Purchasing My First Psaltery - Need Help...

[Wickersong]

Hi, first time posting on this forum. Lately I have gotten interested in more folk-type music, and found the psaltery (as well, this forum). I am hoping to buy one sometime in the future, a bit short on cash at the moment. Although I will not be buying the instrument for some time, I do wish to have all major decisions made ahead of time.

So far with my own research (and with the help from previous forum topics) , I have a narrow list of:

- Omega Strings
- Phantasy Psalteries

I am quite impressed with the feature list both craftsmen have, however, if one knows of a more unknown craftsman, that is highly recommended, I would be willing to contact them as well.

I really do think I would like a 30-32 sting psaltery, although opinions on this would be very helpful.

Tone-wise I am going towards an instrument that sounds like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm7NiSINPJQ

(Although I am not sure how much of this tone is due to the instrument itself vs. the players skill.)
*P.S. Would someone mind sending a comment to that youtube user about the mans name being "Greg Schneeman"

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Overall what I need help with:
1. Recommended craftsmen, opinions on the ones currently listed.
2. Number of strings, where does string number turn from useful to an instrument that is too large.
3. Wood to use.
4. Bow to use (do not know much about bows or woods affect on sound, need particular help here.)
5. Accessories I plan to purchase are: a nice case and a second bow, should this be fine.
6. Is it worth it to get a higher-end instrument right at the start
(seeing as how a top-line model is ~$500, should I go for a nice model rather than regret my decision later? (Also, I am very passionate about music, so any money put into an instrument will not go to waste.))
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*Side note: Any resource suggestions for further study in musical theory.

Thanks, ahead of time, to anyone who can help. (Don't feel you have to answer all my questions).

[Tim2723]

Hi and welcome!

Since you're not planning to jump right in with a purchase, I'd suggest you take as much time as you can you get familiar with the different instruments as well as their manufacturers. Take a visit to the PsalteryStrings forum where they have lots of great videos and recordings of top players with all makes of BP. Lots of top players and famous builders hang out there and can answer questions first-hand.

Both of your first choices are great instruments by two of the top builders in the business. You won't be disappointed by the quality or workmanship of either, but they are very, very different beasties. The Phantasys are tenor size, wound-string BPs that fit compactly on the arm. The Omegas are the big guns. The 37 string model is over three feet long and weighs as much as a small guitar. Careful choosing there. The Omegas are magnificent psalteries, but many find them too big to handle.

Here's a list of the current active builders as of January:
http://psalterystrings.ning.com/forum/t ... d-psaltery

Here are the salient points I make to newcomers. They are, of course, general rules of thumb, always with exceptions:

* Sizes do not follow any set convention, but the terms soprano, alto, tenor, and baritone are used commonly.

* High voices play fast and soft, low voices slow and loud.

* Plain strings give the ethereal, classic sound. Wound strings give a more violin/cello-like tone.

* Wound strings make for lower-voiced instruments in compact sizes.

* The more strings the better, but too long an instrument becomes unworkable. Physical size, not number of strings, is the issue for most players. Most folk songs can be played on a 22 string BP.

* All BP bodies are made of hardwood. The body wood selection is important, but not as much as the soundboard.

* Hardwood soundboards have greater sustain and brighter voices, soft woods give less sustain (faster play) and mellower tone.

* Capped bridges (those with a metal or plastic strip on top) are brighter and louder generally. Uncapped (plain wood) bridges are mellow with shorter sustain.

* There are two fundamental methods of psaltery construction. Two-piece instruments use a hollowed out plank of solid wood as the body with a thin soundboard attached to the top. Full-frame construction has many separate pieces fitted together. Neither is distinctly better or worse, but different features can be had according to the construction techniques used.

* No matter what anyone tells you, the bow is not an accessory, it is the other half of the instrument!!! There are trad bows, arch bows, and violin bows. They all work and have their own characteristics. There is no good way around trying them all and choosing for yourself. It's just too personal a thing to leave to someone else's opinion. You'll probably end up using all of them at different times for different effects.

To mimic Greg's sound from the video I use a maple body, spruce top, plain string tenor with trad bows. I'm not Greg of course (lol!), but that gets me very close to his tone. And you're right, it really is the player. Greg is a legend!

To your list of accessories I would add a good chromatic tuner and a long-handled tuning wrench.

Finally, you are very correct in recognizing that a good instrument should be had first off. There are no beginner's psalteries, only cheap junk versus real instruments. The no-name toys and EMS garbage that you find in gift shops should be avoided. A poorly made psaltery will not play in tune, and will almost certainly self-destruct within a year. A BP has huge forces working on it, and bad materials and craftsmanship simply cannot survive.

Best of luck,

Tim

[Wickersong]

Perfect, I was expecting you to be the first to respond (Tim). I really appreciate all the help, thanks.

Seems like your suggestion for the instrument itself is:
A tenor psaltery with plain strings, maple body, spruce top ||| trad bows (2), chromatic tuner, long handled tuning wrench.

Also, I already have a chromatic tuner (I play guitar), so that's covered. I'll definitely take your suggestion for a long handled tuning wrench.

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- Would it be better for this instrument to have a capped or uncapped bridge? (following Greg's tone)
- How can I recognize a trad bow? (What do they look like?)
- Do I need anything else for my purchase, other than what's listed above?
- Also due to the string suggested being plain (not wound), I realize Phantasy Psalteries can do this under special order, however if there are any other craftsmen suggested, I'll definitely look into it.
- A message to any other psaltery players: Any suggested craftsmen? (This is definitely the part of the process I have the most trouble with)
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Thanks again Tim, I frequently used your posts in other topics to learn more about the psaltery.

[Tim2723]

Well, that combination is what I use to get a similar sound, but that may not be what Greg is using. His psaltery is brass capped by the looks of the video. I can't tell who made it or exactly how it's strung - those are only educated guesses on my part - but you might be able to contact him through the YouTube site and ask directly.

Greg is using trad bows in the video. They are the kind with the thick 'butt' end. Honestly though, I really think it's best to consider what someone else uses as irrelevant. Bows and techniques (and their attendant tones) are different for everybody. There's no guarantee that you or I or anyone will get that same tone just by using trad bows.

Other accessories you'll need or find useful are a cake of rosin, an emery board, and a very sharp nail clipper. A micrometer for measuring strings is handy, since there are usually no labels provided for the stringing.

You might be interested in the Song of the Woods psalteries and maybe even Ringing Strings, given your particular interests. I think Unicorn is making a wire-strung tenor now, but I've never played theirs. [Oddly, in over ten years' playing, and having owned/played over a dozen brands, I've never even seen a Unicorn Strings BP in person. How weird is that? They're very popular and get great reviews from others though.]

Best of luck, and let us know what you finally decide.

[Wickersong]

Well, seems like Ringing Strings has a psaltery with everything I wanted for $625. Sadly seems I have to save up some money for the time being.

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What I wanted:
A tenor psaltery with plain strings, maple body, spruce top ||| trad bows (2), chromatic tuner, long handled tuning wrench, carrying case.

What they are selling: ($625 (Item - TESPMA05))
A tenor psaltery with phosphor bronze wound acoustic guitar strings, maple body, sitka spruce top ||| trad bows (2), chromatic tuner, long handled tuning wrench, carrying case, tripod mount.
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Over-all this would be the perfect kit for me, however being a little short on change at the moment, I really hope this item doesn't sell to fast.

Thanks for all your help Tim.

[Tim2723]

Don't worry, Rick Long has been making psalteries for years and years, and he'll have one when you're ready or build it to order in nothing flat. I just bought two custom-made instruments from him, including my one-of-a-kind 'Irish diatonic', and neither of them took more than a month to complete even with all the unusual design issues to address. He's incredible to work with.

[Wickersong]

Thanks, that certainly puts my mind at ease.

I may just contact him to get some further information shortly.

Thanks again Tim, you really helped me out here.