The only hard evidence we have is the stringing of a theorboed guitar ('chitara tiorbato') by Stradivari (c.1720s) in which various violin strings are described for stringing the guitar. In short and translated: 1 & 2 strings - 'like two guitar first course strings' (helpful!) 3 & 4 - like two guitar second course strings (ditto) 5 & 6 - like two large violin firsts 7 - a violin second 8 - a guitar second course string 9 - thickest possible violin second 10 - a violin first Therefore, provided we can determine the sizes of violin strings at the time and locality, in thoery the stringing of this guitar can be calculated. However surprisingly little is really known about early violin stringing (just a bit more than guitars) and the low tension used by most 'baroque' fiddlers these days seems based on some supposed very low French tension. There is some evidence that Italians used much higher tensions (higher even than modern violins). Nonwithstanding this, my paper in FoMRHI Quarterly (C663, Oct 1985) ' The stringing of a baroque guitar' used Riccati's (1767) and Tartini's (1734) reported stringing and, making assumptions on pitch etc, concluded the following tensions: String 1 & 2: - 3.3Kg 3 & 4: - 3.3Kg 5 & 6: - 3.3Kg 7 (low octave): - 3.0 to 3.2 Kg (depending on wether Tartini or Riccati) 8 (high octave): - 4.5Kg 9 (low octave): 2.4 to 2.6Kg (T or R) 10 (high octave): 3.6 to 3.9Kg (T or R) Note that the octaves on the 4th and 5th course are at a higher tension. if using a single first I would suggest around 4/4.5Kg with this set up. In practice, on my 'Sellas' guitar (string length 69.5cm) I modify this slightly and use: 1st course (single) 4.7Kg 2nd 3.6Kg 3rd 3.3Kg 4th (high octave) 4.1Kg 4th (low) 3.1Kg 5th (unison high) 3.6Kg (if putting on a low 5th, tension is 2.8Kg). Martyn
Monica Hall <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > 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 >>> >>> >>> >>>To get on or off this list see list information at >>>http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> >> >> >> >>-- >>No virus found in this incoming message. >>Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.516 / Virus Database: >>269.19.13/1246 - Release Date: 1/27/2008 6:39 PM > > > > Edward Martin > 2817 East 2nd Street > Duluth, Minnesota 55812 > e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > voice: (218) 728-1202 > > --------------------------------- Support the World Aids Awareness campaign this month with Yahoo! for Good --