| Project by Dave Rutan | posted 04-19-2020 01:31 PM | 600 views | 0 times favorited | 11 comments |  |
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I mentioned that I was thinking of making this obscure musical instrument. I’ve actually been thinking about it for months. An erhu is a chinese instrument and sounds a bit like our western violin and is sometimes referred to as a chinese violin.
Starting with a discarded bongo drum, I drilled a hole it it to recieve an old garden tool handle. A square hole in the opposite side of the drum holds the handle, or stick from turning.
I used my lathe to create two tuning pegs from part of a maple chair seat that I’ve been saving. After consulting a few videos on erhu set up, I put it all together, using a few discarded guitar strings from work. They are tuned to A and D.
I left the original finish on the bongo, but used some boiled linseed oil for the rest. Using one of my spare bows, I’ve gotten it to make sound, though it’s not pretty. Maybe I’ll get better. If nothing else, it’s a nifty curiosity.
-- Ni faru ion el ligno!
11 comments so far
Dave Polaschek
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#1 posted 04-19-2020 02:59 PM
It’s a nifty-looking curiosity, Dave. Good luck making sweet sounds with it.
-- Dave - Santa Fe
Ivan
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#2 posted 04-19-2020 03:13 PM
Very cool Dave, very daring project
-- Ivan, Croatia, Wooddicted
Woodknack
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#3 posted 04-19-2020 04:23 PM
That’s very cool instrument. I built one for my daughter but we never put strings in it, she got busy with college and barely plays music right now. I think the erhu is more common in Mongolia.
-- Rick M, http://thewoodknack.blogspot.com/
Oldtool
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#4 posted 04-19-2020 05:10 PM
Fascinating, really different. I imagine it is played in a manner similar to an cello, being a little awkward to put on a shoulder and under the chin.
-- "I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crisis. The point is to bring them the real facts." - Abraham Lincoln
Dave Rutan
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#5 posted 04-19-2020 08:51 PM
You are quite correct. It is held on thge left knee and bowed like a small cello.
-- Ni faru ion el ligno!
Dave Rutan
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1942 posts in 2958 days
#6 posted 04-20-2020 11:18 AM
If I can ever get the video to upload, I have a sample recorded for anyone brave enough to watch. Maybe later today.
-- Ni faru ion el ligno!
Dave Rutan
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1942 posts in 2958 days
#7 posted 04-20-2020 11:41 AM
Ah, let’s see if this works. I have a longer one, but I’m going to have to get it uploaded later today.
Apparently we cannot embed videos anymore?
So here is the link to the YouTube video: [link]
-- Ni faru ion el ligno!
Dave Polaschek
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5370 posts in 1351 days
#8 posted 04-20-2020 01:00 PM
Alas.
-- Dave - Santa Fe
Dave Rutan
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1942 posts in 2958 days
#9 posted 04-20-2020 02:28 PM
Sorry for that. It’s been a long time since I’ve posted anything on YouTube and the controls have changed. It should work now.
-- Ni faru ion el ligno!
Dave Rutan
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1942 posts in 2958 days
#10 posted 04-20-2020 06:02 PM
And now for the longer piece that I promised. Click on the picture below to go to the YouTube video.
Or click on the [link]
-- Ni faru ion el ligno!
Dave Polaschek
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5370 posts in 1351 days
#11 posted 04-21-2020 02:34 AM
No worries, Dave! I got a laugh out of the Shave and a Haircut, so it was worth it. Thanks!
-- Dave - Santa Fe
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