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| Strange stringed instruments of the world http://luthiersforum.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=10101&t=45983 |
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| Author: | Doug Balzer [ Sun Jul 05, 2015 10:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Strange stringed instruments of the world |
So I came across this guy yesterday at the night market in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Fretwork on this thing would be an entirely different animal! Raised blocks of wood form each fret. Very unusual to a westerner like myself but likely common to the Thai people. My limited research suggests it could be Sueng - which is a version of a plucked lute from northern Thailand. As you can see, this local artist is one cool customer. What have you seen in your travels? https://flic.kr/p/vD6CTk 
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| Author: | Freeman [ Mon Jul 06, 2015 9:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
I've tied fishing line frets on a Mexican vihuela and glued bone frets in a Chinese ruan 
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Jul 07, 2015 12:34 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
Chinese pipa has the fretboard cut into a sawtooth profile as frets. |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:27 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
I had a Shamisen from Japan come into the shop several years ago with a ripped skin. I did a bit of research and found they originally used cat skins held on with rice glue. My wife said "absolutely not!" when I started gazing at our cat so this one got re skinned with goat  Attachment: IMG_0500.JPG Attachment: IMG_0016.JPG
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| Author: | Doug Balzer [ Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:44 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
"I did a bit of research and found they originally used cat skins held on with rice glue. My wife said "absolutely not!" when I started gazing at our cat..." You made me laugh Steve |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Jul 07, 2015 8:52 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
so did it originally sound like meow? Maybe it was strung with catgut strings too. You know they use dog skins too, but that's just as bad. So what about using coyote or wolf skin? They're related and nobody cares about coyotes anyways. |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Tue Jul 07, 2015 1:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
Hey Doug ![[:Y:]](./images/smilies/smiley20.gif "Thumbs Up") Tai, I don't recall if they were originally catgut strings but I wouldn't be surprised. This one had nylon strings. I used goat skin because it was one of the easier hides to get pre-thicknessed (Shamisens use a thin hide). |
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Jul 07, 2015 2:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
It's the perfect instrument to play this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmXxrMC5Pv4 Problem with goat skin is that it's not going to sound as good as cat... I mean if the original one was made of cats. |
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| Author: | SteveSmith [ Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
Tai Fu wrote: It's the perfect instrument to play this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmXxrMC5Pv4 Problem with goat skin is that it's not going to sound as good as cat... I mean if the original one was made of cats. 
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| Author: | Tai Fu [ Tue Jul 07, 2015 9:31 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
I wonder if the expression "more than one ways to skin a cat" came from Shamisen builders... |
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| Author: | Bob Shanklin [ Sat Jul 11, 2015 8:35 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
Here is a link to the stringed instrument data base of Emma Dusepo http://archive.is/g0OS If you ever need to find the name of a strange stringed instrument check her data base. Emma builds some of these stringed instruments over on Mario's forum. Bob |
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| Author: | alan stassforth [ Sat Jul 11, 2015 8:47 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Strange stringed instruments of the world |
I'm almost finished with a Thai instrument called a Phin. 3 steel strings, D A D, E B E, or whatever tuning you want,really. I am going to post pics on another thread, if I can remember how! Alan |
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