Post 31: Test stringing the Theorbo

    I spent the day stringing the rough frame. I used dulcimer pins for tuning, which is not ideal, but easy to install. When I build the aluminum instrument, I will definitely need a more precise tuning system, either guitar tuners built into the body, or something I design using brass knurled screws.

   The set of short "lute" strings includes 4 sets of double strings, starting with a pair of second guitar strings, and two single #5 and #6 strings. I decided on a 60 cm scale with 16 frets. The traditional lute frets are separately tied with catgut.  I chose instead to notch the edges of the fingerboard and wrap a half-round brass wire around the neck from notch to notch as I had done with the long bass. It is difficult to keep the tension without distorting the wire, and it did not come out very well, so I will have to wrap it around the fingerboard only in the final version.

    The unfretted strings are bass guitar strings attached to an aluminum bracket bolted to the neck with a roughly 41" scale.  I originally made the neck extra long to accommodate a double bass string. I wont need it, so I went ahead and cut it down, which makes it a lot less unwieldy.

    The two pickups wired in parallel into the amp do work, but there is some unevenness in the tone and loudness of the strings that I will have to address. Moving the wide bass pickup over an inch or so should help. 

       

      Next, I will make some better bridges with built-in piezo pickups and add a preamp o see what kind of sound that produces and design a way to mix both magnetic and piezo sounds with pots.