source file: m1602.txt Date: Fri, 4 Dec 1998 09:46:55 -0800 Subject: monochord technicalities From: alves@orion.ac.hmc.edu (Bill Alves) Here's a request I received that perhaps some of you could help out with: >Date: Thu, 3 Dec 1998 01:14:43 -0800 (PST) >From: Sam Torrisi >To: Bill Alves >Subject: monochord technicalities >MIME-Version: 1.0 > > >Dear Bill Alves: > > Well, as I near completion of my resonated monochord, I think I'll >take you up on your kind offer to answer questions and stuff I might have >for the furtherance of my education. I'm building the redwood monochord >that's laid out on page 79 of the fabulous book "Sound Designs" by >Reinhold Banek and Jon Scoville (perhaps you know it?). I have almost all >the materials (and cut to size), and this weekend I'll probably drill the >sound holes and do the necessary sanding and gluing. There are some >things I'm hoping you'll be able to help me out with since I've never >built an instrument before, and I know you have experience with these >things (I've read twice, with increasing fascination, your article in 1/1 >on your gender barung adventure). > > I'm planning to glue my walnut bridges to the box. Do you think I >should bolt them instead? > I'm planning to drill holes in them and pass my .012 piano wires >through. Do you recommend passing the wires over instead? > Should I just avoid any kind of tarnish or stain all together for >acoustical reasons (which are priority for me), or are there some >beautifying liquids out there that'll bring out the natural grain of the >wood without effecting anything else? > The book suggests pop rivets to hold down the strings at one end. >Would something else be better? > Is there a special way to tie piano wire to zither tuning pegs? > > Thank you very much for taking the time to read this and I look >forward to your response. > > -Sam Torrisi > > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ Bill Alves email: alves@hmc.edu ^ ^ Harvey Mudd College URL: http://www2.hmc.edu/~alves/ ^ ^ 301 E. Twelfth St. (909)607-4170 (office) ^ ^ Claremont CA 91711 USA (909)607-7600 (fax) ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^