Ringing Strings Bowed Psalteries
handcrafted by Rick Long
Clinton, Tennessee
(865) 660-4026 ricklong@ringingstrings.com
Photo by Robert Batey
Please use the word "psaltery" in the subject of your e-mail. Also include a phone number as a second way for me to contact you.
Copyright Ringing Strings Music 2004-2010 All Rights Reserved
7-12-10
The sound is very rich and full, very resonant. There are still slight differences in the tone of each one, just as there is with any instruments made from wood. This is why I will include a soundclips of each baritone being played. Musicians tend to shop with their ears more than their eyes. I want to give you the next best thing to being here at my shop to look them over.
There are 37 wound strings on each one of these baritone psalteries. The lowest note is C below middle C and the psaltery has three full octaves. They are 30" long, 9" wide, and just over 3" thick including the pins and strings. Everything you need is included except a tripod and tuner. I will give you a recommendation of a great tripod to use with these baritones. It can't just be any old camera tripod, it will take a heavy duty model with an all metal head. I recommend an electronic tuner to use while tuning. They are inexpensive and really make tuning easy.
There is an attached back plate that allow for mounting the psaltery on a tripod without losing any vibration of the back of the psaltery. The back plate is fastened only around the outside edges. They included piezo internal pickup is standard and gives you the option to amplify this psaltery. I show you how all this works on the DVD. I'll be posting a video soon to demonstrate this and the sound you can get.
The included two hour DVD is dedicated to this psaltery only. It covers everything you will need to know and learn about this psaltery. The tripod mount and two bows get you set up to double bow. This is a great way to play the bowed psaltery, really opens up the possibilities of what can be done on a bowed psaltery. It takes it to the next level.
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- Top: American (Wormy) Chestnut
- Back: Black Walnut
- Price: $900 SOLD
- Item No. WCWAB010
The first sound clip is unamplified. The rest are of this psaltery hooked up to a Roland AC-90 guitar amplifier. These were all recorded in one take, using two bows to create all the sounds you hear at one time on each clip.
Price includes:
Two Bows
Tuning wrench
Rosin
Extra Strings
Two hour Instructional DVD
Internal Piezo Pick Up
Tuning Chart
Special Picks
Padded Case
- Top: Aspen
- Back: Cherry
- Price: $900
- Item No. ASCHB009
- SOLD
Price includes:
Two Bows
Tuning wrench
Rosin
Extra Strings
Two hour Instructional DVD
Internal Piezo Pick Up
Tuning Chart
Special Picks
Padded Case
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This baritone has a wormy chestnut soundboard and walnut for the back and bows. The chestnut I used came out of the Asheville, NC area and was salvaged off of an old barn that was torn down.
The back plate matches the body of the psaltery because it was sawn off of the board just before routing out the cavity to form the soundbox. This way the back plate is the same color and grain orientation. You can see this by looking at one of the pictures of the side. The radial carved design around the soundhole has been done by hand using a 1/8" gouge chisel. The area around the threaded insert for the tripod mount has the same design carved in it. This area is usually dented by the tripod mounting and this carving hides any of these dents.
The felt pads on the back serve two purposes. The cover the fasteners that attach the back plate and also cushion the psaltery when you lay it on a table to tune or use the included picks to pluck the strings.
This baritone has an aspen soundboard and cherry body and aspen bows. Aspen is a very strong wood for its weight. I was surprised when I tried it for the first time. I love the look. It is so white it really compares to holly in appearance, but has a little more noticeable grain. The cherry is a native Tennessee tree and is always gives a very elegant look to any product made for it. I really like this combination and I think I will also be pairing the aspen with some hard maple for a couple of the next baritones I am going to start soon.
The back plate matches the body of the psaltery because it was sawn off of the board just before routing out the cavity to form the soundbox. This way the back plate is the same color and grain orientation. You can see this by looking at one of the pictures of the side. The radial carved design around the soundhole has been done by hand using a 1/8" gouge chisel. The area around the threaded insert for the tripod mount has the same design carved in it. This area is usually dented by the tripod mounting and this carving hides any of these dents.
The felt pads on the back serve two purposes. The cover the fasteners that attach the back plate and also cushion the psaltery when you lay it on a table to tune or use the included picks to pluck the strings.
More videos showing the baritone psaltery on the How to Play page.
Click on pictures to enlarge them
