Improving the Sound of Bass Strings with Clive Titmuss
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- Опубликовано: 25 авг 2024
- Clive Titmuss shows you how to improve the sound of open bass strings using whipping cord - it works on gut and overspun strings as well. Solve "inharmonicity", the tendency that the string has to produce frequencies unrelated to the fundamental, with a supplemental whipping at the nut. Paper or parchment may be used for the same purpose on thinner strings, and whipping is best for thick strings, such as these carbon-fibre harp strings.
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I didn't know that! Amazing tip! Thanks a lot!👌👌🎸🍺
Very nice! Very Helpful!
Alan
Happy to help, Alan!
Incredible! Thank you!
Glad you like the video!
Hello, maestro. Many thanks for the enlightening video!
I'm also using KF strings for the bass, and the 11th course is really thick! I had no problems, though, and even lowering the pitch to 392 didn't cause problems. But a lower pitch than that caused buzzing, not with strings in a course, but with the KF and the fretboard. Will your method also help in this situation? Yes of course I could change the strings for a thicker diameter, but I'm trying to retain the strings..
The main aim of this treatment is to reduce inharmonicity--the tendency that the string has to produce harmonics we don't want. The elastic coupling provided by the whipping will also help to raise the action. You have to meaure, but it it should clear the any fret by .5 mm. The size of cord allows for adjustment. You can also use paper, parchment or dental floss to modify the response at the nut. Make the whipping longer to give it more effect. The whipping should rest on the nut, not hang out much over the soundings string length.
You must also ensure that the bridge knot is properly tight by using pliers (careful of the bridge) and burn the end, just as with gut. The bridge nut must be observed to lift the action, otherwise it's not working properly. There is a proper tension, diameter and pitch for each string. Published charts help with finding exactly correct string schedule, and it may take some experimentation at lowest and highest pitches. The larger strings take quite a while to stretch and produce a clear pitch of CC or lower. They must also not have any kinks and be completely un-twisted. Thanks for your comment! C.
Does it go inside the groove of nut?
Hi Olivier, thanks for the question. Yes, once you have made the coil, pull it back into the groove of the nut. This should be done when the string is tuned up to pitch.
Where do you buy the correct strings for each course of the lute? Any harp carbon string or a specific brand?
The major brands making harp strings, Savarez, Pyramid etc, can be found on the net. For the sixth to tenth or eleventh courses, you need diameters spread from around 1 mm to about 1.7 mm. You must also be sure that the bridge can handle these sizes, or ream the holes. Use inelastic leader for the thick strings, so that the pegbox does not get messy, tying a splicing knot such as the flag bend, positioning the splice after the nut and before the peghole.
Great! Thanks, Clive.
I'm using fluorocarbon strings on the theorbo's bass strings.
I'm loving the sound (brighter than nylgut basses) and I'm looking forward to do your technique on them to improve even more.
Do you think this or another material wrapped would work for/improve carbon strings on the second/fifht theorbo strings of the theorbo?
Hi Daniel and thanks for your comment. I originally used this technique on gut theorbo basses that would not behave, and then worked out how to use the coil to control inharmonicity onshort, fat strings, such as 11 and 10 course lutes, as I did here. For a theorbo the problem is different: If you have ever noticed the hanging weights attached to power wires, they would have a similar effect, but put at harmonic point, to suppress the unwanted vibration. So if you find that the seventh to fourteenth) {up to nineteen in Kapsberger!} courses of your theorbo are too long-singing, a whipping can be put at the nut, or along the the string (at a point you determine by experiment), to quiet it. To improve the sound of theorbo playing strings, you may slip a piece of parchment or paper in the groove under the string to eliminate buzzing on the first fret and lack of downbearing. I usually have them under IV and V. Graphite on the nut helps with friction when tuning.
These strings are all plain KF on my theorbo, or would have been plain gut in the 17th. C. Inharmonicity and lack of downbearing are two different problems, but they can by mitigated by string amendments at nut, bridge and on the string. best, clive PS my trick works with overspun as well, but usually I use the parchment slip trick for that.