OK, I'll join in after all. I already send my stringing off-list to Ed, but
as people seem to be just as shy, or confused about it as I am, here goes
nothing:
I have a 68cm Sellas model made by Stephen Barber. It's in 440, 415 or
whatever needed.
This is what's on it (all plain gut), tensions calculated for 440.
1. e' 0.40mm 48N
2. b 0.62mm 44N
3. g 0.74mm 38N
4. d 0.96mm 38N
4. d' 0.48mm 36N
5. a 0.64mm 38N
when needed:
5. A 1.28mm 38N
5. a 0.62mm 36N
Those are pretty high tensions, actually. Don't know why, that's how it is
for me. But I use it mainly for continuo, and the occasional Sanz and Da
Murcia solo. Although I do play it when, De Visée is very hard on this
guitar, both model and string tension might have something to do with that.
I think I ended up with these tensions as they are somewhere in between
what I do on a lute and what I do on a 19th century guitar. Nothing more
profound than that, I'm sorry to say.
David
****************************
David van Ooijen
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.davidvanooijen.nl
****************************
----- Original Message -----
From: "Monica Hall" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Edward Martin" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 1:19 PM
Subject: [LUTE] Re: guitar stringing
Monica,
I asked a few days ago regarding string tensions for baroque guitars. Do
you have any opinions?
Well - I'm not well qualified to comment as I am only an amateur player
and my guitar has a shorter string length than many people seem to think
is appropriate today.
It is based on an instrument by Giovanni Tessler in the Royal College of
Music here in London and has a string length of 61.5 cms. It was made in
1978 and I guess ideas about how guitars were constructed might have
changed a bit since then.
I had it made like that specifically as being one of the fair sex - as
Campion has it - I wanted it to be favorable to my lovely hands.
Just as a matter of interest it is strung with plain gut without a bordon
on the 5th course with the following guauges - which are less than those
in Tylers book viz:
1st course 2046
2nd 2056
3rd 2066
4th 2050
2100
All Kurschner
5th Sofracob .6000
I usually tune it to around a semitone below modern concert pitch.
I am not a mathematician but I guess that works out at a very low tension.
Perhaps you can work it out from that? It suites me - and it sounds
reasonable although it has a rather thin sound perhaps because it is also
flat backed and rather shallow.
I would guess that most of the gentlemen on this list would want something
a bit beefier.
I don't honestly know whether there is much evidence about what sort of
tension players in the 17th century would have used. However, probably
50% of them were members of the fair sex who might have had similar
requirements to myself! Something which is often overlooked.
The strings that I use are those recommended by the original maker and
Northern Renaissance Instruments which is or was run by Eph Segerman who
is or was considered an expert on strings.
It would be very interesting to hear more about what other players do
today.
Monica
Thanks,
ed
At 02:56 PM 1/28/2008 +0000, you wrote:
Subject: [LUTE] guitar stringing
It is common practice to string the baroque guitar with the treble
strings of the 4th and 5th courses on the thumb side of the course.
This is because both courses tend to be used primarily as if they were
treble strings and having them this way makes these stand out.
The only 17th century source to mention the practice is Ruiz de Ribayaz.
However there are 2 or 3 mid-18th century sources which clearly indicate
that the guitar is strung in this way. By this date this arrangement was
not really necessary for the kind of music being written for the guitar
so it is probably a feature that has lingerd on from the past.
Hope that is helpful.
Monica
Talking of stringing, where does the idea come from of having the octave
string on guitars uppermost (i.e. towards the ceiling). It seems common
practice.
Nigel
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Edward Martin
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Duluth, Minnesota 55812
e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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