I have a friend who is a jeweler/metalsmith who is a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism as well...he goes to their medieval events with the 14th century pendulum clocks he made completely by hand. Very cool.
I built both of these for others. The Gusli is for Lady Sally's daughter who has gotten involved with the Society for Creative Anachronism. She has a Novgarod Russian persona and the Gusli is modeled after one from about 1250, which was discovered in an archeological dig in that city.
The Rabel is intended to be finger fretted. Right now it has very short temporary strings on it that came from a violin, I think. The instrument is only 24" from tip to tip. I'm giving it to a woman who lives at the marina, who is a violinist/cellist and folk instrument aficionado (she also plays at dulcimer). I'm not sure what will happen to the ends when it gets 'real' strings....
Very cool, Ken. I love these old types of folk instruments. Did you make these for yourself to play?
Is that fiddle-ish instrument intended to be played while fretting it with the fingers? If so, how are you going to deal with the silk-wrapped string ends spilling over into the first and second fret range? Or maybe you just didn't have long enough strings on hand for the moment and these are temporary strings?
I love instruments we don't get to see often! ~these are awesome~
Two instruments I built lately. The one with no sound hole is a pentatonic Gusli, a kind of 14th-15th century Russian Winged Psaltery related to the Kantele, Kannel, Kokle etc. The one with two strings is a 'proof of concept' built of a Spanish and Latin American Rabel, a 1-3 stringed folk fiddle played upright in the lap. This one is in the 'wine bottle' style from the area around Toledo, Spain.
Both instruments have carved bodies - the back and sides are a single piece of 2x6 hollowed out, with the soundboard added on top.
