HOW DOES
YOUR BANJO RING?
If you are a banjo player, you may already be afflicted by the "vellum
pluckers' disease". A disease which leaves you constantly asking
yourself, "It's not quite sounding right, is it? "Or is it?" If
you haven't yet been afflicted, the following hints, adjustments and
modification will help you through some of the traumas. A banjo is different
from most other stringed instruments: you could think of it as a mechanical "drum",
with many adjustable parts. So, as a banjo player, it will help you to
develop your D.I.Y. and mechanical skills, along with your musical ones.
1 The skin, vellum or head
This can be adjusted and tensioned like a drum. The choice of skin and
tension applied will give a different sound to the banjo.
a) Clear plastic
This head will give the loudest, bright thin sound.
b) Plastic head spray finished
This head will give slightly less volume than the above, but with
more "body". These heads can be obtained with the sprayed on
coating applied to the inside or the outside.
c) "Fiberskyn"plastic head
This head will give less volume than the above heads but will give
a rounder sound with much more body and depth. The sprayed on fibres
are applied to the outside of the head to emulate a real vellum, but
unlike the vellum, the fibre head is not affected by humidity.
d) Calf or goat skin vellum
The vellum will give the traditional full bodied "mellow" sound,
but remember that a vellum is affected by humidity and temperature
You can experiment with different heads and different head tensions to
find your desired "personal" sound but remember, any
adjustment on head tension will affect the height of the strings in relationship
to the fingerboard, as the bridge moves with the head
All the above heads and vellums are stock items.
2 The bridge
The bridge can alter the tone and the volume of your banjo. If you change
your bridge from 1/2" to 5/8" you will get more volume. Don't
forget that this might, depending on your instrument, make the "action" (that
is the distance you have to push the strings down to the frets) higher
and more difficult. If you sand a bridge to give less area contact with
the head, the tone will be "snappier". You can also taper the
bridge from the bass to the treble end to try to eliminate unwanted overtones
and harmonics. Compensated 5 string bridges are also available. Maple
and ebony bridges are supplied in various heights, also with bone inserts
for a clearer sound. Remember, the bridge must be positioned
on the head the same distance from the 12th fret as the 12th fret is
from the nut. The bridge can be slightly angled to compensate for the
heavier fourth string on a tenor or plectrum banjo, the distance at the
fourth string thus being slightly greater than at the first string.
3 The tailpiece
The tailpiece plays a very important role in the tone and volume of
your banjo. Its prime function is to anchor your strings. Its secondary
function is to angle your strings to exert maximum pressure on the bridge
in order that the bridge transmits sound into the banjo head. Adjustable "dam
shell", "Scruggs" type, "Kershner' and "Nashville" types
are available. Please enquire for prices.
4 The resonator
If you fit a resonator to your banjo, it will have more volume and will
project the sound forward. Without a resonator, your banjo will be quieter
and sound more mellow. A "frailing" banjo would not have a
resonator.
5 The armrest
How can the armrest affect the tone of a banjo? If an armrest is fitted
to your banjo, it can keep your arm from deadening the movement of the
head, which could lower the potential volume of your instrument; also,
it can he adjusted to alter the angle and position that you "attack" your
strings, which brings in the...
6 Strings
Strings come in many different grades, materials and gauges, each of
which gives a different sound and "feel" to your banjo. Experiment
with all aspects to find your preferred tone and volume, but remember this
brief note: thinner steel and nickel for more "clang" and 'twang",
heavier wound bronze or phosphor bronze for a "warmer" sound
with more body. Note that custom gauge sets can be made up at no extra
cost
Last but not least, the position that you strike your strings, what
you strike them with and the pressure that YOU can exert accounts for
much of your banjo's tone and volume.
7 Plectrums, picks etc
If you are a plectrum player, experiment with different shapes, thicknesses
and materials. The nylon picks give a softer sound, the harder the pick
the "chunkier" the sound. Remember this brief note:
the closer you pick to the bridge, the harder the sound. The further
you pick from the bridge, the mellower the sound. The "old masters" prefer
to use a tortoise shell plectrum: I prefer to see the shells on the backs
of the tortoises!
Fingerpicks and thumbpicks likewise come in all shapes and forms. Again,
experiment, although you don't have as much choice as you have with plectra.
Bluegrass players go for metal fingerpicks for attack and volume.
I hope these brief notes help and explain some of the "black magic" of
the banjo.
HOW TO FIT A VELLUM TO YOUR BANJO.
Please note - these instructions apply to natural skin vellums only!
Fitting a plastic head is much simpler. Basically, all you need to make
sure of when fitting a plastic head is that you apply equal tension gradually,
all round the circumference of the head, tightening up hooks evenly and
symmetrically.
Now to the fitting of the natural vellum:
The first thing to do is strip the instrument---and you might find this
a good opportunity to thoroughly clean all plated parts and remove all
dust and dirt from inside the hoop.
When the hoop is ready to receive the new vellum, soak the unstretched
skin in clean cold water until it is soft and can be rolled-about five
to ten minutes should prove sufficient-then lay the wet skin flat on
a soft clean towel or cloth and roll it up so that the towel or cloth
absorbs all superfluous moisture.
Then lay the skin face side up (a rough side andlor a name stamp will
be inside the banjo and thus facing down) on the spread-out towel or
cloth, seeing there are no wrinkles in evidence. Place the vellum-wire
on the vellum (leaving an even surplus all round) and start to fold the
vellum outside the wire over the wire, placing the banjo bezel in position
as you go, to hold it. Then lift the vellum and bezel together and place
on the banjo hoop.
Gently ease into place and then fit six tension hooks in position-one
each side of the tailpiece, one each side of the neck, one the centre
of each side of the hoop. Now that the vellum and bezel are held in their
proper position, gently ease the vellum up under the bezel; see that
no folds or wrinkles appear where the vellum goes over the edge of the
hoop. A well-fitted vellum should also have no folds in evidence where
it laps around the vellum wire. You should now slightly press down in
the centre of the vellum to allow a little "play" for subsequent
tightening. Now slightly tighten each tension book, seeing that the bezel
goes down evenly all around the hoop.
After re-checking to see that no folds or wrinkles have appeared in
the vellum under the bezel, tighten the tension hooks so that the vellum
is evenly stretched across the hoop. The bezel should be a little higher
on the hoop than it will be when the banjo is later assembled.
Lay the components aside in a cool dry place for not less than twenty-four
hours. If it can be left longer, so much the better. Under no circumstances
should artificial heat be applied.
When the vellum is thoroughly dry-and here it should be emphasised that
the exposed part of the vellum will dry quickly but the part under the
bezel will take considerably longer - undo the tension hooks and remove
the vellum from the hoop. If there are any signs of stickiness when removing
the vellum, it indicates dampness and the vellum should be put on one
side to allow for further drying. Trim off the surplus skin and sprinkle
a little french chalk on the top on the hoop where the vellum rests.
Replace the vellum on the banjo hoop and fit all the tension books and
nuts, taking great care to apply tension evenly all round the hoop. Note
that if tension is applied to the vellum whilst there are any signs of
dampness, the skin will split
The correct tension of a vellum to give best results is for it to be
as "tight as a board", just giving to hard pressure of the
thumb. If in doubt leave some give in it and consult an experienced banjoist.
After a new vellum is fitted it will stretch slightly for a few days.
Proper tension may be maintained by a quarter turn on each nut until
the skin has its proper give.
If you feel you need more help, don't hesitate to call us on 01274 879768.
Top
BUTTON ACCORDIONS
AND MELODEONS.
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO I WANT TO PLAY?
These instruments come in all kinds of different types, suited to all
types of music. If you want to play Irish, Scottish or English dance
music (jigs, reels and the like) or Morris dance music, or European folk
music, or Cajun music, or even song accompaniment, there's an instrument
here for you. So here are all the different types of squeezeboxes we
stock, along with the uses you might put them to. If we give you the
right advice here, we're sure your partner won't use it for lighting
the fire!
MELODEON OR BUTTON ACCORDION - IT'S ALL A QUESTION OF GEOGRAPHY.
There is a lot of confusion around as to when we should call one instrument
a melodeon or another a button accordion, or indeed whether we should
spell the word accordeon instead. For those of you who are new
to the instrument, the purpose of this brief introduction is lay down
what we hope will be the foundation of your squeezebox vocabulary and
understanding. To those of you who are not so new, we can be safe in
the knowledge that we speak the same language.
As a rule of thumb, in Ireland, an instrument with one row of treble
buttons and two bass is usually called a melodeon, while all other
button instruments (with the exception of the concertina and bandoneon)
are known as button accordions.
In England both 1 row and two row instruments would be classified as
melodeons. The two row variety is further divided according to keys into
diatonic (D/G, G/C, C/F and A/D) and chromatic (B/C and C#/D being the
most popular).
Accordions with buttons are then further divided into those instruments
which
(a) play different notes on the push and the pull of the bellows, usually
with 8 but sometimes 4, 12, 14 or 16 bass buttons, and are known
as button accordions, and
(b) have buttons that play a different note in to out on the right
hand and the same notes in to out on the left hand or bass end. These
are known as button accordeons (note the spelling) and are often
refered to as British chromatics, magnificent in the hands of maestros
such as Jimmy Shand and John Kirkpatrick.
A third instrument within the same branch of this squeezable family
is the continental chromatic button accordeon, recognised by having anywhere
from three to five rows of treble buttons and two to six rows of bass
buttons. These play the same note on any given button regardless of the
direction of the bellows.
THE KEY TO BUYING A MELODEON OR BUTTON ACCORDION.
Over and over again we meet people who get button key instruments
from shops where there is neither the range nor the expertise necessary
to help them choose the instrument best suited to their needs. Realising
that they have been sold the wrong instrument, they bring their problem
to us.
There's no need to become convinced that it is your 'own fault'; that
you are not musical, when all that was needed was some proper advice
and guidance to begin with. Here are just a few of our suggestions to
help you answer the questions above.
SO YOU WANT TO PLAY ENGLISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC.
Usually a 2-row diatonic instrument is best to start on. Don't make
the mistake of thinking a 1-row instrument is easier to play. They are
specialist instruments, which in the right hands sound wonderful, but
are not advised as a starting instrument, their limitations far
outweighing their advantages, especially when it comes to joining in
with other musicians at sessions etc. In England, D/G is the most popular
tuning, whilst G/C and to a lesser extent C/F are the preferred
keys in the rest of Europe. And don't think that a D/G is limited to
those keys. It is possible to play to a greater or lesser extent in D,
G, A, E minor, B minor and C, although the really good players can find
more.
Very cheap instruments are available as starting instruments, but most
people can see just how quickly these are put together and opt instead
for either the basic Czech-manufactured Delicia, the Weltmeister Laurel
or better still the more popular Hohner Pokerwork. The Pokerwork is still
the prefered choice of many musicians, notably John Kirkpatrick who firmly
recommends this as the best instrument for English music.
The Starter Pack
A D/G Hohner Pokerwork melodeon, together with either Dave Mallinson's
'Absolute Beginners' book and tape, or one or both of John Kirkpatricks
series of videos 'How to play the English melodeon' are all you need
to get you off and started. Add a padded melodeon shoulder carrying bag
(Mally Bag) or, if you prefer, a rucksack, and you have the full works
from the beginning.
If your budget will stretch that little further, and you are sure you
are going to take to playing the melodeon, consider the Dino Baffetti
Carnival II, representing Italian craftsmanship at value-for-money
prices.
Phone the shop for our current best starter pack prices.
With proper dedicated practice, progression can be quite quick, and
you will be surprised just how soon you could be sitting in one of the
many informal pub sessions that are to be found at most English Folk
Festivals, or perhaps joining in with the local morris side.
NO, I PREFER IRISH TRADITIONAL MUSIC.
As a point of interest, it is a commonly held belief that it is easier
to play Irish music on a diatonic than it is English style on a chromatic.
It is perfectly possible to play Irish Traditional Music to a very high
standard on the D/G diatonic melodeon; in fact until the 1940's
and early 1950's the D/G and 1-rows were highly favoured. If you want
to sound like one of the older traditionalists, a diatonic is the one
to choose.
It wasn't until players like Paddy O'Brien came along that the
modern Irish accordion style developed. They realised that switching
to the B/C system had several advantages. Firstly, the fact that the
C row comprises of all natural notes and the B row is all sharps and
flats. By using a combination of notes from each row and playing across
the rows, more keys were available and a smoother bellows action acheived.
Secondly, the grace notes, triplets, runs and fills etc which are characteristic
of modern Irish music are more readily available and fall to hand easier
than on a diatonic. Another difference is in the bass work. This differs
from the English bouncy rythmic style, which depends on changing bellows
direction to play notes in the same direction of the bellows as their
accompanying chords. Irish music on the other hand has very little bass
accompanyment, placing more importance on the melody notes and
ornamentations, rather than making sure these notes fall in a particular
directions to make the basses fit.
The Irish style is still evolving, and other keys are finding favour,
especially C#/D, with exponents such as Jackie Daly popularising this
tuning. Basically, the aim is to be able to play in the main fiddle keys
of D, G and A and relative minors. Using the C#/D allows you to play
more or less up and down one row for most of the time, generating a more
rhythmic effect.
To start playing Irish music, we would recomend a Hohner Double Ray,
if you can possibly stretch to it. Make sure the basses have been altered
to suit Irish music at the time of purchase. These well-proportioned
instruments are easy to maintain and tend to hold their value well. A
reasonable alternative would be the Delicia B/C, but a good second hand
Hohner may prove better value for money in the long term. The hottest-selling
Irish style box in this country at the present time is the Saltarelle
Irish Bouëbe. Available from stock in B/C and C#/D. More expensive
than the Hohner, but a very useful mid-priced instrument featuring a
flat, enclosed finger board with a very fast action.
Irish traditional style starter packs are available. Why not contact
us to discuss your requirements and best price deals?
CAJUN MUSIC APPEALS.
You can learn Cajun music on any diatonic box, but really a one row
4-stop is needed in the most popular Cajun key of C. The same instrument
will also allow you to play in G in much the same way as a blues harmonica
player would use the second position to get G from a C instrument. A
great deal of myth and folklore surrounds this type of instrument, ranging
from the type of woods used in the construction to the direction the
reeds are laid in. A genuine Louisiana box would in fact have 2 of its
4 reeds laid flat on the soundboard and 2 upright on a block. A standard
Hohner 1-row 4-stop will get you off and running, but better still, Hohner
manufacture the Cajun box, which is all black, and with improved bellows.
Tuned slightly drier, this is the best sounding entry level instrument
we have come across. This, together with the video by Dirk Powell "Learn
to play Cajun Accordion - Starting Out" is all you really need to
make a success of things.
EUROPEAN MUSIC IS BEST, ACCORDION TO ME.
G/C and C/F are the most popular tunings for European music, and incidentally
these are also among the best keys to use when singing. Hohner supply
the Pokerwork in G/C and C/F, but the more authentic instrument is the
Le Bouëbe by the French company Saltarelle. The UK does not have
a wealth of tuition material, but Musique pour la Danse Bretonne is useful.
Glossary of terms
Voices. Refers to the number of reeds sounding. E.g 1 voice = 1 reed,
2 reeds = 2 voices, 3 reeds = 3 voices. etc
Stops / Registers. These are knobs or switches to allow certain
reeds to be switched on and off.
Dry. When one reed is tuned in concert pitch and the second is tuned
to the same pitch.
Wet or tremolo. When one reed is tuned in concert pitch and the other
is tuned very sharp - far enough to set up a fast beat between the reeds.
Swing. When one reed is tuned in concert pitch and the other is tuned
slightly sharp. Somewhere between Wet and Dry
Top
Piano and Chromatic Button Accordions
Looking to start the accordion but don’t know what instrument you need?
Whenever you start a new skill it is vital that you have the best tools for the job. Here at The Music Room we have put together a comprehensive guide to the choices you need to make before you start and then some ideas of what instruments to look for. Read on and make a fully informed choice, with all the risk taken out!
Accordions come in all shapes and sizes, some with buttons, some with keys, some large some small, the choice is bewildering to the new player. Before diving into the details you need to firstly decide what you are looking to play on your accordion!
There are two distinct styles of accordion out there, the piano-key and the button-key accordions, and although it is possible to play all styles of music on both, this is perhaps the most important decision to make at this stage. It is possible to change later, or even play both systems but it is a good idea to start with all the information at your fingertips!
The piano-key is the most recognizable style of accordion and is the one probably the most common in the west. With a range from 2 octaves to nearly 4 the keys are laid out in exactly the same way as a piano and as a result is the quickest for many people to start with. There is a wealth of material available giving advice on good piano fingering and this is vital for the beginner. Particularly well suited to traditional music you will find many of today’s artists playing on beautiful compact piano accordions. The one disadvantage however is the physical dimensions. A 4 octave accordion is very large and therefore heavy and many people are now trying to downsize. If you are only wishing to play traditional music and do not need a huge range of notes, then this is not a problem but if you are looking to playing classical repertoire you will need a full size instrument, or you need to look at the next section!
The button-key is at first glance a frightening idea, with a keyboard coated in buttons with no clues as to how to start! It is however worth a second look as this is perhaps the best way to layout a musical keyboard! Unfortunately to make matters more confusing there are a number of different layouts and you will find even more opinions out there as to which is the best! Here at The Music Room we would like to set the record straight once and for all so here goes!
There is no best button-key system! It’s not what you have it’s what you do with it!
If you haven’t started playing yet then there is no best system! Lets look at the 2 main systems, B system and C system. The principles are the same, notes laid out in a diagonal chromatic pattern, and both systems have many of the same benefits. The main gain over a piano-key is the compact layout gives you a much greater range in a smaller instrument. This is true no matter which key system you have! You will come across opinions the one system wins over the other, because of hand position or maybe finger shapes, but this is really not the case if you learn using sensible fingering and posture. If you don’t believe us have a look at how many top professionals play each system! You will find the breakdown is roughly equal, with the finest recognized player on any system you care to mention. So there you have it! Try both systems yourself and see which works for you the best then make your choice. Don’t be forced into someone else’s choice of system, make the right choice for you!
So should you play piano or button key? Well here are some simple thoughts to help you make the decision.
1) There is more material out there for Piano key. This may change and we will of course let you know whenever a new book for button-key arrives!
2) The Button-Key has a greater range than the Piano-Key. This is the significant difference and you need to decide how important the extra range is for you.
3) Button-Key accordions cost more than Piano-Key accordions. As a general rule this is the case, and this means your potential to upgrade in the future will also be affected. We sometimes come across good deals on button-key accordions and we will of course let you know when this happens!
4) There is a greater availability in Piano-key. At this point in time you will find a greater availability in piano keys due to their current popularity. DON’T let this make you decide on piano key if everything else points you to buttons!
Left Hand
Once you have chosen the right hand you still have another decision to make.
There are a few different systems but they split into two distict styles. The traditional left hand keyboard is usually what is called the ‘Stradella’ bass, a wonderful system of prefixed chord buttons combined with a range of 12 semitones of single notes. These buttons create a simple accompaniment style or as you progress more complex chords and styles. This layout is the same no matter how many buttons you have, the bigger instruments just have more.
Below is a diagram of the traditional left hand keyboard, just click on the link to download it!
The other style of left hand is the classical or ‘free-bass’ system. This accordion has individual notes allowing you to play classical repertoire as a two manual organ. The layout has a number of different versions, similar to the chromatic button right hand keyboards. Click below to have a look at a few of the different systems out there.
Both the traditional and classical left hand systems can be paired with either a piano key or button key. Most free-bass instruments are so called converter bass, giving the player both the free bass AND the Stradella keyboards.
Voices? Do accordions speak now?!
Well although we think the accordion does speak in its music the word ‘Voices’ has a different meaning!
The accordion makes use of reeds to make its sound and the simplest accordion has one ‘bank’ of reeds only. This means you get one reed sounding when you play a note in the right hand. As you look at higher specified accordions you will see the number of voices increasing. This means that for every note you can have one, two, three etc reeds sounding. This means we can build different sounds and colours out of the combination of reeds and this is a very important way of increasing the choice of sound from your accordion.
There are three types of voice available, one at the pitch of the note, one an octave higher and one an octave lower. You will also find some accordions have more than one of a particular voice, usually the one at the pitch of the note. These different sounds are then combined by use of ‘registers’ or ‘couplers’. These switches connect the voices together in combinations to allow you a choice of sounds.
So what is meant by ‘musette’ or ‘double octave’. What about ‘Cassotto’ or ‘Double Cassotto’? Lets look at each one by one.
Musette originally meant small French bagpipes and perhaps the name was meant to imply the sound was similar. The tuning used in accordions, also called "wet" tuning, is where two or more sets of reeds are tuned slightly off pitch from each other, giving a vibrato effect. True musette tuning uses three reeds, one "on pitch", one slightly below, and one slightly above; however, many accordions now only use two sets of reeds tuned slightly apart from one other to save weight. The degree of "wetness" is determined by how far apart the reeds are tuned.
Double octave tuning describes the use of both the upper and lower octave reed banks giving a two octave spread. The central ‘at pitch’ sound is also usually available. This sound is often described as a bandoneon sound, the Argentinean accordion used so much in tango music.
Cassotto or Double Cassotto describes a wooden chamber within the accordion where a reed bank is placed to soften and warm the sound of the reeds. If two banks of reeds are placed in the chamber then this is a double cassotto instrument. The banks usually placed in a chamber are the ‘at pitch’ and octave lower banks.
Top
THE
MANDOLIN FAMILY
MANDOLINS, MANDOLAS, BOUZOUKIS AND CITTERNS
Here we have a varied and versatile group of instruments. People come
to these instruments for all sorts of reasons, and they each have similar,
but slightly different jobs to do. So....
WHAT KIND OF MUSIC DO YOU WANT TO PLAY?
English, Scottish, Irish, any kind of music really, up to and including
Italian and classical, song accompaniment, tune accompaniment, you name
it. As well as that, different makers call similar instruments by different
names. So lets get the terminology understood first:
- A mandolin is a small instrument with frets, eight
strings, and tuned high GDAE just like a fiddle or violin.
- A mandola is to a mandolin what a viola is to a
violin, namely bigger and tuned one fifth lower, CGDA.
- An octave mandola is even bigger and longer, usually
tuned GDAE like a mandolin, but a full octave lower.
- A cittern is a bit longer than that, usually with
ten strings, not eight, and tuned modally (to a chord or drone)
- A bouzouki is longest of them all, eight strings,
tuned either mandolin-style or cittern-style.
Those of you with a bit of musical knowledge already will see that these
instruments divide roughly into those used for playing tunes or melodies,
and those used for playing accompaniments, but all of them can be used
for both purposes. So anything we say here is for guidance only.
Who uses a mandolin?
Most often, someone who wants to play melody, maybe a fiddle-player who
fancies a change, or someone who fancies a fiddle-style instrument
but with frets, to help them get started on melody playing. Iain MacLeod
of Shooglenifty is a great melody mandolin player. Bluegrass players
like Sam Bush or Tim O'Brien use mandolin very effectively for both
melody and chord accompaniment.
Who uses a mandola?
Like the viola to the violin, a true mandola, sometimes called a tenor
mandola, is almost always a second instrument for a mandolin player,
used to extend the range of notes available. Brian McDonagh of Dervish
is just about the only high-profile mandola player around, and he uses
it mainly for accompaniment.
Who uses an octave mandola?
Here we start on the grey area! The most frequent question we get asked
is - do I need an octave mandola, a cittern or a bouzouki? Well, the
octave mandola, although quite a long instrument, is still short enough
to make melody playing relatively stretch-free and fast. We sell these
mostly to players who already play mandolin or fiddle, and want a different
sound with more versatility, without having to learn a new tuning.
Having said that, though, there's no reason why you can't tune any
of these instruments any way you like, and experiment.
Who uses a cittern?
Cittern or bouzouki - it's another question of geography! You tend find
more citterns in Scotland and more bouzoukis in Ireland. Strictly speaking,
modern citterns are a remake of a medieval predecessor of the guitar,
but musically, they really belong in this group of instruments here.
The pioneering work of The Boys of the Lough and The Battlefield Band
accounts for the cittern's popularity. It's usually tuned to some kind
of open chord either GCGCG (C chord) or GDGDG (G chord), just like
a big dulcimer really. It's used mostly to play an accompaniment of
melodic runs along with a bagpipe-type drone. Its ten strings make
it very versatile, and its length, slightly shorter than a bouzouki,
make it just about OK for fast melody playing. The strings are usually
tuned in pairs, but sometimes each pair will comprise two strings an
octave apart, like the bottom four strings of a twelve-string guitar.
We sell a lot of citterns to guitar players who have maybe enjoyed
messing around with open tunings.
Who uses a bouzouki?
In Ireland, it was Sweeney's Men and Planxty who gave the bouzouki a
firm foothold. Originally a Greek instrument, only Alec Finn of De
Danann still plays the original six-string round-back instrument. What
we understand by a bouzouki is a flat-back, eight-string instrument,
usually strung with octave strings, and tuned modally, eg GDAD or ADAD
or ADAE. The octave strings give that characteristic jangle as opposed
to the cittern's more chunky tone, and that jangle is what cuts through
the band and gives so many Irish groups that sound. Most bouzouki players
use their instruments purely to accompany another melody player. The
length of the scale makes sustained melody playing a bit of a strain,
but a little bit of melody thrown in here and there is very effective.
Once again, we sell bouzoukis mainly to experimenting guitar players.
So you should ask yourself what your musical priorities might be in
choosing such an instrument. But rest assured that there is enough crossover
between instruments in this group that you'll be able to do quite a lot
of experimenting, whichever one you choose!
OUR MANDOLIN FAMILY BRANDS.
Of the above instruments, only mandolins and bouzoukis are readily available
in factory-made, value-for-money beginner's versions. We have many excellent
brands of factory mandolins in stock, including our own Tonewood and Heartwood brands.
Our own Acoustica Romanian-made bouzouki is unbelievable
value.
An Italian-made, high-quality, solid-top Musikalia octave
mandola is available at a higher price, but all the other instruments
we sell are made by small, dedicated, British craftspeople's companies.
They come with a higher price tag, but exquisite workmanship and construction
with solid timbers throughout. Here are some of our makers:
Oakwood is, of course, our sister company, a well-established
Leeds business. Their stringed instruments are played by many discerning
professionals. Their popularity means that most instruments go straight
from the makers to the customer, but we always have one or two new or
second-hand Oakwoods to show you.
Fylde is a long-established small company specialising
in their own designs, both standard and high-spec, flat-top and arch-top.They
offer a wide choice, and are usually either in stock or available at
short notice.
Our own Acoustica Heartland, Elite and Carrington series
feature stringed instruments from various well-established British makers.
We also stock hand-made instruments by several single instrument builders.
Notable amongst these are Andrew Whale, who makes a
very responsive basic range and a more "hearty" high-spec
range, Phil Davidson, who has produced an exquisite
special design mandolin just for the Music Room, and Paul Shippey,
whose carved-top mandolins rival vintage Gibsons for quality.
As with all our instruments, we also have a wide variety of second-hand
mandolin family instruments. Keep your eye on our second-hand lists for
a bargain!
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ACOUSTIC GUITARS
If any instrument symbolises the freedom of choice that happened in
popular and folk music from the 1950's onwards, it's the guitar. We stock
many excellent electric guitars, but our role as a traditional instrument
shop means that our selection of acoustic guitars is outstanding.
The guitar's versatility makes it a great idea for someone who doesn't
yet know exactly what they want to specialise in. Solo classical music,
flamenco, song accompaniment, lead melody playing, dance music accompaniment
- there's a guitar for all those jobs.
Acoustic guitars can be fairly easily categorised. We have nylon-strung
(also known as classical, flamenco or Spanish) and steel-strung.
We have purely acoustic, or electro-acoustic (with pickups).
We have laminate-topped instruments, and solid-topped instruments, and
guitars made of solid timber throughout. We have various body shapes
and sizes, conventional and with cutaway (to let you get up to the top
frets, otherwise known as "the dusty end").
A WORD ABOUT THE TIMBER USED IN GUITAR CONSTRUCTION.
You may have noticed mentions of solid tops and laminate tops. Generally,
the cheaper guitars have laminate tops, as they are quicker and easier
to make. The way they sound on the day of purchase will be the way they
will sound all through their lives.
Solid tops, on the other hand, cost more to make, as the choice of pieces
of wood is crucial, and the construction has to be more accurate to stop
the top bending. But they generally sound far more resonant and exciting
- and as the wood matures, the
sound matures too! About 90% of the sound of a guitar comes from the
top, so we often find solid tops and laminate back and sides. This is
a good compromise between price and sound quality.
So what do YOU need? Read on...
- Nylon-strung beginners' guitars:
We always have a varied stock of modestly-priced beginners' guitars
of various makes, including smaller sizes for children. These are of
the classical guitar shape with a wide, flat fingerboard. They are easier
on the fingers than steel-stringed
instruments, although the wider fingerboard means more stretching. The
wide string spacing and nylon strings make these instruments especially
suitable for solo melody fingerpicking styles - fingerpicking is where
the tips of the fingers, or the fingernails, play one or more strings
at a time, rather than strumming all strings at once.
- Nylon-strung classical guitars:
Moving up the price range, we find guitars of the same style as the
above, but better-made, perhaps with solid tops or even solid timbers
throughout. Some are hand-made in Spain itself. We have no regular stock
brands, just always a varied selection of reputable makers.
- Steel-strung acoustic guitars:
You might call these acoustics, jumbos, dreadnoughts, folk guitars -
basically a steel-strung guitar nearly always has a larger body than
a nylon-strung, is well-suited to strumming with a plectrum, and has
a narrower neck for fast chord changes. These are the guitars mostly
used for folk, pop, country and jazz music. Here are all the types we
stock:
In the absolute lowest price range, but still full-sized instruments
and definitely not toys, we always have several makes such as Hohner,
which we are happy to put together with other basic essentials to make
a starter pack.
- Better-quality laminate top guitars:
Just because a guitar has a laminate top doesn't mean it's not worth
playing! We have a fine selection of guitars in the next price-bracket
up from the beginners' range. Typically, they would have a better finish,
better machine heads (for tuning) and some have a simple pickup installed.
The vast majority of our stock falls into this category. A few short
years ago, solid top instruments were produced in small numbers in the
USA and Europe, and were beyond the means of the hobby guitarist. But
a host of new companies, first in Japan, then throughout the far east,
changed all that. Now we have an enormous selection of excellently constructed,
affordable, great-sounding solid tops at unbelievable prices. Our own
Tonewood and Heartwood ranges represent the best value of all. Not only
that, but western manufacturers, such as Seagull of Canada, have risen
to the challenge, and are also producing very affordable solid tops.
- All solid timber guitars:
From hand-crafted British made instruments like Oakwood and Fylde, through
to the American legends like Martin, Guild and Taylor, we always have
a good selection of these "thoroughbred" instruments, which
can only grow to sound better with age, and even to appreciate in value
in the long term - although you should buy for playing rather than investment!
The arrival of Taylor on the top-class guitar scene, with their amazing
consistency of quality and modern manufacturing techniques, galvanised
all the other top makers into action, so there really has never been
a better time to buy a guitar!
- Electro-acoustic guitars:
Some steel-strung guitars, and a few nylon-strung too, are supplied
ready-fitted with various pickup systems, so you can plug into an amplifier
or PA system and get a louder, but still acoustic, sound. They will often
come with a cutaway, because increased volume means they can be used
as lead instruments in true rock'n'roll fashion. You'll find electro-acoustics
at all price levels. You can also buy a purely acoustic guitar, then
have it adapted for amplification in various ways. See our section on
AMPLIFICATION (CLICK HERE) to find out more.
Some of our stock brands are:
Tonewood - Entry Level Playability And Quality At The Right
Price
The Tonewood series of musical instruments are the product of a collaboration
between our Leeds craftsmen and some of the world's lesser known but
respected musical instrument manufacturers. Our prime aim with 'Tonewood'
is to supply the beginner and intermediate player with musical instruments
that offer playability at the keenest price. All 'Tonewood' instruments
are finally inspected and individually set up in our Leeds workshops.
Pair Up For Life With A Heartwood
To see larger pictures of the instruments, just click on the small picture
of your choice. To buy an instrument, just click "Add to Basket".
The Heartwood natural series of guitars are the product of a collaboration
between our Leeds craftsmen and one of the world's leading Korean musical
instrument manufacturers. Our design and quality specification has been
adhered to with fine detail. The electro-acoustic models are fitted with
the latest world class Fishman prefix eq system. Most models feature
solid spruce tops.
All 'Heartwood' instruments are finally inspected and individually set
up in our Leeds workshops.
Tanglewood, Hand Crafted
A comprehensive range of quality Korean manufactured guitars. The range
includes solid top acoustics, electro-acoustics, and full electric models.
The full range of Tanglewood guitars is available from The Music Room.
Seagull, Hand Crafted in Canada
Seagull guitars are hand built in La Patrie, Canada, using timber from
900 year old trees. Our special offer for Spring 2000 includes a FREE
semi-rigid custom Seagull case. Electro acoustic and 12 string models
are available...please enquire.
Simon & Patrick, Hand Built Electro Acoustic Guitars
Simon & Patrick guitars are hand built using the best quality Canadian
tonewoods. A range of acoustic and 12 string models is available...please
enquire.
Takamine guitars.
These excellent Japanese and Korean instruments are justifiably renowned
for the sound of their pickups - but the acoustic sound and build quality
of their top models rivals some of the top USA brands.
Yamaha guitars.
The Japanese company Yamaha was one of the first eastern companies to
start building quality instruments. They have a justified reputation
throughout the price range - and like Takamine, they are now producing
some excellent high-end guitars.
Taylor Guitars, Hand Built In El Cajon, USA
Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug began building Taylor Guitars in Lemon Grove,
California in 1973. Their designs, choice of materials and quality of
build has put them in the super league of USA Luthiers. The full range
of Taylor Guitars is available from The Music Room.
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AMPLIFYING
MY ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENT.
Squeezebox players are notorious for having rooms full of redundant
instruments, in their quest for the Holy Grail. But in ALL branches of
acoustic music, we find people who have cupboards full of wiring spaghetti,
purchased at great expense and then discarded, purely in the attempt
to get their beloved acoustic instruments amplified in a sympathetic
way. We would like to give you the advice you need to get it right first
time.
THE SOUND ENGINEER'S NIGHTMARE.
The fact is, acoustic instruments vary so much in the sounds they make
and the volumes they play at, that even the most accomplished soundman
can end up tearing out his hair trying to get a good, loud, acoustic
sound. Sooner or later, most of our customers want to get up on stage
and show an audience what they can do. We want to help you avoid the
pitfalls, and keep on the right side of the soundman!
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO DO HERE?
It seems a simple task, just to make my instrument sound good, but louder.
But there are lots of variables. Some acoustic instruments (fiddles,
tin whistles etc) just aren't that loud to start with, so you don't
have much input to work with. ALL acoustic instruments have a sound
of their own, full of overtones and tonal characteristics which supply
the rich tapestry of sound we all love to hear. Fortunately, we have
managed to track down some very good products which can accomplish
this task. But as in all aspects of life, we end up making some compromises
to get what we want - so, quite independent of what instrument we play,
there are some basic questions we have to set ourselves.
- Do I need to be very loud?
Most of us come to folk music as a welcome relief from the excesses of
rock'n'roll. But sometimes we find ourselves needing to operate at just
such levels of volume. You start out playing the fiddle down the pub, and,
the next thing you know, you're booked with your ceilidh band to play at
the Late Night Extra at Sidmouth festival, in an acoustically disastrous
marquee full of 1000 drunken revellers. You need to be LOUD!
- Do I need a good quality sound at all costs?
You start off playing the fiddle down the pub, and the next thing you know,
your Celtic band is booked to play a tour of American Fine Arts auditoria,
in front of discerning audiences who also frequent the opera and classical
music concerts. You need to make every one of those people experience your
music as if they were sitting next to you.You need to sound GOOD!
- Do I need to just be a bit louder with minimum hassle?
You start off playing the fiddle down the pub, and the next thing you know,
the word gets round and you need to amplify what you do in that same pub,
to keep the hordes of drinkers happy. This is by far the largest group
of musicians needing amplification - you just need to be HEARD!
We aim to supply everything you need, to get where you want to be in
the amplification stakes. Mostly, your requirements fall into two categories
- first, a way of getting the sound from your instrument to the amplifier,
then, getting the right kind of amplification for your, and the venue's,
needs.
Let's look at the types of instruments we sell, and how best to amplify
them.
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SQUEEZABLES
Once you get over the hurdle of finding your ideal squeezebox - a path
fraught with many hazards! - it will come as a pleasant surprise to
hear that it's not all that difficult to amplify them. Most accordions/melodeons/concertinas
are loud enough in themselves, or have enough "attack",
that they can be got up to very respectable sound levels just by using
microphones - even just a microphone on a stand in front of the instrument.
But of course, these instruments all have two places where the sound
comes out, and not only that, those two places are moving around as
we squeeze the bellows.
So several makers have developed miniature microphones which fit on,
or even inside these instruments. This has two advantages. The microphone
gets a lot closer to the source of the sound, thus making it even louder
and less prone to interference from other instruments or feedback on
stage. And of course, the microphone moves with the instrument, thus
eliminating "quiet spots" as the bellows take the reeds away
from a stationary microphone.
Microvox is a Yorkshire company which now sells its miniature microphone
systems world-wide. They cheerfully admit that they didn't set out to
make systems for demanding professional applications. Nevertheless, the
quality is so good that lots of professional players use them. So, although
there are quite a few more expensive systems around, we are happy to
recommend Microvox for all squeezebox amplification purposes.
STRINGED INSTRUMENTS
Things start to get a bit more variable now, and we have to look more
closely at individual instruments and the jobs we want to do with them.
There are various ways of getting sound out of your stringed instrument.
These are:
- Basic stick-on pickups
- Better quality stick-on pickups
- Under-the-saddle piezo pickups (UTS), divided into:
- UTS only
- UTS with built-in preamp
- UTS with on-board adjustable pre-amp
- Soundhole magnetic pickups
- Miniature microphones
- Microphone on stand
- Combination systems
Phew! Add to this that some situations can be served equally well by various
systems, depending on the sound preferred by the player, and we have the
kind of minefield that leads to the aforementioned cupboards full of useless
gear.
FEAR NOT!
Read on, and you'll get an idea of what's best for you. Then a quick
discussion, a successful purchase and off you go!
Amplification solutions divide into two types - those which require
some installation or modification to your instrument, such as UTS pickups,
permanently mounted mini-microphones etc, and those that attach to the
instrument without any installation required, such as removable soundhole
pickups, removable mini-mics.
Some form of permanent installation, even if it just involves the minimum
modification (enlarging the lower strap button hole to accommodate a
tailpin jack socket) is desirable if you're a frequent performer, who
doesn't want to get tangled up in wires. Removable installation is preferable
if you really don't want to change your instrument in any way
at all - it may be worth a fortune, or it may be a very delicate instrument
such as a fiddle, where even the tiniest hole drilled may change the
acoustics.
FEEDBACK - THE ENEMY
There is only one sight funnier than a whole band clutching their ears
simultaneously, as the stage is swamped with shrieking feedback, and
that is the sight of the whole audience clutching their ears simultaneously,
as the hall is swamped with shrieking feedback!
But it's only funny for a moment, and it really doesn't reflect well
on the performer or his/her choice of equipment. We talked at the top
of this article about compromise, so here's the Catch 22 of the acoustic
amplification game -
- in general, that which sounds most naturally acoustic is MOST prone
to feedback
- and that which is most resistant to feedback sounds LEAST naturally
acoustic.
Here's a very generalised list of microphone/pickup types in increasing
order of feedback resistance, or decreasing order of natural acoustic
sound.
- Microphone on stand
- Miniature microphone on instrument
- Good quality stick-on pickup
- UTS pickup
- Soundhole pickup
But, by careful choice of products, we can find microphones that resist
feedback, or soundhole pickups that sound natural. Rest assured
that we will try to work with you to get the sound you want at the price
you want to pay. Now, rather than try your patience by going through
each individual possible setup, we'll just give you three actual customer
stories and you'll see what we mean.
- Customer one is a beginner guitarist who has just retired. He plays
for fun. His son has just bought a portable tape recorder, and
the customer wants a very cheap, easy way to get the sound of his acoustic
guitar into the machine. He buys a basic stick-on pickup. Cost £27.99.
- Customer two plays bouzouki in a ceilidh band. He needs to be louder,
but still have reasonable acoustic quality, and doesn't want to modify
his instrument too much. So he buys a UTS pickup with built-in pre-amp,
and has it fitted in our workshops. Total cost £120.
- Customer three is a professional performer on the international circuit.
He wants a combination miniature mic/pickup system which will respond
to all the performing and recording situations he is ever likely to
encounter. We order specially for him a very high quality, versatile
mic/pickup/pre-amp system. Total cost around £700.
WHISTLES, FLUTES, PIPES ETC.
All wind instruments present amplification problems. Some, such as tin
whistles, give out a fairly low sound level by themselves, and so need
lots of amplification to get up to, say, the level of a human singing
voice. All wind instruments, because they are blown, give out the most
musical volume at exactly the same place where the breath comes out noisily.
And all, with the exception of some large reed instruments, can be amplified
only with microphones, and not with pickups.
So what we need is microphone techniques which get maximum good quality
sound level, with minimum breath noise. Now, a good amplification system
will allow you to play a wind instrument into a conventional, vocal-type
microphone such as the Shure SM58, and then "tweak" the sound
until it comes right. But a good alternative for players who like to
move around, or players who want a simple solution, is the new Microvox
wind instrument system, which now puts a wind-shielded mini-microphone
much closer to the sound source.
DRUMS AND PERCUSSION
The kind of sound produced by drums makes it almost obligatory to use
microphones rather than pickups, although some performers have experimented
with UTS stringed instrument pickups wedged in between the skin and the
frame of their bodhrans. Luckily, most drums produce enough sound level
that they can be amplified well with microphones. There are some excellent
microphones available which can be mounted on the drum itself, freeing
the performer from the need to stay put.
We're sure a lot of you have been to Irish music concerts where the
bodhran, so exciting when heard close up, has been reduced to a dull
rumble when amplified. Rest assured that this problem lies purely in
the way the sound is adjusted, and not with the fact that a microphone
is used. You just need to spend a bit more time getting the right sound.
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THE OTHER END OF THE LINE - AMPLIFIERS, SPEAKERS, PA SYSTEMS.
How long is a piece of string?
Some venues have amplification systems installed, but they may be more
suited to electronic music than acoustic. Others have none, so you
have to take your own.
Some PA systems that you can buy for your own use are better suited
to acoustic music than others. Space restrictions in our shop mean that
we can display only the most basic amplification - both combo amps (for
individual performers/instruments) and small PA systems (for vocals/instruments/groups).
BUT we have the knowledge that comes from years of amplified
performing in all kinds of situations - so please come to us for advice.
Of course, we hope that you'll then order your amplification system from
us, even though we currently don't have the space to display much!
DON'T BE PUT OFF!
If you've read this far, we hope you are still enthusiastic about amplifying
your acoustic music. Just remember, advice is free, and if you find all
this a bit daunting, just tell us your needs and we'll set you up. But
we promise that we won't raise your expectations unduly, that we'll accurately
describe the different jobs done by different pieces of gear, so that
when you do get to that first gig and plug in, you'll get the best sound
for your needs!
OUR AMPLIFICATION BRANDS.
FISHMAN.
Perhaps the best-known name in pickup technology, this American company
has never rested in its quest to improve the sound of amplified acoustic
instruments. We have chosen the state-of-the-art Fishman Prefix system,
as used on the USA's most expensive craftsman-built guitars, for our
very own Heartland series of instruments.
The Prefix is a combination of an excellent UTS pickup with a pre-amp
set into the topside of your guitar, giving you a very wide selection
of tone and dynamic control.
There are many other Fishman products which can be retro-fitted to your
instrument to give that same quality of sound. Please refer to our price
list/catalogue for details.
ASHWORTH
A little less expensive but used by many professionals, this range of
British-made pickups is excellent.
MICROVOX
A different concept altogether - this is a range of Yorkshire-made miniature
microphone systems, specially designed for various acoustic instruments.
Microvox has become the industry standard for squeezebox amplification.
With sound quality and ease of use as their main aims, Microvox continues
to bring out new solutions all the time.
We also stock several other types of pickups - see our price list/catalogue.
AER
This is a range of German-made acoustic instrument and microphone amplifiers
which have impressed us immensely. Incredible power, versatility and
sound quality in a small box - a mini-PA system, really!
TORQUE
British-made acoustic amplifiers using the world-renowned Celestion
loudspeakers. Versatility and value for money.
NOBELS
A German company which produces excellent products at affordable prices,
by manufacturing them in the Far East. Their busking amps and foot-pedal
pre-amps are great value for money.
We also stock, or can obtain to order, many other amplificaton solutions
- see our price list/catalogue, or ask for advice.
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