Search found 37 matches

by Tom Snape
Sun Jul 31, 2022 1:18 pm
Forum: Ukuleles
Topic: Walnut / Redwood Soprano
Replies: 2
Views: 5819

Walnut / Redwood Soprano

This is a long scale soprano ukulele that I recently made as a gift for my parents. The walnut back, sides, and headplate came from walnut logs that were cut down on my grandparents' property about 30 years ago. My dad (a furniture builder) arrived after the trees had been bucked up into 12" le...
by Tom Snape
Sun Jan 23, 2022 8:12 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: A Chinese Guqin
Replies: 11
Views: 6903

Re: A Chinese Guqin

Considering how much work goes into build a qin, it is surprising they don't start out with better looking wood. Of course, as you mentioned, the wood ends up being completely hidden by the lacquer.
by Tom Snape
Sun Jan 23, 2022 11:10 am
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: A Chinese Guqin
Replies: 11
Views: 6903

Re: A Chinese Guqin

I browsed around in the guqin builders forum that the link I posted in the preceding message leads to, and it seems there could be other plans and documentation available for download, but you have to be a member and it seems there is some payment required using a token system. There is a good threa...
by Tom Snape
Sat Jan 22, 2022 12:36 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: A Chinese Guqin
Replies: 11
Views: 6903

Re: A Chinese Guqin

I have found that when I'm trying to find information online about things from other countries with different languages, I will find more results when I translate the search words into the native language, and then search with the translation. For example, guqin in Chinese is 古琴. Performing Google s...
by Tom Snape
Sat Jan 15, 2022 7:14 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: A Chinese Guqin
Replies: 11
Views: 6903

Re: A Chinese Guqin

There are 13 of them, called "hui". The book I referenced doesn't say how to lay them out.

Here is some help:

https://blog.nyl.io/guqin-part-1-harmon ... most%20dot.
by Tom Snape
Fri Jan 14, 2022 9:07 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: A Chinese Guqin
Replies: 11
Views: 6903

Re: A Chinese Guqin

Bob, check out the second photo at this link. Pretty close to a plan. It gives a lot more dimensions than I've seen anywhere else:

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collectio ... /180015292

And they have similar drawings for some other guqins.
by Tom Snape
Fri Jan 14, 2022 8:48 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: A Chinese Guqin
Replies: 11
Views: 6903

Re: A Chinese Guqin

I hope to build a guqin at some point. I examined and handled some in Chengdu China a few years back. The closest thing I have found to a plan is a book called "Abiding with Antiquity", which is an English translation from an 1855 Chinese text. (ISBN 978-1-4303-0346-6). I even have my set ...
by Tom Snape
Tue Nov 23, 2021 9:51 pm
Forum: Electronics
Topic: Soldering Iron/Station Recommendation
Replies: 6
Views: 9764

Re: Soldering Iron/Station Recommendation

I am very happy with my Hakko FX888D soldering station. I bought it for typical to small electronic soldering jobs.

We use more expensive Weller soldering stations at work, but the Hakko works just as well for me.
by Tom Snape
Tue Nov 23, 2021 9:45 pm
Forum: Electronics
Topic: On-board preamp with bluetooth output?
Replies: 0
Views: 13916

On-board preamp with bluetooth output?

Does such a thing exist? What I have in mind is building a solid body "silent" instrument with non-metallic strings and probably piezo or under-saddle pickup. Then an on-board preamp with bluetooth output to be used with bluetooth head phones. I'm really aiming for an acoustic sound, but w...
by Tom Snape
Sat Jun 26, 2021 1:16 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: How to tie frets with one continuous line?
Replies: 3
Views: 4910

Re: How to tie frets with one continuous line?

I used the instructions from Gamut music: https://www.gamutmusic.com/tying-viol-frets This makes a double fret, which is what my dombra book says to use. You can also tie a single fret, which Gamut says is for lutes. I used 60# nylon fishing line and used a soldering iron to cut and "mushroom&q...
by Tom Snape
Fri Jun 25, 2021 7:18 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: How to tie frets with one continuous line?
Replies: 3
Views: 4910

Re: How to tie frets with one continuous line?

I ended up going with individual frets.
by Tom Snape
Fri Jun 25, 2021 6:37 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: Dombra
Replies: 4
Views: 6121

Dombra

This is my first dombra. I invested a lot of effort into figuring out how to build this using more or less traditional methods, and I'm planning to make more. The seven piece back is local Maine cherry. The top is Maine spruce. The neck is a pine/maple lamination with a cherry fingerboard. The ornam...
by Tom Snape
Sun Jun 13, 2021 2:25 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: How to tie frets with one continuous line?
Replies: 3
Views: 4910

How to tie frets with one continuous line?

I am nearly finishing building a dombra, but I don't know the frets are tied. The dombra is a long necked lute type instrument from Kazakhstan. It seems the frets are all tied using a single continuous piece of line, starting with the first fret. The line runs down the middle of the back of the neck...
by Tom Snape
Sat Apr 10, 2021 9:30 am
Forum: Tools and Jigs
Topic: Looking for ultra low tension plunger dial indicator
Replies: 9
Views: 9428

Re: Looking for ultra low tension plunger dial indicator

I recently purchased a string height indicator which uses a digital readout. The only pressure on the string is the mass of the plunger which is very light. I use it on nylon ukulele strings and I think it works great. I bought it from G-Tech guitar works, but I see LMI has something that looks simi...
by Tom Snape
Mon Apr 05, 2021 7:56 pm
Forum: Ukuleles
Topic: Machete
Replies: 9
Views: 26765

Re: Machete

Very nice! A machete is on my list of things to try sometime. Are those steel strings? What is the scale length?
by Tom Snape
Tue Mar 16, 2021 8:06 pm
Forum: Ukuleles
Topic: The Pixelele
Replies: 9
Views: 15243

Re: The Pixelele

It's all hollow, but the sides are pretty thick; nominally 1/4", and sawn from glued up pieces. I'm kicking myself for putting round dots in the fingerboard. Especially because I put square markers (turned 45 degrees) in the next uke I made. I thought about making custom pins with square heads,...
by Tom Snape
Mon Mar 15, 2021 7:14 pm
Forum: Ukuleles
Topic: The Pixelele
Replies: 9
Views: 15243

Re: The Pixelele

It is acoustic. It's is going to a house with very "active" 4 and 6 year old boys, so it's built rugged. It is set up and intonated well, so it plays fine, but it's not loud. I did consider that I could add a pickup to it at some point if someone wanted to use it that way. The jagged edge ...
by Tom Snape
Sat Mar 13, 2021 6:40 pm
Forum: Ukuleles
Topic: The Pixelele
Replies: 9
Views: 15243

The Pixelele

It is a baritone scale ukulele.
The body is mostly poplar. The brown streaks became a lot darker under finish than I expected.
The dragon on the headstock is all wood and is proud of the surface (it's not an inlay).
Headstock.jpg
Scene.jpg
by Tom Snape
Mon Jul 06, 2020 7:47 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: An Oud Arbi I built (with construction progress pictures)
Replies: 14
Views: 17741

Re: An Oud Arbi I built (with construction progress pictures)

Thank you for the reply. Now that you mention it I can see that two of the ribs are left wider. I just noticed too that this is a fretless instrument, correct? As I mentioned in your dutar post, I'm looking for the right time to start making a dombra. I ordered a book from a fellow in Kazakhstan, bu...
by Tom Snape
Sun Jul 05, 2020 7:37 pm
Forum: Other Stringed Instruments
Topic: An Oud Arbi I built (with construction progress pictures)
Replies: 14
Views: 17741

Re: An Oud Arbi I built (with construction progress pictures)

Looks great! And thank you for posting the build photos. I have questions: Are all the ribs cut to the same profile? Including the outermost two (next to the top)? How do you shape the joint surfaces between the ribs? I see the sandpaper taped to the bench and plane in the vise. Some use of those I ...

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