Jack_Campin
Oud Junkie
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dobro ud?
Just curious - has anybody ever tried making an instrument bearing the same relationship to the ud that the dobro (resonator guitar) has to the
acoustic guitar?
If so, why don't we still see them?
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Laith
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the cumbus is close...
Even though there is no slide tool, and the cumbus looks closer to a banjo/oud, it does have metal strings and the body is metal. Also if grow your
fretting hand's nails out a little you can get some great glissando on the cumbus. It almost can sound like a sarod.
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Jack_Campin
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There's really no resemblance - in a dobro the sound is amplified by a metal cone like the one in a loudspeaker. A cumbus is a kind of banjo and
basically sounds like one - the dobro sound is very distinctive.
A dobro ud would be pretty heavy.
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adamgood
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Oh oh oh!
What a project for someone, design a dobro modification for a cümbüş !!!
from what i understand, a dobro uses one inverted metal cone that is used as the "soundboard". somehow a bridge would rest on the cone.
i wonder what that would sound like. any louder than with the plastic head?
might work even better for yayli tanbur.
adam
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Peyman
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| Quote: | Originally posted by adamgood
might work even better for yayli tanbur.
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Adam, someone has already built a yayli tanbur with dobro design. It's called a tarhu and Ross Daly (and some other pros on this forum) plays one: http://www.spikefiddle.com/
The idea might work for oud but the sound samples of the plucked tarhu isn't too great...
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adamgood
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Hi Peyman,
I'm aware of the tarhu, my friend Phaedon owns and plays one and I've gotten a chance to check it out.
one thing about the tarhu is the cone is made of a very very thin wood and the inventor came up with a pretty amazing idea for resting the bridge on
the cone without it getting smashed to pieces.
metal cone would be a bit sturdier.
and then one other thing about the Tarhu is the price tag 
adam
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Peyman
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Hey Adam,
The cool thing about the tarhu is having access to 4 strings for bowing. I saw Phaedon's nice videos with the tarhu. Do a search for "nak tarhu" on
youtube. I don't know if you have seen that variation. When I win the lottery I'll get a tarhu )
The resonator could work for a yayli tanbur and cumbus, but I am not sure how nylon would sound on a metalic resonator. That's why I was thinking
about a wooden resonator.
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adamgood
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Peyman
The resonator could work for a yayli tanbur and cumbus, but I am not sure how nylon would sound on a metalic resonator. That's why I was thinking
about a wooden resonator. |
Hi Peyman,
Ja, ideally wooden resonator would be the best sound but i think really hard to support it. meaning...
on the tarhu he often puts VERY thick strings, like cello strings (like Ross' in the video, they look massive). without the sympathetic strings, the
bridge would come crushing down on the cone and smash right through it. the sympathetic strings act as a kind of counter to the weight of the playing
strings.
wow this is really hard to describe without showing you.
ok say the bridge of the tarhu rests on top of the cone. the thick playing strings push down applying pressure to the "face" (the cone) but the
sympathetic strings run UNDERNEATH the bridge, actually pulling it away from the cone. so, the two sets of strings balance out the pressure to the
cone. does that make sense? it's really brilliant.
all i'd want is some metal (sturdier) cone that I could easily retrofit into my crappy cumbus, just to see what it sounds like. but i'm not good at
makin' stuff.
thanks for showing the video of Ross by the way. I love his playing.
adam
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Peyman
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I like that video too.
I do have an article on dobro set up. I'll have to read it closely. It might be possible to make something unique.
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