Ringing Strings Bowed Psalteries
handcrafted by Rick Long
Clinton, Tennessee
(865) 660-4026 ricklong@ringingstrings.com
Photo by Robert Batey
This is a two and one half octave tenor bowed psaltery.
The range of notes start at "G" below middle "C" or G3 and go up to "C" two octave above middle "C" or C6
The 30 strings are all phosphor bronze wound acoustic guitar strings. This psaltery packs a lot of punch in volume and great tone for its size.
It is 20 1/2" long, 7" wide, and 1 1/2" thick.
I've been working on this design for a couple of years now and have built several in this size continuing to tweak and develop the tenor into a psaltery I can be proud to offer.
Here's a tune played on the tripod plate with the second verse double bowed, the first a last verses are played using a single bow - Shule Aroon
This is "We Gather Together". It is also double bowed and the first time I've played it on a tenor. You'll notice me struggling with some of the harmony notes here and there trying to learn what sounds the best for this song. I am playing the melody using my right hand and the harmony notes with my left.
Here's a few more examples of playing styles and sounds you can get out of one of these tenor psalteries -
This is "The Parting Glass" it has a faster tempo than some of the other tunes I've been playing.
The tripod plate is an option you can add that will give you a way to hold the psaltery to play using two bows, one in each hand. It opens up a whole new chapter in the playing of a bowed psaltery.
Here's a tune I played just utilizing the two bow method. One bow in each hand.
This is the new adjustable tripod plate that is available for your tenor psaltery.
You can add this option for $50 and that includes a second bow, a pretty good deal as my tenor bows sell for $25 each. This price is only if you are buying one of my tenor psalteries.
Call or email or pricing for a different builders psaltery. Be prepared to give me the dimensions of your psaltery to find out if it will work.
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Here's a few tunes played on one of the tenor psalteries -
7-1-10 Another of the tenor psalteries sold today. More in the works.
6-8-10 Three new tenor psalteries added to this page. Scroll on down to view and hear them. One is already marked as "SOLD".
6-7-10 The three new tenor psalteries are strung and I plan to have them listed by tomorrow.
5-31-10 All the tenor psalteries listed below have been sold. More are on the way soon.
I'll mark the psaltery as "SOLD" when you confirm to me the particular item number of the psaltery you want.
$50 will add the option of a tripod plate and a second bow. Info on the new adjustable tripod plate I have developed at the bottom of this page. This $50 price is only when you buy your psaltery from me. One of the perks of being a customer of mine.
Exciting News About the Bowed Psaltery
One of my tenor bowed psalteries has been used in the recording a of soundtrack for a documentary that was recently premiered at the Sundance Festival. The soundtrack was composed and performed by David Bergeaud, who has composed music for many film, television, and video game projects.
The documentary is "The Glass House", and is about four brave girls in Iran. Here's a link to the website of the creators of the film. When the web site opens it will play one of David's songs using the tenor psaltery being double bowed, beautiful!
Here's a link from that web site to read about David and the instruments he uses for the soundtrack. A sound clip from one of his songs will play automatically when you open this. At the bottom right you can click where it says "Read More" to go to the next page and sound clip. The tenor bowed psaltery stands out to me in the first, fourth, and fifth clips. Beautiful double bowing and work with drone notes. You can see the psaltery in some of the photographs, it's a redwood/walnut model.
You can purchase the DVD and also the soundtrack CD from the web sites listed above.
All the instruments and everything you hear was played by David. He tells me he will be using the psaltery in more projects in the future. Thanks so much, David.
Here's a few tunes recorded at a jam session at Cumberland Crafts on 7-27-2008. I was playing my quilted maple and walnut tenor bowed psaltery during the jam. Terry Lewis is playing the appalachian Dulcimer.
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.
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This picture shows what is included with the tenor psaltery.
Top - Birds-eye Maple
Back - Walnut
Item number - TEBEWA04
Price - $600 SOLD
This tenor psaltery has a beautiful birds-eye maple soundboard. Loaded with figure and great color it is native to the Northeastern United States. The designs around the sound holes on the front and back are a pyrographic engraving. The back is a nice dark piece of american walnut. Great looks and tone on this tenor psaltery
Click pictures to enlarge
Top - Quilted Maple
Back - Walnut
Item number - TEQMWA09
Price - $625 SOLD
This tenor psaltery has a beautiful quilted maple soundboard The quilted maple I use comes from the Northwest United States in Washington state. The design around both sound holes is hand carved into the wood. This wood is one that will makes folks say "wow!" Click on the picture to enlarge it to see the detail. The back is american walnut.
Click pictures to enlarge
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Top - Curly Redwood
Back - Walnut
Item number - TECRWA19
Price - $550 SOLD
Even though this psaltery is already sold I wanted to list it. This way folks that are visiting my site for the first time will see what can be available and what the other tenor psalteries that are in the building stages will look like when finished.
If you want one like this I can add you to a list to have the first opportunity to get one. Just send me an email to discuss it.
The customer that claimed this one sent me an email yesterday. I emailed them the pics and sound clips. You could do the same thing for the next batch of tenor psalteries. If there is more than one person requesting this, I will go by the date and time of the request to make it fair.
Click pictures to enlarge
Copyright Ringing Strings Music 2004-2010 All Rights Reserved
Scroll on down the page to see the tenor psalteries that I have available. There are pictures, descriptions of the wood, and sound clips of each one being played.
