|
About the Woods
I generally use redwood for soundboards; it has a clear tone that's not strident, and has good bass and mid-range response.
In an effort to be more ecological, I was asked about using recycled wood and have found a source for * Recycled Redwood Tops and Backs. They come from recycled wine vats and are noticeably more purplish in color and the smell is a little "winey" at first but they sound great and the smell doesn't linger. The wood is more expensive, so using it adds $75 extra for the top only, or $125 extra for both the top & back.
The pinblocks are maple laminate; this has proven to be long lasting, with pins staying tight for 20 years if there's no abuse.
The backs can be African mahogany, Western red cedar, or redwood, depending on the model; the softwoods give a quicker response, slightly more diffuse tone and weigh less; the hardwoods like mahogany give a slightly clearer and harder edge to the tone and weigh a bit more. I use softwood backs for the smaller instruments; for the larger ones either choice is possible.
Bridges are generally cherry. The new design looks good, the markings are clear, and the bridges ( usually a weak spot ) are very strong. See the photos.
The wood on the sides is not greatly critical to the sound; but must be durable and attractive. Selection is based on customer preference, what is available, and what looks right. I have used tropicals, such as bubinga, bocote, goncalo alves, eucalyptus, mahogany and wenge, and native woods like cherry, chestnut, curly ash, walnut, and curly maple, and have had good success with all.
About Carbon Fiber
Instrument makers have been building guitars with carbon fiber for years. Its immense strength and stiffness save weight and also improve an instrument's resistance to changes in humidity. Sam Rizzetta has now designed Compact and Extended Range hammered dulcimers using carbon fiber. The look and sound are a bit different; the instruments have a bit more punch and brightness of tone, and are quite nice, and Sam now plays them exclusively. The weight savings on the Compact are fairly small. But the carbon fiber Extended Range is quite noticeably lighter and, as for any such large instrument, this is a definite plus. Both instruments hold their tune better than the wooden counterparts.
See carbon fiber backs in the photo gallery.
Strings
I use a variety; piano wire, Pure Sound steel, various copper-alloys and wound strings. This is necessary, if an instrument with more than three octaves is to have a good overall tone and be portable. Copper alloys will fatigue and break within a couple of years, however, and small wound strings will go dead, so there has to be a compromise between tone and durability. The instruments come with what I consider to be the best balance, but it is often possible to sacrifice some tone in order to gain a little more durability and re-string a course with a stronger wire.
Soundhole Roses and Inlay
Roses are cut by hand from holly. A single rose has one layer, a double two layers; a double is therefore two single roses stacked. Custom rose designs may be requested, and rose designs offered, but be aware that most artwork does not translate well, nor am I a great translator of it.
I also make the inlay. At extra cost, I can inlay all around the top of the instrument. This is often quite pretty when the top and back of the instrument are bound (edged) with a wood contrasting with the sides.
|
|
