[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
There are some environmental purists that think the biggest scourge on the planet is the existance of the Human Race and that the planet would be better off without us humans. So we can take this "Purist" argument to extremes and still find other purists that disagree with this, that or something else. The real point should be to make your Lute sound the best it can sound and to make that sound to please yourself. If this means you use all gut, then do so, if it means you are happy with Nylgut or just plain Nylon with wound bases do that as well. I use nylon because it is the best I can afford and once I have them tuned, my tuning problems are minimal. I realize and agree there are the Gut purists out there who say that Gut sounds better, and I agree but I don't break first second or fourth courses all the time and don't spend half a concert tuning the instrument. I went to hear " Soanso" play a concert last night. The Lute player played for two hours,-- one piece. Tuned the Lute the rest of the time and replaced strings. I know this is s stretch or a parody and I am sorry if I offend anyone, not my intention. But it is a concievable nightmare a' la Murphy's Law. The quest for the perfect string, or more authentic string is actually just begining. But I feel in the end, if there is to be one, we will settel for some sort of sythetic man made string that is neither historically correct or totally organic. Vance Wood. - Original Message - From: "LGS-Europe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Lute List" Sent: Friday, November 18, 2005 2:55 PM Subject: [LUTE] Re: Octave string question > >> Tastes differ, and I prefer 'living' material above artificial. But hé, > >> we > >> make our own bread and I prefer my fish raw, so it's no wonder. ;-) > > Raw fish became a habit in Japan only about 200 years ago, and previously > > was served similarly but pickled. > > So I see no reason not to use processed strings, by your own standard. > > After > > all: all polymers were organic matter once. > > One has to explain everything: > Home made bread is something many like, but for most it is too much trouble > to make. > Raw fish is pure, unprocessed food, but not to everybody's taste. > There is some analogy with gut strings. > That was my point. > > David > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
David wrote: >One has to explain everything: >Home made bread is something many like, but for most it is too much trouble >to make. >Raw fish is pure, unprocessed food, but not to everybody's taste. >There is some analogy with gut strings. >That was my point. And one that was not missed by everyone. ;) I too bake bread from time to time and love good sushi or sashimi. But there are times when store bought bread is more convenient and poached or broiled fish is preferred. ;) Craig To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
>>> Tastes differ, and I prefer 'living' material above artificial. But hé, >>> we >>> make our own bread and I prefer my fish raw, so it's no wonder. ;-) >> Raw fish became a habit in Japan only about 200 years ago, and previously >> was served similarly but pickled. >> So I see no reason not to use processed strings, by your own standard. >> After >> all: all polymers were organic matter once. > > One has to explain everything: Ideally without getting excessively poetic. > Home made bread is something many like, but for most it is too much > trouble > to make. > Raw fish is pure, unprocessed food, but not to everybody's taste. > There is some analogy with gut strings. > That was my point. > > David Well, next time use raw eel for you Palinck Brodje, and see what happens... RT ___ $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. Signup at www.doteasy.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
>> Tastes differ, and I prefer 'living' material above artificial. But hé, >> we >> make our own bread and I prefer my fish raw, so it's no wonder. ;-) > Raw fish became a habit in Japan only about 200 years ago, and previously > was served similarly but pickled. > So I see no reason not to use processed strings, by your own standard. > After > all: all polymers were organic matter once. One has to explain everything: Home made bread is something many like, but for most it is too much trouble to make. Raw fish is pure, unprocessed food, but not to everybody's taste. There is some analogy with gut strings. That was my point. David To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
From: "LGS-Europe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Tastes differ, and I prefer 'living' material above artificial. But hé, we > make our own bread and I prefer my fish raw, so it's no wonder. ;-) Raw fish became a habit in Japan only about 200 years ago, and previously was served similarly but pickled. So I see no reason not to use processed strings, by your own standard. After all: all polymers were organic matter once. RT To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
> with any metal until the 10th course. For my 8 course lute, I used Pistoy > 5th & 6th courses, as I try to avoid any of the gimped for the 6th, as > sometimes it is too stiff & has some intonation problems, in relation to > its octave. So, for me, no metal on the 6th. I have one lute with gimped strings: a 77,5 (?) cm 10-course renaissance lute in d'. I have Gimped from 5 downwards. Equal strings on 5, treble gut octaves from 6 downwards. But this is a lute with a _huge_ body, so it can use a little metal 'punch'. And I use it so rarely that I thought I'd leave it as it is. David To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
Dear Craig >> That's very interesting that you consider the sound dead << Tastes differ, and I prefer 'living' material above artificial. But hé, we make our own bread and I prefer my fish raw, so it's no wonder. ;-) >> and have problems with Nylgut going out of tune. << Unstable for me, and untrue in higher positions. Not very forgiving when pushing up a string. Might be me, although I have a fairly clean technique. At the moment I have a nylgut 2 and 3 on my teaching guitar: not very true. >> The most stable string I've found has been carbon fiber, << No argument there. I always had problems _not_ getting out of tune with the rest of some ensembles when I still used carbon. That really was a problem, for it meant that I had to retune to the them... |-( >> Now here's yet another testament that I've never heard about gut, that is a string lasting forever. << Gut _bass_ strings last forever. A first string might break with uncomfortable timing, but gut basses will last you for years. I have to replace course 2 a couple of times a year, course 2 perhaps once or twice. But that has to do with technique/roughness of fingers as well, as a friend of mine is always fraying up his 3rd course. >> Experimentation is fun and one learns a lot about many things in doing so. << Absolutely. >> spin the frets around the neck << I do this out of economy reasons and laziness. David To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
Hello, Sean! That is not exactly how I use them. For my baroque lute, I do not start with any metal until the 10th course. For my 8 course lute, I used Pistoy 5th & 6th courses, as I try to avoid any of the gimped for the 6th, as sometimes it is too stiff & has some intonation problems, in relation to its octave. So, for me, no metal on the 6th. ed At 11:38 AM 11/17/2005 -0800, Sean Smith wrote: >I'm not sure how gimped strings apply to pre-1580 music. I do know that >Ed Martin and others like it on their 6th courses and below. Edward Martin 2817 East 2nd Street Duluth, Minnesota 55812 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] voice: (218) 728-1202 To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
Hi Craig,
Roped would be the 2- or 3- strand gut bass strings sold by Aquila
("V-gut"), Dan L and others. I would definitely choose this over the
loaded gut but I haven't tried the gimped versions yet.
I'm not sure how gimped strings apply to pre-1580 music. I do know that
Ed Martin and others like it on their 6th courses and below. If we
assume, believe or imagine that "gimped" made its appearance at the end
of the 16th century then it would certainly have helped fuel the drive
to more courses on single necked lutes. Roped loses its appeal --for
me-- above 1.6mm diameters, ie. 7th course (D) and beyond.
I would imagine the 5th and 6th courses of Capirola and Dalza's day to
have been solid (nonroped) gut and would obviously benefit from the
octave. Before that there is the question of whether they even had a
6th course tho there are occasional mentions of one, I think.
Give my regards to Crabbetowne ;^)
Sean
On Nov 17, 2005, at 11:14 AM, Craig Allen wrote:
> Hi Sean,
>
>> I think you mentioned Annapolis...I heard my first lute concert at
>> Great Hall at St John's --probably the best hall in town.
>
> I'm about 20 miles south near by not quite overlooking the Bay. And
> I've heard St. John's is nice but I haven't had the opportunity to
> attend a concert there.
>
>> Getting back to Octaves: A largish gut string from the 4th course down
>> will have an increasingly thuddy sound on an untheorbo'd neck. There's
>> no way all that diameter can create overtones. Therefore, as the
>> string
>> is pared down w/ loading and metal it has a chance to create overtones
>> like its smaller brothers as well as letting it ring longer. Pairing a
>> metal string w/ an ocave gut is, in a sense, gilding the lilly.
>
> So if one were to go with all gut, you'd recommend a gimped or even a
> loaded gut bass fundamental against a gut 8ve?
>
>> For a 6c lute I'd suggest roped 6th and 5th courses paired w/ a gut or
>> nylgut 8ve (prefs in that order).
>
> Ok, you'll have to explain "roped" to me as applies to strings. I take
> it you mean gut strings in this case?
>
>> The 4th works fine with a solid gut
>> string and a gut, nylgut (or even nylon) 8ve. This is what I've used
>> for the past 5 years on all my 6c's and I've enjoyed a very balanced
>> sound both for the course and for the lute overall. The fundamentals
>> usually last me about a year or longer, depending on use while the gut
>> octaves go intonation-funny much sooner. Your kilometerage may vary.
>
> I've just changed my 4th course from octaves to unision. I like the
> feel and playability of it. I was getting uneven plucking because the
> neck on my 6c is thinner than I'm used to because I don't play it as
> often as the 8c (or as often as I should). This has helped a lot in
> making my playing more consistent. When I do get around to building a
> six course lute I will make the neck a bit wider just to see how this
> affects my playing.
>
> Thanks for the info.
>
> Regards,
> Craig
>
>
>
>
>
> ___
> $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer
> 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more.
> Signup at www.doteasy.com
>
>
>
> To get on or off this list see list information at
> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
>
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
Hi Daniel: You will notice that I said very few instruments (refering to Lutes) existant from the Renniasance period, in fact there is only one 6 course instrument that is believed to be in original condition. There may be an abundance of instruments but precious few in original condition or configuration. Most have been converted. As to Medieivel instruments there are none that I know of, which is I believe the original question. - Original Message - From: Daniel F Heiman To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 11:32 PM Subject: Re: [LUTE] Re: Octave string question Vance: There are somewhere around 800 "original" instruments in existence. It is certainly not true that we can know every detail of every maker's work, but there is still quite a bit of information that can be gleaned from them. For a database, see: http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~lsa/associated/index.html#Lautenweltadressbuch If you do a search, typing 15 into the date field, you will see quite a few hits for instruments originally built in the 1500s. Regards, Daniel Heiman On Wed, 16 Nov 2005 18:32:02 -0500 "Vance Wood" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > It is my understanding that we are pretty much guessing on both > sound > quality and stringing of Medieval Lutes. As far as I know there are > no > authentic Medieval Lutes in existence and very few Renaissance one > for that > matter. There are probably some pretty good guesses to be made by > some well > researched scholars but other than that it's still a guess as is > almost > everything about the Lute. As to nylgut, it is not historical, it > is a > modern attempt to make a synthetic--ish string that responds like > the more > traditional Gut. > > I understand the stuff makes a pretty good sound, a lot like gut, > but it's > not gut. I prefer, at this point in my life, plain old cheap nylon. > Maybe > it does not sound as good as gut but the way I play it probably > would not > make much of a difference anyway so why spend the big bucks for > strings? If > however you are an active performer you might want to consider > better > options than plain old nylon. > > Vance Wood. > - Original Message - > From: "LGS-Europe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: "Lute List" > Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 1:54 AM > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Octave string question > > > > >> > > playing late 16th c. vs. Medieval music) perspective. I'm curious > about > the > > difference in sound quality as well as the historicity of > > << > > > > Since when is nylgut historical? > > > > David > > > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > > > > > > --
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
Hi Sean, >I think you mentioned Annapolis...I heard my first lute concert at >Great Hall at St John's --probably the best hall in town. I'm about 20 miles south near by not quite overlooking the Bay. And I've heard St. John's is nice but I haven't had the opportunity to attend a concert there. >Getting back to Octaves: A largish gut string from the 4th course down >will have an increasingly thuddy sound on an untheorbo'd neck. There's >no way all that diameter can create overtones. Therefore, as the string >is pared down w/ loading and metal it has a chance to create overtones >like its smaller brothers as well as letting it ring longer. Pairing a >metal string w/ an ocave gut is, in a sense, gilding the lilly. So if one were to go with all gut, you'd recommend a gimped or even a loaded gut bass fundamental against a gut 8ve? >For a 6c lute I'd suggest roped 6th and 5th courses paired w/ a gut or >nylgut 8ve (prefs in that order). Ok, you'll have to explain "roped" to me as applies to strings. I take it you mean gut strings in this case? >The 4th works fine with a solid gut >string and a gut, nylgut (or even nylon) 8ve. This is what I've used >for the past 5 years on all my 6c's and I've enjoyed a very balanced >sound both for the course and for the lute overall. The fundamentals >usually last me about a year or longer, depending on use while the gut >octaves go intonation-funny much sooner. Your kilometerage may vary. I've just changed my 4th course from octaves to unision. I like the feel and playability of it. I was getting uneven plucking because the neck on my 6c is thinner than I'm used to because I don't play it as often as the 8c (or as often as I should). This has helped a lot in making my playing more consistent. When I do get around to building a six course lute I will make the neck a bit wider just to see how this affects my playing. Thanks for the info. Regards, Craig ___ $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. Signup at www.doteasy.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
> G'day Craig and all, > >> A few weeks I had a concert with my renaissance ensemble in a theater >> and the hot spotlights gave me extreme tuning problems with metal >> strings of my cittern, but my lutes stayed well in tune. > > Now there's a testamonial one rarely hears about lutes. ;) Given a room w/ unchanging temperature (and lights) the wire-strungs will stay fairly stable and while the lutes will just have to deal w/ the vagaries of humidity. Heaven forbid the citternist just came in from a walk across town in winter! > >> Nylgut does stretch and I have to change the topstring of my g'lute >> about 4 times a year, because it just gets too thin. > > I've had Nylgut strings on my g' lute for a couple of years now with > no changes. I recently dropped the octave bass off the 4th course and > it came up to stable in less than two weeks. I wonder if this might > have anything to do with temperature and humidity differences between > our to locales. Of course with cold weather starting to settle in here > in Maryland the house will get progressively more dry. I think you mentioned Annapolis...I heard my first lute concert at Great Hall at St John's --probably the best hall in town. Getting back to Octaves: A largish gut string from the 4th course down will have an increasingly thuddy sound on an untheorbo'd neck. There's no way all that diameter can create overtones. Therefore, as the string is pared down w/ loading and metal it has a chance to create overtones like its smaller brothers as well as letting it ring longer. Pairing a metal string w/ an ocave gut is, in a sense, gilding the lilly. For a 6c lute I'd suggest roped 6th and 5th courses paired w/ a gut or nylgut 8ve (prefs in that order). The 4th works fine with a solid gut string and a gut, nylgut (or even nylon) 8ve. This is what I've used for the past 5 years on all my 6c's and I've enjoyed a very balanced sound both for the course and for the lute overall. The fundamentals usually last me about a year or longer, depending on use while the gut octaves go intonation-funny much sooner. Your kilometerage may vary. all the best, Sean > > ___ > $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer > 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. > Signup at www.doteasy.com > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
Hi Mark, >I use nylgut for the top four courses on my renaissance lutes and renaissance >guitars. It is very rare that I have to retune at all during a concert. But >this may also be due to the quality of my Martin Shepherd lutes. Quality of the instrument could certainly be a factor. But it's interesting that you use Nylgut for the chanterelle course. Chris Henriksen has discouraged me from that because they tend to break too easily under tension, at least in g'. So my 6c has a carbon fiber string and the rest (except the aforementioned overspun basses) are Nylgut. >A few weeks I had a concert with my renaissance ensemble in a theater and the >hot spotlights gave me extreme tuning problems with metal strings of my >cittern, but my lutes stayed well in tune. Now there's a testamonial one rarely hears about lutes. ;) >Nylgut does stretch and I have to change the topstring of my g'lute about 4 >times a year, because it just gets too thin. I've had Nylgut strings on my g' lute for a couple of years now with no changes. I recently dropped the octave bass off the 4th course and it came up to stable in less than two weeks. I wonder if this might have anything to do with temperature and humidity differences between our to locales. Of course with cold weather starting to settle in here in Maryland the house will get progressively more dry. Regards, Craig ___ $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. Signup at www.doteasy.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
Hi David, >Sorry, I was just teasing you. Ok, it's so hard to tell sometimes given the tensions that arise here with the gut vs. nylon vs. nylgut and the nails vs. no nails debates (or even the lute is better than guitar debate). But I should have written more clearly from the outset anyway. >I don't know about nylgut being closer to the sound of gut than carbon or >nylon, to me they are very dead strings, combining the negative aspects of >nylon (dead sound, endless strechting) and gut (tuning). That's very interesting that you consider the sound dead and have problems with Nylgut going out of tune. My experience has been that all strings I've played, nylon, carbon fiber and Nylgut on lute and various weights of steel on my modern guitar, will stretch and go out of tune. This is usually worst with a new string until it stretches to stability, but even then humidity, temperature and just average temperatmentality of the instrument or a given string can cause tuning problems. But all reports I've heard (so far at least) about gut is that of all the types of strings one can use on a lute gut is the most temperamental. The most stable string I've found has been carbon fiber, which I use on my 8c. >Getting rid of the metal wound bass strings is a good thing, it'll transform >your sound much more than changing the top three or four courses. I suppose >nylgut is better than metal wound, but why replace one compromise with >another? Bass gut strings are relatively cheap, because they last forever. Now here's yet another testament that I've never heard about gut, that is a string lasting forever. Now you truly have me curious and perhaps after this upcoming concert I'll restring the 5th and 6th courses with gut. I do not like the idea of mixing string types (i.e. gut and non-gut together on a course as opposed to the metal/Nyglut combination I now have which I'm changing anyway) on a course so both strings will have to be the same material. But first a call to Chris to get the Nylgut basses since that's only two strings to replace. Experimentation is fun and one learns a lot about many things in doing so. >And they give much less trouble tuning than nylgut strings. I have only used >nylgut as top strings, on a romantic guitar quite extensively, and I found >them very troublesome with tuning. I know nothing about romance guitars so I can't speak to the differences in tension on the strings or placement of frets and so forth. For that matter I don't know if the frets on a romance guitar are fixed or fret gut. I have found on my 6c. that the fret placement has mattered at least until I spun the frets around on the neck so as to use the unused backs of the frets. I was having to move certain frets up or down or even place them at an odd angle across the neck to achieve consistency of tune between the courses but I think this was because the frets are old and worn. Ed Greenhood suggested I spin the frets around the neck and this seems to have stabilised the tuning between courses. After the concert I'll change out the frets altogether. >And gut is much more beautiful, of course. ;-) And of course this statement is at the heart of most of the debates about string material. What sounds good to one ear may not sound good to another. I like the idea of HIP, and agree that eventually gut will be the way to go. But as I've mentioned elsewhere, at this point in my learning I'll stick with a string that, at least for me, allows me to focus more on playing and less on tuning and fussing. :) Regards, Craig ___ $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. Signup at www.doteasy.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
> David seems to be fanatical about his gut strings True. > and in turn not quite open to the qualities of nylgut. Not true. My experiences with nylgut on a romantic guitar were not very good. The sound was not to bad, ask Benjamin as he heard the cd, but the tuning was a problem. More so than the gut strings I used later. But, romantic guitars have ahigher string tension, the music and therefore the technicall demands are different, so I'm not disputing the effectiveness on nylgut on lutes. But that does not make me like the sound. ;-) David To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
Hi, David seems to be fanatical about his gut strings and in turn not quite open to the qualities of nylgut. I use nylgut for the top four courses on my renaissance lutes and renaissance guitars. It is very rare that I have to retune at all during a concert. But this may also be due to the quality of my Martin Shepherd lutes. A few weeks I had a concert with my renaissance ensemble in a theater and the hot spotlights gave me extreme tuning problems with metal strings of my cittern, but my lutes stayed well in tune. Nylgut does stretch and I have to change the topstring of my g'lute about 4 times a year, because it just gets too thin. I am sure that many people perform well with all gut strings, but I been witness to lute players who spent almost as long tuning their gut strings in a concert as they played pieces. best wishes Mark To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
>> > Sorry if I wasn't clear. I was speaking of the historicity of using > non-metal wound (gimped in period) for the lower octaves on a six course > vs. thicker gut. In my case I'm using Nylgut because I haven't developed > my playing skills to the point that I'm willing to put the money and time > (in that order) into strings that are as touchy and hard to deal with as > gut. When I'm as good as Ronn McFarlane or Paul Odette it will be a > different matter. But at least I'm using a string that is closer to the > historical sound of gut (NOTE: I did not say identical to the sound of > gut) than carbon fiber or nylon. << Sorry, I was just teasing you. I don't know about nylgut being closer to the sound of gut than carbon or nylon, to me they are very dead strings, combining the negative aspects of nylon (dead sound, endless strechting) and gut (tuning). But I realise there are many luteplayers out there, and very fine ones among them, who are capable of making wonderful music on these strings. Getting rid of the metal wound bass strings is a good thing, it'll transform your sound much more than changing the top three or four courses. I suppose nylgut is better than metal wound, but why replace one compromise with another? Bass gut strings are relatively cheap, because they last forever. And they give much less trouble tuning than nylgut strings. I have only used nylgut as top strings, on a romantic guitar quite extensively, and I found them very troublesome with tuning. They are very quickly out of tune, and very sensitive to bad positioning of fingers in higher positions. Especially the thickest, string 3. I had a feeling it had to do with uneven streching; they are thinner in the middle than at either end. I found gut strings to be more stable, perhaps because they strecht less. Though triple twist strings for bass courses have more strecht than treble gut. And gut is much more beautiful, of course. ;-) David > > Regards, > Craig > > > ___ > $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer > 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. > Signup at www.doteasy.com > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
It is my understanding that we are pretty much guessing on both sound quality and stringing of Medieval Lutes. As far as I know there are no authentic Medieval Lutes in existence and very few Renaissance one for that matter. There are probably some pretty good guesses to be made by some well researched scholars but other than that it's still a guess as is almost everything about the Lute. As to nylgut, it is not historical, it is a modern attempt to make a synthetic--ish string that responds like the more traditional Gut. I understand the stuff makes a pretty good sound, a lot like gut, but it's not gut. I prefer, at this point in my life, plain old cheap nylon. Maybe it does not sound as good as gut but the way I play it probably would not make much of a difference anyway so why spend the big bucks for strings? If however you are an active performer you might want to consider better options than plain old nylon. Vance Wood. - Original Message - From: "LGS-Europe" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Lute List" Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2005 1:54 AM Subject: [LUTE] Re: Octave string question > >> > playing late 16th c. vs. Medieval music) perspective. I'm curious about the > difference in sound quality as well as the historicity of > << > > Since when is nylgut historical? > > David > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
David wrote: > >> >> playing late 16th c. vs. Medieval music) perspective. I'm curious about the >>difference in sound quality as well as the historicity of > >Since when is nylgut historical? Sorry if I wasn't clear. I was speaking of the historicity of using non-metal wound (gimped in period) for the lower octaves on a six course vs. thicker gut. In my case I'm using Nylgut because I haven't developed my playing skills to the point that I'm willing to put the money and time (in that order) into strings that are as touchy and hard to deal with as gut. When I'm as good as Ronn McFarlane or Paul Odette it will be a different matter. But at least I'm using a string that is closer to the historical sound of gut (NOTE: I did not say identical to the sound of gut) than carbon fiber or nylon. Regards, Craig ___ $0 Web Hosting with up to 200MB web space, 1000 MB Transfer 10 Personalized POP and Web E-mail Accounts, and much more. Signup at www.doteasy.com To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[LUTE] Re: Octave string question
>> playing late 16th c. vs. Medieval music) perspective. I'm curious about the difference in sound quality as well as the historicity of << Since when is nylgut historical? David To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
