Ringing Strings Bowed Psalteries
handcrafted by Rick Long
Clinton, Tennessee
(865) 660-4026 ricklong@ringingstrings.com
Photo by Robert Batey
This is a two and one half octave tenor bowed psaltery.
The range of notes start at "G" below middle "C" or G3 and go up to "C" two octave above middle "C" or C6
The 30 strings are all phosphor bronze wound acoustic guitar strings. This psaltery packs a lot of punch in volume and great tone for its size.
It is 20 1/2" long, 7" wide, and 1 1/2" thick.
I've been working on this design for a couple of years now and have built several in this size continuing to tweak and develop the tenor into a psaltery I can be proud to offer.
Here's a tune played on the tripod plate with the second verse double bowed, the first a last verses are played using a single bow - Shule Aroon
This is "We Gather Together". It is also double bowed and the first time I've played it on a tenor. You'll notice me struggling with some of the harmony notes here and there trying to learn what sounds the best for this song. I am playing the melody using my right hand and the harmony notes with my left.
Here's a few more examples of playing styles and sounds you can get out of one of these tenor psalteries -
This is "The Parting Glass" it has a faster tempo than some of the other tunes I've been playing.
The tripod plate is an option you can add that will give you a way to hold the psaltery to play using two bows, one in each hand. It opens up a whole new chapter in the playing of a bowed psaltery.
Here's a tune I played just utilizing the two bow method. One bow in each hand.
This is the new adjustable tripod plate that is available for your tenor psaltery.
You can add this option for $50 and that includes a second bow, a pretty good deal as my tenor bows sell for $25 each. This price is only if you are buying one of my tenor psalteries.
Call or email or pricing for a different builders psaltery. Be prepared to give me the dimensions of your psaltery to find out if it will work.
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Here's a few tunes played on one of the tenor psalteries -
This is the old style fixed tripod plate. These can be built for a tenor psaltery you purchase. It can only be used with the psaltery it is fitted to.
I won't build any more of these from a drawing or template. I would have to have the psaltery at my workshop to build and properly fit it.
2-16-2010
Two new tenor psalteries have been added with pictures and sound clips. I am changing the way I photograph the new psalteries I am adding to the site in order to see them at more angles.
I have also bought a couple of small condenser mics to use with my portable digital recorder. This will make the quality of my sound clips much better. Shop with your ears.
I'll mark the psaltery as "SOLD" when you confirm to me the particular item number of the psaltery you want.
$50 will add the option of a tripod plate and a second bow. Info on the new adjustable tripod plate I have developed at the bottom of this page. I have them available right now for the walnut back tenor psalteries, the maple ones are cut out, but not yet complete. This $50 price is only when you but your psaltery from me. One of the perks of being a customer of mine.
Exciting News About the Bowed Psaltery
One of my tenor bowed psalteries has been used in the recording a of soundtrack for a documentary that was recently premiered at the Sundance Festival. The soundtrack was composed and performed by David Bergeaud, who has composed music for many film, television, and video game projects.
The documentary is "The Glass House", and is about four brave girls in Iran. Here's a link to the website of the creators of the film. When the web site opens it will play one of David's songs using the tenor psaltery being double bowed, beautiful!
Here's a link from that web site to read about David and the instruments he uses for the soundtrack. A sound clip from one of his songs will play automatically when you open this. At the bottom right you can click where it says "Read More" to go to the next page and sound clip. The tenor bowed psaltery stands out to me in the first, fourth, and fifth clips. Beautiful double bowing and work with drone notes. You can see the psaltery in some of the photographs, it's a redwood/walnut model.
You can purchase the DVD and also the soundtrack CD from the web sites listed above.
All the instruments and everything you hear was played by David. He tells me he will be using the psaltery in more projects in the future. Thanks so much, David.
Here's a few tunes recorded at a jam session at Cumberland Crafts on 7-27-2008. I was playing my quilted maple and walnut tenor bowed psaltery during the jam. Terry Lewis is playing the appalachian Dulcimer.
Please use the word "psaltery" in the subject of your e-mail. Also include a phone number as a second way for me to contact you.
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This tenor psaltery has an ambrosia maple soundboard and walnut back
The price is $575
Item - TEAMWA02
Price includes - bow, rosin, tuning wrench, extra strings, tuning chart, instructional DVD, and a nice padded case
The ambrosia maple is named after the beetle that bores into the wood and causes the dark stains. Beautiful streaks of browns, greys, and black. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite woods to work. Every cut into a board brings different designs and color.
This quartersawn sitka spruce top and maple back tenor bowed psaltery is available now. The sound hole designs are curving pyrographic engravings.
The price is $575
Item - TESPMA06
Price includes - bow, rosin, tuning wrench, extra strings, tuning chart, instructional DVD, and a nice padded case.
I obtained the sitka spruce used for this psaltery top on a trip to Oregon several years ago. I visited a place in Portland that supplies many of the better known luthiers and guitar companies. it is the very best quality and I loved being able to hand pick the pieces I needed.
This quartersawn sitka spruce top and maple back tenor bowed psaltery is available now. The soundhole designs are curving radial carvings. Handcarved using a 1/4" gouge chisel.
The price is $575
Item - TESPMA05
Price includes - bow, rosin, tuning wrench, extra strings, tuning chart, instructional DVD, and a nice padded case.
I obtained the sitka spruce used for this psaltery top on a trip to Oregon several years ago. I visited a place in Portland that supplies many of the better know luthiers and guitar companies. it is the very best quality and I loved being able to hand pick the pieces I needed.
The quilted maple I use comes from the Washington state/Oregon region. It is from the big leaf maple tree. Quilted maple is a grain variaton ithat is not found in every tree. Similar to curly or birds-eye maple. Finding wood this beautiful is like finding a treasure to a woodworker. My favorite time is when I apply the first coat of finish and get to admire the color and grain.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
This picture shows what is included with the tenor psaltery.
This tenor psaltery has an ambrosia maple soundboard and walnut back
The price is $575
Item - TEAMWA03
Price includes - bow, rosin, tuning wrench, extra strings, tuning chart, instructional DVD, and a nice padded case
The ambrosia maple is named after the beetle that bores into the wood and causes the dark stains. Beautiful streaks of browns, greys, and black. It is quickly becoming one of my favorite woods to work. Every cut into a board brings different designs and color.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
This shows what this psaltery looks like with two matched quilted maple bows. A single walnut bow is included with this psaltery. Quilted maple bow adds $5 to the price.
If you buy the tripod attachment option it is $50 and will include a second walnut bow. If you want the two quilted maple ones it would be $60.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
This tenor psaltery has a quilted maple soundboard and walnut back
The price is $625
Item - TEQMWA09
Price includes -
walnut bow
rosin
tuning wrench
extra strings
tuning chart
instructional DVD
nice padded case
The walnut bow that is included will look like the one you see with
the birds-eye model below
$50 more for a tripod attachment and a second walnut bow. You can see the triopod attachment at the bottom of this page.
Add $10 more if you want to substitute the matched pair of quilted maple bows pictured at the left along with the tripod attachment.
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
Click on photo to enlarge
This tenor psaltery has a
birds-eye maple soundboard and walnut back
The price is $600
Item - TEBEWA05
Price includes -
walnut bow
rosin
tuning wrench
extra strings
tuning chart, instructional DVD
nice padded case
$50 more for a tripod attachment and a second walnut bow. You can see the tripod attachment at the bottom of this page. It will be the adjustable walnut model.
The birds-eye maple top has some a few holes from beetles, so they did a little carving of their own. Some folks might not like this in their psaltery and that's why I am pointing it out. It is a reminder that these are made out of a natural product and to me adds to the character of the psaltery. Judge for yourself. I can't see wasting a beautiful piece of wood because of this.
The birds-eye maple I use came from a supplier close to Lancaster, PA.
A woodworker friend and our families made a road trip up there in Jan. of 1998. It was a super cold trip, but well worth it. We both came home with some treasures. This piece is one of them.
Updated 3-9-2010
SOLD
