BOWED PSALTERY CONSTRUCTION ARTICLE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This instrument is a lot of fun to play and is one of
the easiest musical instruments to build. There's very little to
it, having no curves, no bracing, no frets etc etc.
There are just a few dollars worth of wood in this thing. The only
other expense is $8 or $9 for the zither pins and a few dollars
worth of music-wire. Total building cost should be under $20 --
much less if you scrounge.
The plans below produce a solid, versatile & great sounding
instrument that can be built in one weekend's worth of tinkering.
Not much is critical and even those with little woodworking
experience should not have trouble in duplicating this thing.
Note that illustrations here are not necessarily to scale -- for
instance the instrument appears here more "squat" than it really
is. This all is of little consequence however as all the concepts,
measurements etc needed to build one of these things from these
instructions are intact.
*******************************************************************
MAKING A BOWED PSALTERY
*******************************************************************
STEP #1
BUILDING THE INSTRUMENT'S BASE PLATE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TOP
.
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _\
BOTTOM
Cut a triangle from 3/16" thick plywood (old doors are a good
source of this wood) 8-7/8" across the bottom and 17-3/4" top to
bottom vertically. Finer (& non-ply) wood can certainly be used
here as well. Don't make it too thick though.
Neither the base plate or the face plate support much bridge
or string pressure & neither plate needs any internal bracing.
*******************************************************************
STEP #2
MAKING THE HARDWOOD FRAMEWORK
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
/ \
/\ \ <- Note how
/ \ \ this overlaps
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
1/2" -/ /- - \ \- 1/2"
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ / \ \
/ /| |\ \
/ / | | \ \
/ / | | \ \
/_ /_ _|_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _|_ _\ _\
/ /\ \
/ 1-9/16" \
/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ \/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _\
The two side pieces are 1/2" by 1" tall rock maple.
The bottom piece is 1-9/16" by 1" tall rock maple.
Cut the three piece's angles and lengths to match those of the
base plate.
Fine joinery is not too necessary here -- wood fillers and sanding
can do wonders.
It is important that you use rock maple (aka hard maple or sugar
maple) here. I have had a lot of trouble with zither pins slipping
when set into less dense woods. Any local cabinet shop should be
able to provide you with the required maple.
Once the three pieces are glued together and to the base plate,
two small (full height) wedges of any wood can be installed to
further brace the framework and to provide material if you desire
to "truncate" the two lower corners of the now triangular-shaped
instrument (more about this later).
*******************************************************************
STEP #3
FACEPLATE CONSTRUCTION
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
.
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ __ \
/ / \ \
/ ( hole ) \
/ \ __ / \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/ \
/_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _\
Cut a triangle from 3/16" thick plywood 8-7/8" across the bottom
and 17-3/4" top to bottom vertically (same size and shape as the
base plate). See comments in step #1. You can substitute a solid
piece of cedar, spruce or pine for the plywood to perhaps add to
the sound/tone a bit, but plywood makes a good, resonant faceplate.
Drill a 1" (or so) diameter sound hole anywhere in the area shown.
Position is not critical.
*******************************************************************
STEP #4
LOCATING THE HOLES FOR THE ENDPINS AND TUNING PINS
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Distance in mm from top point to center of endpin holes:
(I'm not a big fan of the metric system, but find it of use
for the measurements here).
Locate the center of each of the endpin holes 5 mm from the
instrument's edge
. -- top point
/ \
C - 16.5 mm / o \ 16.5 mm - C
C#- 38.0 mm / o o \ 50.0 mm - D
D#- 67.5 mm / o o \ 77.5 mm - E
/ o \ 101.5 mm - F
F#- 112.5 mm / o o \ 124.5 mm - G
G#- 134.5 mm / o o \ 145.0 mm - A
A#- 156.0 mm / o o \ 166.5 mm - B
/ o \ 187.5 mm - C
C#- 197.0 mm / o endpins o \ 208.5 mm - D
D#- 217.5 mm / o o \ 228.0 mm - E
/ o \ 247.5 mm - F
F#- 257.0 mm / o o \ 268.0 mm - G
G#- 278.0 mm / o o \ 287.0 mm - A
A#- 295.5 mm / o __ o \ 306.0 mm - B
/ / \ o \ 324.0 mm - C
/ ( hole ) \
/ \ __ / \
/ \
/ tuning pins \
/ o o o o o o o o o o o o o \ ------
-------- / o o o o o o o o o o o o \
_______ /_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _\ ____
^7/16" . :: ^1-1/16"
:--1-7/8"--::
: ::
:--2-3/32"--:
: :
Locating the two rows of holes for the tuning pins:
Top row -
- From the bottom-left point of the instrument, measure over 1-7/8"
& mark with a pencil.
- Measure straight up 1-1/16" along this pencil mark & make a dot.
This marks the position of the center of the left-most hole of
the top row. The remaining 12 holes in this top row are evenly
spaced and 10mm (center to center) from each other.
Bottom row -
- From the bottom-left point of the instrument, measure over
2-3/32" & mark with a pencil.
- Measure straight up 7/16" along this pencil mark & make a dot.
This marks the position of the center of the left-most hole of
the bottom row. The remaining 11 holes in this bottom row are
evenly spaced and 10mm (center to center) from each other.
*******************************************************************
STEP # 5 Optional
This might be the best time to "truncate" the two lower angles if
desired. I see no problem leaving it triangular, but many folks
prefer to lop off the corners (asterisks below). Some even chop
them off at a bit more than 90 degrees. Just be careful that you
don't end up sawing into "air".
. -- top point
/ \
/ o \
/ o o \
/ o o \
/ o \
/ o o \
/ o o \
/ o o \
/ o \
/ o o \
/ o o \
/ o \
/ o o \
/ o o \
/ o __ o \
/ / \ o \
/ ( hole ) \
.* \ __ / *.
. * * .
. * * .
. * o o o o o o o o o o o o o * .
. * o o o o o o o o o o o o * .
.. . .*_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _*. . ..
c c
u u
t t
*******************************************************************
STEP #6
INSTALLING THE ENDPINS AND THE TUNING PINS:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TUNING PINS:
The tuning pins are simple zither pins which I obtain from Elderly
Instruments, in Lansing, MI for $.17 apiece. Many other musical
suppliers carry these pins as well.
These pins are set in carefully drilled perpendicular holes
(ideally drilled with a drill press to ensure this). I cannot give
the size of the guide-drill-bit as I've seen several different
diameter pins sold! Simply experiment on a scrap of maple to
determine this. The four parallel sets of threads on these pins
are extremely shallow and the guide-drill-bit had best be chosen
carefully.
Simply spot the pin's position by the above measurements,
accurately center-punch & drill. Adjust the tuning pins so that
when fully tuned, each string will come off the pin right near the
hole (in other words, coinsiderably lower than the height of the
bridge).
ENDPINS:
These are actually slightly modified zither pins. A small groove
must be made atop each that the wire rides in/over. This groove is
best made with a small sharp-V pointed file. Make this groove
slightly deeper on one side than the other so the wire can "trail
away" to the hole in the pin all the easier. This endpin system
works flawlessly. They are not used for tuning -- just for
elevating and tieing-off each string. Adjust the endpins so that
each string will be 11/16" off the sound-board surface right by the
endpin.
*******************************************************************
STEP #7
MAKING THE BRIDGE
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The bridge is simply a 5/16" by 1/2" tall by 5-1/8" long piece of
any hardwood. A groove is scratched/filed down the center of the
top side just deep enough to allow the coat-hanger "nut" that runs
the full length of the bridge-top to be held into place.
Locate the bridge so that it's edge closest the tuning pins is
1-3/4" from the very bottom of the instrument and glue it in
place. The pressure of the strings will keep the "nut" wire in
it's groove.
*******************************************************************
STEP #8
STRINGING AND TUNING
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Use .009" diameter, music-wire for all the strings. Many
catalogs sell this. Any piano-tuner can order you a small amount.
Later note: here's a good sounding source of music wire and tuning
pins: Folkcraft Instruments in Winstead, Connecticut.
1-800-433-3655. For example, (in the year 2002) they sell 50 feet
of .009 wire for $5.00 and a pack of 50 zither pins for $15.00.
Follow these steps to attach strings to endpin securely:
- Wind string a turn or two around tuning pin.
- Run string across instrument top & lay it in
the groove filed into the top of the endpin.
- Push the end through the hole in the endpin body.
- Wind the string counter-clockwise all the way
around the pin & insert it back through the hole.
- Tug sternly on string end at endpin with pliers
to take up any slack.
- Cut off all but a half inch or so of the string
protruding from the hole in the endpin.
A chromatic electronic tuner can help with the initial tuning.
Expect the strings to "walk" some for the first few days. After
the strings get used to being on the instrument, they do not often
go out of tune. The thing can certainly also be tuned by comparing
to a well tuned guitar, piano etc.
LATE PS: I just built a smaller, one-octave instrument for a young
family friend & used .040" regular white/clear nylon fishing line for all
the strings. I was so impressed by their loud and mellow sound that I'm
seriously considering replacing the .009" wire strings on my
instrument with this .040" nylon fishline. Very nice sound!
*******************************************************************
STEP #9
MAKING THE BOW
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This describes a very serviceable bow that can be made quickly.
Materials:
- an 18" long by 1/2" wide piece of 3/16" thick wood. I cut mine
from a lumber-store yardstick.
- a small reel of 8 pound nylon fishline.
- two feet of heavy nylon cord (less than 1/16" in diam. though)
- Carpenter's glue.
The process:
________________________________________________________________
| . . |
|________________________________________________________________|
- About an inch in from both ends (along the centerline) drill a
1/16" hole. - Run a length of heavy nylon cord through both
holes. Tie a double knot in one end that won't pass through the
1/16" hole & then pull this knot against the wood. Carefully
bend the bow towards the side with the cord running along it so
it bows a couple of inches in the middle. While still bent, take
up the slack in the cord by pulling at it's other end. When the
cord is taut and with the bow still bent a couple of inches, tie
a second double knot that can't pass through the 1/16" hole &
won't allow the wood bend to relax. The sole purpose of this
cord is to keep the bow bowed into it's proper bend until the
40 - 50 windings of fishline can be wound on.
- Drill two more 1/16" holes as shown below. Exact position not
important:
________________________________________________________________
| ` holes |
|_.______________________________________________________________|
- Tie one end of the fishline to one hole, then wind the fishline
around and around and around and around the bow (alongside the
wood on the bow's backside then across the "gap"). Wind on
approximately 40 - 50 loops in all. Try to evenly space your
windings, one loop alongside the next. When done, cut the
fishline from the reel & tie the other end off the the 2nd 1/16'
hole. A point to watch out for while winding is to make sure the
windings don't get too close to the edges of the bow's backside,
lest they slip off. Once all the fishline is wound, carefully
remove the cord.
- Smear a good layer of carpenter's glue into the windings on the
entire backside of the bow. This nicely fixes the "hairs" there
in place. Take care not to get any glue on the bow's playing
surface.
This makes a fine, long-lasting bow. It can be rosined up using
any fiddle rosin.
*******************************************************************
*******************************************************************
Dennis Havlena - W8MI
Mackinac Straits, northern Michigan
The original web page by Dennis Havlena is not longer available.