John, I wouldn't dare drill anything on my instruments - always hand them back to the luthier for attention. And, yes, I am aware of the differences between guitars and lutes. Thanks for your comments though.
Rob -----Original Message----- From: Jon Murphy [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 30 January 2005 08:38 To: 'Lute net'; Rob MacKillop Subject: Re: Gutsy stories Rob, Widening a hole is easy, narrowing it is tough. I note that your email domain is rmguitar. If your background is guitar you should realize that the strings pass over a saddle on your guitar, but go directly from the bridge hole on your lute. The pull on the lute string (with the normal knot) is up, the loop of the string makes its own "mini saddle" (just went through this in a conversion). So be careful about widening the hole in the bridge, you don't want to change the height over the frets. I recommend a fine drill bit worked by hand, and pressed toward the bottom and sides of the string hole (assuming the normal knot). Or if you can fit a section of old wound string through it use the string itself to widen it. Be careful, but if you work slowly you won't hurt it. Best, Jon ----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob MacKillop" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "'Lute net'" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> Sent: Sunday, January 30, 2005 3:20 AM Subject: RE: Gutsy stories > A luthier once told me that many of the original bridge string holes are too > small for the diameters we choose for 'modern' gut. Is this true, and if so > what are the implications? > > Also, many luthiers drill bridge holes on their instruments for wound > synthetic strings, and when you decide to experiment with gut, you too will > find that the holes are too narrow. On two occasions I have had to have the > holes widened. > > There is some connection between these two paragraphs... > > Rob > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Edward Martin [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: 29 January 2005 20:20 > To: Michael Thames; LGS-Europe; Lute net; Edward Martin > Subject: Re: Gutsy stories > > No argument here. The extended bass length is precisely for that > purpose.......with the longer basses, the required strings will necessarily > require a smaller string diameter. I am uncertain if it gives more volume > and sustain, but for sure, a better clarity of pitch and sound. These > instruments were designed for gut strings. > > ed > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > >
