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Wednesday, January first, 2020
The instrument will consist of a round metal dome (either steel or more likely, brass) as a soundboard, a neck and dowel cut from one piece of wood (most likely, cherry)*, steel strings, and a maple bridge, most likely one made for a treble viola da gamba. The significance of the dome shape is, that the bridge can sit on or close to the center of the soundboard, for maximum resonance, without the edges of the pan interfering with the bow stroke.
The scale length will be about 20". Four strings, with tuning of a tenor violin -- G2, D3, A3, E4. I will use strings from a fractional cello for the lower 3 and a full-size cello E string for the top string. (E string for fractional cello doesn't seem to be manufactured anywhere, and the luthier I contacted to ask about it recommended using the full-size string.)
I have a steel wok. I believe the metal is too thick for it to resonate well. I also think it would be possible but quite difficult to grind the metal at the center of the disk thinner using an angle grinder. No guarantee this would increase the resonance but my hunch is it would. I have also ordered a brass wok, which has not arrived yet; I'm thinking it will be the thing to use -- accordingly I'm referring to the instrument as a "brass viol". The arch shape of the brass pan seems like it will be better for sound and for attaching a lining. If there is any question of grinding the pan's thickness down brass must be a lot easier to grind away than steel. Also brass wins for the pretty factor.
I'm planning to build the rest of the instrument besides the back and rough-string it to see what it sounds like prior to carving the back.
Slowly assembling the materials I'll need for this.
- soundboard: brass pan
- ✓ wood for neck
- fingerboard, nut
- ✓ wood for brace
- tailpiece
- pegs
- ✓ bridge
- strings
- ✓ wood for back
- ✓ purfling for back
- soundpost
* Also I think I will need a brace at the bottom of the pan, which I'll make from basswood or willow.
↻...done
posted afternoon of January first, 2020: 2 responses
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Blocky capital letters
of flame
in retro fonts imagined:
fluid flaming fonts, canvas of blacky void
so melt away their meanings
so what's left amounts
to glyphic shapes, just shapes and sounds
and chunky, palpable
consonantal feel.
posted morning of January first, 2020: Respond
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Tuesday, December 31st, 2019
See a headline positing phenomenon X as a "canary in the coal mine" wrt climate change, and my first thought is, we're way past canaries at this point-- the floor of the mine is littered with little yellow corpses, why do we keep on bringing in canaries to test for safety? The forests are burning.
posted morning of December 31st, 2019: Respond
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Friday, December 27th, 2019
I've been practicing for the open mic on Monday at Hat City Kitchen, where I'll be playing cello and singing. I was pretty satisfied with my plan to play "Tombstone Blues", "The Raven Rag", and "Jagged Nickel", but then I thought why not make it all originals. I decided I can sing "Rainy Day Woman", so I'm going to open with that. Sylvia is planning to come along, and assuming she does, I will ask her to film the set. I've invited several people -- this is just about the first time I've done that for an open mic. Real Tom said he will come, and John from Traficantes also said he may. Jerry will try to make it.
The songs are all in G*. Oh well, I haven't got a huge range vocally. Also it is easy key (G minor*) to improvise in on the cello.
I made a couple of changes in "The Raven", the bird is now going to have "he" pronoun instead of "she" and is "a jet-black bird" rather than "pretty". If I can make it work, the last two verses will be a good deal slower than the rest of the song and with extra measure on the first and third line. (Similar to Richard Fariña's version in "The Falcon".)
I am hoping there will be a bass player there who wants to back me up and can work out/follow my changes, they are quite simple but I don't have a chord sheet to give.
 *...Wait no, duh, D minor! Not G -- I've been rehearsing these songs in G but I can sing them much better in D. Glad I realized this today (Sunday) & not tomorrow.
posted afternoon of December 27th, 2019: 1 response
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Saturday, December 21st, 2019
the "the raven" rag for tin-can cello:
posted evening of December 21st, 2019: Respond
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Thursday, December 19th, 2019
 Yesterday I ordered a wok. I'm starting my next metal soundboard instrument, a da gamba tenor violin with carbon steel soundboard1. A rough sketch of the design:
parts:
- wok (14" diameter)
- neck + dowel (I'm thinking I will use cherry)
- dowel stop (a small piece of wood that will ride on the bottom of the dowel, as a spacer for the tailpiece)
- back -- arched maple. Thinking I will use some very pretty wormy maple that I've had in my shop for years and years. It is flatsawn but I think it would resonate. Back will be attached with a kerfed lining which I'll need to make. Soundholes will be on the sides of the back.
- tailpiece -- likely will use a 1/4 size cello tailpiece. May need a cork spacer to raise the angle of the tailpiece.
- bridge -- maybe a viola da gamba bridge? or a fractional cello bridge? or a viola bridge?
- strings (steel) -- the tones I am thinking of are G2, D3, A3, E4 (and possibly B4). Maybe use 1/4 cello strings? The scale length will be something like 20". Or another possibility, tune in fourths E2, A2, D3, G3, B3.
- fingerboard
- pegs
posted morning of December 19th, 2019: 1 response
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Sunday, December 15th, 2019
I decay; idk
wtfruok?
posted evening of December 15th, 2019: Respond
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Happy holidays all! A new take on an old carol.
The "angels we have heard on high" rag for tin-can cello:
the "silent night/joy to the world" rag for #tincancello:
the "god rest ye merry" rag for strings + tin-can cello:
the "herald angels" rag for strings + tin-can cello:
 The "angels we have heard on high" rag for strings:
↻...done
posted morning of December 15th, 2019: 3 responses
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Monday, December second, 2019
posted evening of December second, 2019: 1 response
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Tuesday, November 26th, 2019
For a while I have had in mind making a viola da gamba type of instrument with a steel wok as its soundboard and an arched maple back. An interesting question is how do you attach the wood to the metal -- I have had in mind screwing it together. Just now I had the thought that a thin wooden lining could be glued to the metal (I guess with Gorilla Glue?) and then attach the back with hide glue. This way I can make the back much thinner, like a violin back, and not need thickness to screw into. No need to drill holes in the metal -- much better.
posted evening of November 26th, 2019: 1 response
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