. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> _____________________________________________________________________ >> _______________ >>> Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. >>> http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> Internal Virus Database is out-of-date. >>> Checked by AVG Free Edition. >>> Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.19.16/1250 - Release Date: >>> 29-1-2008 22:20 >>> > > --- have a look at: http://hurdygurdywiki.wiki-site.com http://drehleierwiki.wiki-site.com --- my site: http://simonwascher.info -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: 269.20.0/1268 - Release Date: 09/02/2008 11:54
