From: Anthony Hind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Frets
To: "Martyn Hodgson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>,
"lute@cs.dartmouth.edu Net" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Date: Monday, 12 May, 2008, 1:17 PM
Dear Martyn
Although the book by Lundberg "Historical Lute
Construction", gives
the explanation I copied, I don't think that
"Historical Lute" in the
title means historical technique as concerns fret tying.
The Dowland indications you give are interesting, but I see
there is
no difference between Fret 1 and fret 2, if taken literally
(but
perhaps it is meant to be a guide, not to be taken
absolutely
literally).
You are advocating a low action with a first fret of around
0,70,
perhaps modern fretting (which seems to be higher) is
influenced by
other modern instruments, or determined by modern strings.
Lundberg only considers high and low action as an element
in choosing
fret height. Could string tension and string-type also play
a role in
deciding the fret height. Loaded strings, and some Venice
types, are
very supple and tend to have a wide movement,could this not
effect
choice of fret height, also? (I just quoted Lundberg,
hoping his
experience might be of use to others, but I have not had
cause to try
out the advice he gives).
I certainly do not as yet have practise in fretting
different
instruments with different string types. Obviously, a lute
maker will
be confronted with lutes having high to low actions and
varied string
types, so i would expect you to have experience in this
area that I
don't have at all.
Thanks for any additional clarification on this subject.
I am just thinking that for most of us, single fretting is
already a
fretful exercise (sorry) but double fretting would have to
give a
very clear advantage to make me go to the extra effort and
cost.
However, if there really is an advantage in it, perhaps I
would try.
Regards
Anthony
following.
Le 11 mai 08 à 16:39, Martyn Hodgson a écrit :
Dear Anthony,
The only early source which gives comprhensive and
detailed fret
sizes is, as far as I'm aware, John Dowland's
'OTHER NECESSARIE
Observations....' Varietie (1610). Here Dowland
relates fret sizes
to strings of the lute:
Fret 1 and 2: countertenor ie 4th course
3 and 4: as Great Meanes ie 3rd
5 and 6: as Small Meanes ie 2nd
7, 8 and 9: as Trebles ie 1st
You'll see that this gives much thinner frets than
most commonly
use today. It also enables a lute to be set very
'fine' with very
low distance from the fingerboard even at the highest
frets.
Interestingly, larger lutes (with as is said elsewhere
ought to
have thicker strings) will have thicker frets.
Of course, the sizes depend on the precise stringing
but I can't
see any reasonable stringing on a mean lute requiring
a first of
0.70mm.
MH
--- On Sun, 11/5/08, Anthony Hind
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
From: Anthony Hind <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: [LUTE] Re: Frets
To: "Bruno Correia"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, "lute@cs.dartmouth.edu
Net" <lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Date: Sunday, 11 May, 2008, 10:42 AM
Lundberg in his Historical Lute Construction says
the
following.
"The eight frets on a Renaissance lute are
generally
arranged so that
they descend in diameter towards the body. I would
typically use the
following diameters:
Fret 1 1.00mm
Fret 2 0.90mm
Fret 3- 0.85mm
Fret 4 0,82mm
Fret 5- 0.79mm
Fret 6- 0.76mm
Fret 7- 0.73mm
Fret 8- 0.70mm
However, gut varies, so don't worry about
being really
exact. The
main points to consider are that the first fret
shoudl be
large, the
second fret should drop considerably in diameter,
and each
of the
rest should be about .03mm smaller than the
preceding.
If the lute has a very high action, that is, if
the height
of the
strings above the fingerboard at the neck/body
join is, for
example,
in the vicinity of 5mm, then it would be better to
tie on
frets of a
more constant size or even the same size. If on
the other
hand, the
action is low, then a larger 1st fret together
with a
bigger drop
between frets and ending with a .66mm might
help."
This book is well worth having for its very
reasonable
price.
Regards
Anthony
Le 11 mai 08 à 05:17, Bruno Correia a écrit :
With so many gauges fretting the lute become
quite
expensive...
What about
using te same gauge from the 4th until the
last? Would
you have a
photo from
your lute with the fretting described below? I
wish I
could see it
to try
myself.
Thanks.
2008/5/10 The Other <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>:
Using Thomas Mace's method of tying
double
frets; locking forceps to
pull the frets tight enough; Dan Larson
fret gut;
in One Quarter
Comma
Meantone Temperament, with two 1st frets
instead
of using a tastini.
Fret 1a (peg box side)- 1.00mm
Fret 1b (bridge side)- 0.95mm
Fret 2- 0.95mm (yes, same size as Fret
1b)
Fret 3- 0.90mm
Fret 4- 0.85mm
Fret 5- 0.80mm
Fret 6- 0.75mm
Fret 7- 0.70mm
Fret 8- 0.65mm
No buzzing.
Regards,
"The Other" Stephen Stubbs.
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