A Dulcigurdy Needs No Gap Betwixt Strings & Fretboard

Рет қаралды 18,414

5 жыл бұрын

A guitar can't be played properly if the strings are lying flat against the fretboard. I discovered today that a dulcigurdy can be played even if the strings are completely flat against the fretboard and even if the frets aren't perfectly level. I don't know if anyone else knows this.
This is very new and exciting to me. I don't know where it might lead. Possibly completely new sorts of instruments.

Пікірлер: 121

@ssdtrain1 3 ай бұрын

Sounds like a 1950's horror movie🤣

@MabInstruments 3 ай бұрын

I love horror film music.

@axellaurence722 2 ай бұрын

Don’t know what I’ve stumbled upon but it seems to be an alternate universe where Matt Rose perused a career as a morally dubious magician

@stonemanguitars Ай бұрын

Rat Moses fan spotted.

@TheLegend-wz7fl 2 ай бұрын

Man the tones that thing makes give me such a deep mix of emotions. You could write some very sad music for this

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@Communitis Ай бұрын

I think what's going on is, for plucking, the string isn't free enough to vibrate on its own. When the rosin wheel is engaged, it forces vibration at the resonant frequency all along the string that isn't stopped completely from either side. So the effect is the vibration is sustained by constant contact with an independent energy source (the wheel), so it still sounds a note that otherwise cannot be sounded by providing continuous agitation that can sustain it.

@indigo9738 3 ай бұрын

I think this has to be the most emotionally resonant instruments I’ve ever heard, incredible, I only wish it was mainstream so I could buy one online 😢

@MabInstruments 3 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@Baribrotzer Ай бұрын

You could probably build yourself one, if you had a bit of carpentry skills and access to tools. He did. What does it really require, after all? An old hunk-a-junk electric guitar for the pickup and neck, some odds and sods of lumber and hardware, a bit of time - and probably a few tips, which you might get by asking Mr. Ocean Tardigrade.

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

The fretboard used in the video has frets tuned to 14 equal pitch divisions of the octave instead of the standard 12. It's flat rather than rounded.

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

I am happy to answer any questions about the instrument or how to make it.

@Baribrotzer Ай бұрын

@@MabInstruments But if he built one, it wouldn't need to be in 14 EDO. It could be in 12. And he could tilt the wheel to compensate for a rounded fretboard.

@emssej 4 ай бұрын

What a melancholic melody. I love it. Seems like a sort of advanced kaisatsuko/electric dulcigurdy.

@MabInstruments 4 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@BaconTomatoCheese Ай бұрын

So bizarre… And those eye fret markers are a trip, too

@scottwebster695 5 күн бұрын

The next Academy award for sound will feature this instrument

@MabInstruments 3 күн бұрын

Thank you.

@michaelmoore7568 Ай бұрын

put the automatic chord player on that thing - very cool

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

Thank you.

@caeliachapin5317 Ай бұрын

You should do an album of classic rock covers using the dulcigurdy instead of a mellotron!

@DwightNewton 3 жыл бұрын

Brilliant! Love the horizontal wheel.

@MabInstruments Жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@SmashingJack 11 күн бұрын

So THAT'S what it sounds like inside a serial killer's head.

@craniifer 2 ай бұрын

You're a madman. Great stuff!

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@peteranderson037 28 күн бұрын

Ok KZfaq algorithm, I watched it. Also, if I'm understanding how this dulcigurdy works, it seems like the wheel is causing the drone strings to vibrate perfectly parallel to the frets. This would cause only minimal energy loss. If the axis of vibration was even slightly off parallel, the strings would strike the frets instead of sliding on top of them and the vibrations would be dampened out very quickly. On top of that you have the wheel that is adding energy back into the drone strings to keep them vibrating.

@reigny6256 28 күн бұрын

I agree, this is what I came up with as well.

@stickyfox 2 күн бұрын

I think you're right.. it's just limited to one mode of vibration, like a laser.

@mathias841 2 жыл бұрын

Wow, what a warm tone. I freaking love it !!! Cheers From france

@MabInstruments 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you. You also asked about the timbre in my video My Mind Is Dark. A difference between that video and this video is that in that video, the pole pieces of the pickups are in the direction inwhich the strings vibrate, whereas in this video, the pole pieces of the pickup are perpendicular to the direction inwhich the strings vibrate. Having the pickup placed like it is in this video usually means that each string produces two pitches instead of one and the second pitch becomes more noticeable when you go to frets further towards the bridge of the instrument (shorten the length of the vibrating string). The second pitch is determined by the distance between the edge of the wheel and the fret being played at (the first pitch is determined by the distance between the bridge and the fret being played at). However, I'm not sure that you get the effect on this instrument in this video because the strings are flat against the fretboard. I need to experiment with that.

@hybridizedhere Ай бұрын

You should make a sampler for this it would be so good for anything eerie/horror

@MrDaraghkinch Ай бұрын

The strings are vibrating laterally. When you pluck, a string vibrates chaotically. The fixed wheel and the contact with the frets only allows the strings to vibrate in one axis. Also, there is no sustain; the wheel is constantly reinforcing the vibration, which would be quickly dampened by the frets.

@stinkymart3173 Ай бұрын

This is it

@kakashi392 Ай бұрын

Well what can we do with this info?

@MrDaraghkinch Ай бұрын

@@kakashi392 Sleep at night.

@rumpires6485 Ай бұрын

Love the concept. Very interesting. Just game me some ideas for my new guitar build. Thanks a lot. Just subscribed to your channel. Best regards from Portugal

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

Thank you. I listen forward to hearing your new build.

@franklinbumgartener1323 Ай бұрын

That song sounds like his hat looks.

@JennaDearest 3 жыл бұрын

I imagine it does so since the bowing action of a bow, wheel, etc violently shakes the string, and since the wheel is constant, the illusion of a constant sound is provided. That's my best guess! ^^;

@MabInstruments 3 жыл бұрын

It's not an illusion.

@JennaDearest 3 жыл бұрын

@@MabInstruments I speak metaphorically of course, it's no illusion.

@bALDbOY85 5 жыл бұрын

awesome dude

@MabInstruments 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@aguynamednathan Ай бұрын

I'm sorry, THAT'S the sound of it WORKING?? 🤔

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

There's no need to apologise. None of it is your fault.

@christofferniemonen8872 Жыл бұрын

Love it

@MabInstruments Жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@andreasobuaculla9511 Ай бұрын

PS I just subscribed

@xoanxil 3 жыл бұрын

Great idea to use the wheel in that position. It opens a lot of possibilities. I would like to experiment by myself, if you don't mind. Could you share what material do you use on the wood wheel to rub the strings?

@MabInstruments 3 жыл бұрын

The wheel is made from plywood. Two pieces of plywood, each about 11mm thick. One is a circle. The other is an O shape. It is the O shaped piece that rubs against the strings. It's probably hardwood plywood. I apply rosin to the surface of the O shaped piece.

@MabInstruments 3 жыл бұрын

The two pieces of plywood are held together with screws.

@MabInstruments 3 жыл бұрын

I don't mind. I will be very happy for you to use any aspect of the design. Thank you for your interest.

@xoanxil 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks. I gonna try... I really like this approach

@MabInstruments 3 жыл бұрын

Cool. Thank you. Feel free to ask any questions. Also, please let me know how it goes and share videos or sound recordings of the results. The problem I have had most with this orientation of wheel is getting it to stay in one plane. I've developed a variety of ways to deal with this. The latest is using ball bearings in an 80 mm radius circle. A circle with a greater radius, ideally a greater radius than the O shaped section, would probably be better.

@thomasmcnamara5929 Ай бұрын

And these knobs, these go to eleven.

@indigo9738 3 ай бұрын

Does the wheel require a lot of resin to work ?

@MabInstruments 3 ай бұрын

As far as I am aware, it doesn't need more rosin than other rosined wheeled instruments.

@agustinsida8877 2 ай бұрын

drone hudrytar nice

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

I don't understand your comment. There are no drones on this instrument and I don't know what hudrytar means.

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

Oh. I think you put hurdy from hurdy gurdy with tar from guitar and then accidentally misspelt it. Thank you.

@Stones_022 2 ай бұрын

i need one, there is something about the etherial quality of its tone that i just need, what is it tuned to

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

Thank you. The fretboard has frets tuned to 14 equal pitch divisions of the octave. In steps of that tuning, the strings are tuned 0, 5, 10.

@fletch4231 3 ай бұрын

I was not expecting it to sound so harsh tbh! But either way it is very interesting and cool

@MabInstruments 3 ай бұрын

Thank you.

@andrewhomeuser Ай бұрын

If you play like this long enough, you can summon the devil.

@adamhawkins3036 Ай бұрын

Invasion if the body snatchers 😅..or were wolf of London..its pretty versatile for the spook factor

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

Thank you.

@plantain.1739 28 күн бұрын

Man, I like my action low but this is ridiculous! *canned laugh track plays while I'm mauled to death by various audience members.*

@Flaaaaanders 2 ай бұрын

Fairly involved manipulation with imperceptible change in output sound. Are you sure it’s on? It looked as if you were playing chords on it?

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

Yes. It is on. I can hear significant differences in the output, including clearly defined chords. I'm not the only one. Are your speakers working correctly?

@Flaaaaanders 2 ай бұрын

@@MabInstruments maybe not it’s iPad speaker. Not being critical, a wild looking instrument I was surprised at its UN wildness. And the chord shapes being applied indicate some considerable experience. Peace

@stonemanguitars Ай бұрын

That sounds awesome, Is it microtonal, because it sounds like 14 EDO to me.

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

Thank you. You are right. It's 14ed2 (also written 14edo).

@stonemanguitars Ай бұрын

@@MabInstruments I love 14 EDO. It's such a haunting yet beautifully resonant sound. Great stuff and super playing.

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

@@stonemanguitars , thank you.

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

A feature of the instrument (and most instruments I make) is that the fretboard is removable and can be replaced with other fretboards with frets in different places for different microtonal scales. I have fretboards for all the ed2s (edos) from 7 to 18, except 9 (which I lost somewhere), as well as 10 ed Phi (10 equal divisions of Phi, the golden ratio), 12, 13, 24, 25 and 29 ed 3 (equal divisions of a perfect 12th also known as a tritave) and a fretboard with movable frets.

@LonginusFX 4 жыл бұрын

kool

@MabInstruments 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

@LincolnshireRose Ай бұрын

OK thats different, in a weirdly good way

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

Thank you.

@lordvalentine471 Ай бұрын

This is what is causing the hole in the ozone this needs to be outlawed

@thepagecollective 2 ай бұрын

John Hassell-ish

@DaWizard11 25 күн бұрын

Have you ever thought about selling these? I'd buy one

@MabInstruments 13 күн бұрын

I have considered it. I'd happily make you one. Something that sometimes gets in the way of making instruments for people is the expense of sending them to different countries. I'm in the UK.

@steveg6199 2 ай бұрын

That drone kind of reminds me of 'Strawberry Fields'

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

I had a similar experience with a related instrument that I made.

@toddperry9860 Ай бұрын

Why is this man trying to play a chair back?

@abrakadeep8810 3 ай бұрын

Hey! Your instruments are pretty damn awesome! I would want to find out more about the dulcigurdy and how to build one :) Could you explain the process a little bit? Or do you have an email, where i could write to you for better exchange! :)

@MabInstruments 3 ай бұрын

Thank you. I can explain the process more. I'll try to put some together in the next few days.

@abrakadeep8810 3 ай бұрын

@@MabInstruments Thanks for your answer! That would be pretty wonderful! :)

@MabInstruments 3 ай бұрын

Here's an almost half an hour long video that attempts to explain how my dulcigurdy works. Please let me know if there's anything important that I haven't covered in the video or you have any further questions. kzfaq.info/get/bejne/eq-ApcdkldrVgas.html

@cheatsheet3325 Ай бұрын

Lorn unplugged.

@joehamjello Ай бұрын

Fucking cool

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

Thank you.

@ralle3447 Ай бұрын

I took acid in the middle ages

@Dudeface167 Ай бұрын

Now thats goofy

@TheSharp2500 Ай бұрын

guitar from hell

@NORTH_CAROLINA_REAPER Ай бұрын

Why is your banjo trapped in a guillotine?

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

It's not.

@cianmoriarty7345 Ай бұрын

Thanks. I hate it 🤣

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

I'm always glad when something I do on KZfaq provokes an emotional response. I have been deeply disconcerted that none of my recent videos have been officially disliked. The absence of dislikes suggests that I have been doing something wrong. (It may be a change of settings that I am unaware of.)

@OleJazzEra Ай бұрын

I'm not sure if you've stumbled on something or trodden in something. Either way I wouldn't rush to give up your day job. If this IS your day job then I'd certainly give it up.

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

Neither this, nor anything else, is my day job.

@user-nf3oq2ge3g 3 ай бұрын

Who can make the weirdest noise on the guitar and call it musicZ

@MabInstruments 3 ай бұрын

Now there's a challenge.

@user-nf3oq2ge3g 3 ай бұрын

All these weird instruments don’t really do it for me

@MabInstruments 3 ай бұрын

I'm sorry for your loss.

@indigo9738 3 ай бұрын

They do it for me, so I guess we cancel out

@andreasobuaculla9511 Ай бұрын

Don't go busking with that a museum of oddities would be grateful,but frankly the music sucks big time

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

It's all a matter of taste. I won't be expecting you personally to contribute.

@MabInstruments Ай бұрын

Also, the thing about a musical instrument is that you can play lots of different music on it.

@andreasobuaculla9511 Ай бұрын

@@MabInstruments Well I really didnt mean to offend you perhaps I shouldn'thave been so harsh,You're hot though!I's be your groupee any day!

@mikeythesquid1427 2 ай бұрын

no, it doesn't work.

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

What doesn't work?

@mikeythesquid1427 2 ай бұрын

That God awful thing he is squeaking on.

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

@@mikeythesquid1427 , clearly it does work, 'cause it's annoying you.

@mikeythesquid1427 2 ай бұрын

A fair point 😁@@MabInstruments

@Gravitron89 2 ай бұрын

I'm not sold on the sound. Nice demo of spookiness though

@MabInstruments 2 ай бұрын

Thank you.