I don't think the sound of carbon is that great even when treated
with a bit of sanding, but I use them when I play under high
intensity spotlights, which is I'm afraid where most of the concerts
are these days....lights and A/C.
There is nothing as good as gut, especially for the ornaments.
dt
David
I am certainly not going to argue in favour of carbon that I have
personally never used.
However, I do undoubtedly prefer gut to any other strings that I have
tried, such as Nylon or even Nylgut, although Nylgut does work
alright as a substitute in most cases on Trebles.
Mimmo Peruffo, in his article at http://www.aquilacorde.com/
lutes.htm, however, stated that carbon is generally bright.
" 1. PVF (‘carbon’) strings: much too bright in comparison with any
type of gut string. "
I think that is true, where TREBLES are concerned, simply because the
density of carbon is so high the strings are too thin, and also the
unsanded strings are too smooth and have that bell note
characteristic you mentioned.
However when used for the MEANES, carbon might not be quite bright
enough, compared to Venice, for example. According to Martin
Shepherd, in difficult conditions, such as those you describe (or
humid conditions, the oppositie scenario), on the 5th course, KF work
as an acceptable replacement for Venice or Pistoy; but in that
context they are in fact not bright enough to be used in unison. They
need an octave string.
"I find they work well for a 5th course
on a 60cm lute. I first came across one of these on one of Jacob's
lutes,
and thought it was a gut string - it looked and felt exactly like a
perfect, low-twist gut string. Even at this diameter, it is quite a
stiff string, with very little peg movement resulting in a big
change in pitch, and it takes a while to settle, but once settled
in it works
really well. I'm using it with an octave, of course, on 6c lute, and
I'm not convinced it would necessarily be successful on a unison
course, but it makes a very handy alternative for a gut string when
you want to
be "waterproof"." Martin Shepherd
http://tinyurl.com/2husza
Note that MP also says, "3. Nylgut: thin strings sound very close to
gut, but does not quite compare by increasing diameters." Therefore,
pehaps at the typical thickness of the 5th course diapason, Nylgut is
already in difficulty, and KF is a possible alternative, if not
entirely happy, solution.
The fact that you do need an octave string, according to Martin is
not a problem, as historically up till 1600 there was clear evidence
that octave stringing was used on 5c and even 4c. This agrees with
what Mimmo Peruffo also says about octave and unison, in the above
mentioned article.
In bad conditions, Jacob Heringman, nevertheless, continues to use
gut diapasons, below the 5th course; then on the 5th course he uses
KF, and everywhere above that he uses nylgut.
including 1c, where nylgut is a slight problem. However, some lutists
have suggested to me that it is best to use the next guage up, where
nylgut is concerned on the 1c, to take care of its tendancy to stretch.
At first sight Jacob seem to break the rules of the BASE/MEANE/TREBLE
cut-off point, that MP describes,
The break between Basses and Meanes does occur between 6c and 5c, as
MP suggest historically was the case (here gut to synthetics), but
then there is a break in the middle of the MEANES, with KF on 5, and
Nylgut on 4). However, as Dowland also breaks Meanes into Small and
Great Meanes, this may not be a problem for a smooth passage from
BASSES to MEANES.
Although, a French luthist who uses a similar set-up, tells me that
he does use KF on 5c and 4c., and then above on 3c to 1c, he used to
use nylgut, but is now experimenting with TN on 1c.
It is rather a pity that while the thrust of MP's article is gut
stringing, at the moment we are discussing synthetic replacement
strings, as you definitely perfer gut, and I rarely use replacement
strings at all.
I notice that MP speaks a great deal about "equal to the touch
tension" stringing, and I wonder how many luthists on our list use
this method.
Also he mentions the question of the octaves on the lower courses
having been historically about half the tension of the basses
themselves.
"6. Octave strings: the modern tendency is to apply a noticeably
lower tension than on their respective fundamental strings (Virdung,
1511 wrote that the octave's gauge must be half than the paired bass
string)"
I wonder whether most of you are using this historical string
pattern, and also I am wondering about the low tension string
solution that Satoh uses. Does this correspond well with the
explanations in MP's article?
Regards
Anthony
Le 3 nov. 07 à 08:12, David Tayler a écrit :
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