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Post by YouLanFengChune on Dec 18, 2006 4:54:28 GMT
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Post by simon18i on Dec 19, 2006 21:19:15 GMT
i cannot afford that much snake skin. besides i only plan to make one or two erhu only. ><
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Post by simon18i on Dec 27, 2006 20:35:58 GMT
what do you guys think about sheepskin? i saw a 10inch tambourine covered with thin sheepskin (i think). would it be a good substitude? its cheaper though. the tambourine cost about rm30+...
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Post by calden on Dec 27, 2006 21:58:35 GMT
From a musician who has experience with different skin heads: Different skins are appropriate for different instruments. The bodhran frame drum ("BOE-ron") traditionally uses a goat or sheep skin. Old-time banjos use calfskin. Erhus use snakeskin. I think that these are the materials that yield the best of the tonal qualities of their respective instruments. I would guess that you certainly could use a sheepskin on an erhu, but it would not make it sound the best, and may even be too soft in the long run, especially with humid weather. Intuitively I would replace the snakeskin with synthetic skin. Check out the website for Remo who manufactures Fiberskyn heads for drums and banjos. Here is a page which features different heads and their tonal qualities: www.remo.com/portal/products/tools/drumhead_finder.html?back=/portal/products/index.htmlI bet you could find something that is similar to snakeskin in what it does. Better yet, contact Remo and tell them you want a head that has the tonal and structural properties of snakeskin for an erhu. Ya never know - they might know exactly what an erhu is, and be able to suggest a very good substitute. The bonus is that this stuff is stable - not at all affected by heat or cold or humidity (or drooling when you have lunch in the park after a good music session.) Carlos
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Post by dsouthwood on Dec 27, 2006 23:52:12 GMT
I checked the Foxfire books on banjo making, and the articles mentioned a number of different skins traditionally used for the heads: cat, opossum, squirrel, raccoon, deer, sheep, snake, groundhog, and "other assorted creatures." One maker preferred squirrel because it was thinner than groundhog or deer and gave a better tone. Another maker said he preferred deer or groundhog skins because they were tougher, and "You can whop a man over the head with one and still not bust the hide." So maybe the choice depends on what kind of clubs you'll be playing in.
The articles also mentioned banjo heads made out of wood. When I went to see the Peony Pavilion opera, I went up to the orchestra pit during intermission to look at the instruments. One was built like an erhu except that it had a slightly larger, shallower resonator with a wooden head. There was also a spike on the bottom rather than the kind of base an erhu has. I don't know what it was called, and I haven't been able to find a picture of one on the Web. Maybe wood would give an interesting sound, and it sure would be easier to work with.
Dennis
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Post by davidmdahl on Dec 28, 2006 1:15:37 GMT
<snip>The articles also mentioned banjo heads made out of wood. When I went to see the Peony Pavilion opera, I went up to the orchestra pit during intermission to look at the instruments. One was built like an erhu except that it had a slightly larger, shallower resonator with a wooden head. There was also a spike on the bottom rather than the kind of base an erhu has. <snip> Could that be a banhu? Best wishes, David
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Post by simon18i on Jan 3, 2007 8:09:02 GMT
I have attached sheepskin and the neck to the round drum. now it looks completely like a gaohu. the thin skin and high tention is the characteristic of gaohu also, i will try on erhu string and bridge first. still require about a month for the paint job.dont know how sheep skin erhu will sound like? bleat ??
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Post by calden on Jan 3, 2007 14:56:27 GMT
Actually, a sheepskin erhu would sound...
not too baaaaaad.
Carlos
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Post by simon18i on Feb 15, 2007 9:29:59 GMT
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Post by maaltan on Feb 15, 2007 12:31:55 GMT
very unique design. I like it. Im trying to remember the art term that refers to "sharply angular and clean" but it eludes me. cubist... whatever. Sure it has its deficencies if you sit down and nit pick it, but they enhance the styling of it. I guess the most important question is "how does it sound?" Well not really... It still looks nice enough to warrant the work if all it is good for is hanging on a wall.
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Post by calden on Feb 15, 2007 15:07:36 GMT
Impressive! Nice work. I've made several instruments and know the degree of skill and patience required.
I'd also like to know how it sounds.
Carlos
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Post by song on Feb 15, 2007 16:06:10 GMT
Very nice simon! what did you use in place of the snakeskin? yes it would interesting to hear how it sounds.
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Post by shoppingchinanow on Apr 5, 2007 9:07:06 GMT
Building an erhu is not so difficult as you may expect, my father built his first erhu when he decided to learn, what matters is weather you can find the material, especial the snake skin.
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Post by ychent on May 11, 2007 3:44:23 GMT
I've always wondered what are the specs that goes into erhu constructions? I've read a couple of books on violin acoustics, and it's mighty impressive how everything on violin construction is precise down to the level of art: the type/age/dryness of the wood, the thickness of the bridge, the curvature of the bass bar, the tension on the sound post, angle of the neck, the type of glue and varnish used on the wood, the curvature and thickness of the face boards, the size and position of the sound holes.... it's a beautiful blend of art and science. It would be TERRIFIC if someone can shed some light on the construction of erhu. More than just the specs, I would love to learn how does each part influence the timbre and quality of the sound? How does any specific processing technique influence the sound? How does the shape and thickness of the resonator body influence the sound? Does the type of resonator decor over the sound hole influence the timbre? What is an ideal erhu? Also, are there new research being done that aims to revolutionalize erhu? There are some innovative technologies and research in the acoustics of violin; Texas A&M professor Nagyarvy is able to deteremine the chemical treatment used in the famous stradivari violins, and by using the same process as well as spectra analysis, he is able to produce violin that rivals the strads (see www.nagyvaryviolins.com/ and agnews.tamu.edu/dailynews/stories/BICH/Sep2203a.htm). Is there similar research being conducted for erhu?
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Post by gtbehary on Jun 7, 2007 15:20:08 GMT
I have a large piece of python skin that is tanned as leather. Will this work? gtbehary
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Post by Curt Geesdorf on Jul 14, 2007 14:14:28 GMT
Simon,
Can you share the plans? Have you more detailed pictures?
[]s
Curt
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Post by gtbehary on Jul 15, 2007 2:20:24 GMT
Remember that it is supposed to be raw snakeskin...not tanned. I am going to experiment with tanned snakeskin (very easy to find) and using a type of super glue to stiffen the skin after it is stretched. I received my router bit, like the ones above and will probably use quilted maple for the body and neck. www.lvstrings.com
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Post by calden on Jul 15, 2007 3:46:45 GMT
I opened up my jinghu the other day for a lecture-demo on Chinese stringed musical instruments. Found that the head was split from the bridge! Yes, I forgot to put the wooden spacer in. Shame on me.
Anyway, I would like some advice on putting a head on. I'm not going to try and procure snakeskin. My daughter has a pet snake and she would have a fit. Besides maintaining family harmony, i'd rather go with something that's not so weather-sensitive. I'm sure that the bitter dry cold in mid-winter helped this tragedy occur.
SO! I would like some advice as to the procedure of putting on a jinghu head. It looks like it's basically glued down with maybe hide glue, and a ribbon of material is glued around the edge. But how does one get the tension on it so it can be glued properly?
Thanks, Carlos
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