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Who knew?
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Author:  Ken Nagy [ Tue Dec 29, 2020 8:16 am ]
Post subject:  Who knew?

I put slots at end top of the pegs on my baroque. It was easy to string: put the end in the slot, a couple loops around, pull the end, tune, trim off excess.
Well I didn't have the top of the belly parallel with the bridge and nut, so I took the strings off the pegs and fixed it; I hope.
I decided to string it back up yesterday, and the strings are really short! OOPS. I wasn't thinking ahead.

Who knew that strings stretch?

It took all afternoon to get all ten strings on, battling off the demons of frustration and anger. So it was a victory.
Now if the frets will work this time, I'll be playing it soon.

Author:  Dave m2 [ Tue Dec 29, 2020 11:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

I bet that really was annoying Ken.

You don't normally watch the string that carefully when stringing up (a classical) but I happened to the other day and was amazed at just how far they stretched.

Dave

Author:  Clay S. [ Tue Dec 29, 2020 7:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

Now you know why some people roll the ends up in little circles- They are not making halos for little guitar fairies! bliss

Author:  Ken Nagy [ Wed Dec 30, 2020 10:51 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

Ahh. The battle continues! My wife says this morning. "Why are your strings wrapped around my plant?"

What? Sure enough, the strings were off all the pegs, and still tied to the brigde.

Yes. The bridge pulled off again. Again about half of the bridge has spruce fibers on it, so maybe not a perfect joimt, but not terrible.

I'm pretty sure that the tension is only about 70 pounds.

Any suggestions on how to glue it? I used fresh 251? HHG last time. No way to clamp.

Yes, I did say that it was a battle.

Author:  Ken Nagy [ Thu Dec 31, 2020 2:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

My wife told me this morning that some of the ladies on the cross stitch sites give their projects time out when they are behaving badly.

"Huh?"

"Look in the spare bedroom."

Attachment:
IMG_0227.jpeg



I strung it up to finish it because I have three to finish, and that was supposed to be the quickest one. Yesterday I polished up the varnish (third try is a charm?) on a violin I haven't been satisfied with the color on for a LONG TIME. Then I roughed out a saddle and nut. I might be able to finish them, fit a bridge, and string that up today.

Probably not get the string heights dialed in, and the bridge cut though.

Then "the offender" will have to be dealt with.

Author:  Clay S. [ Thu Dec 31, 2020 5:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

laughing6-hehe

Author:  Dave m2 [ Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:20 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

Oh man that is a sight I really never want to see! Every time I wind up the tension on a new build I cringe a little. Dave

Author:  SteveSmith [ Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

I've had two bridges pop off, one on a new build and one on a repair. I empathize. Leave that thing in time out for a while [uncle]

Author:  doncaparker [ Fri Jan 01, 2021 12:58 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

The applicable pun (baroque—broke) is so painfully obvious that nobody is mentioning it. It’s just hanging out there. I can’t resist: it IS baroque, so I guess you WILL have to fix it.

Author:  Chris Pile [ Fri Jan 01, 2021 1:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

I had one bridge pop off so hard while tuning up that it put a blood blister about the size of a quarter on the meat of my thumb.

Author:  Ken Nagy [ Mon Jan 04, 2021 5:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

Well, I glued it with some fish glue today, and held it for an hour listening to my iPod. I've never had a fish glue joint go. We will see.

While holding it there I found all kinds of things out about baroque guitars just looking at it:

They are low fret instruments. The frets go up from the 10th at .55mm at .05 increments to 1.0 mm at the first fret. So .022-.039. fret height. With the fingerboard AT THE BELLY, a CONCAVE belly as suggested by a guy I got the Voboam guitar plans from, is a GREAT IDEA; when you consider that the bridge is only 8 or 9 mm tall, and the top is at an angle, and they end up lower than that. I drew it out, and as far as clearance on the neck, it all seemed fine. but fret at 7-10, and the strings are just above the belly. I didn't have the Voboam plan when I made this little one. In fact, maybe the neck/top block set up on a slight angle to the belly so the long arch curve can start right at the neck.

In the shot time I played it, the double strings with low tension were ridiculously easy to fret! The fingers naturally go in-between them.

A radius on the edge of the fingerboard is essential for the frets to lay down flat. I knew that, but I see that the radius has to get bigger as the frets get bigger. I can see a bigger edge of light at the edge of the top few frets the top one having the most. The rest are fine.

Another note from playing it a little before "the incident". The red, loaded string for the low C is really nice. The fat, stiff F above it not nearly as nice. I might see if they have a loaded one for that. I'll try some real guts on the Staufer when I get it done, and see what I think of them.

Is it me, or do flexible strings have more/better sound than stiff ones? At least on the bass notes?

Author:  Clay S. [ Tue Jan 05, 2021 12:10 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

Hi Ken,
Lutes, which also have a fingerboard flush with the soundboard, also often had a slightly "dished" soundboard to provide a little extra space between the strings and soundboard.
I used floating fly line for frets on a lute I used to have. It worked pretty well except for the fact that it was green. [headinwall] laughing6-hehe

Author:  Ken Nagy [ Wed Jan 06, 2021 12:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

Well, the fish glue did the trick. I still need to move the high G strings up some at the nut, and maybe the D strings a tad too. Fret buzz when at the bottom couple frets. I don't mind it if I'm really banging on it, but I like the nice ringing sound that it has. I didn't clean up the glue squeeze out. I'll wait until I put new strings on it now. New LONG strings.

Author:  SteveSmith [ Wed Jan 06, 2021 8:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

[THUMBS UP SIGN]

Author:  Ken Nagy [ Thu Jan 07, 2021 4:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

Well.

It just popped off again! I heard it from the dining room. I'll work on the Staufer, and maybe a Voboam, and forget about this one; at least for a while.

I'm sure the string pressure is not that great.

Oh well.

Author:  Clay S. [ Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:25 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Who knew?

Hi Ken,
To keep the bridge on you may have to increase the footprint and/or go with a pinned bridge:
https://no.pinterest.com/pin/491455378066467962/

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