Top - Wormy Chestnut
Back - Walnut
Item number - TEWCWA18E
Price - $675 SOLD
The chestnut used for this psaltery is a special piece. This is one of the first in a special series of instruments and bows being built from an actual complete piece of the structure the chestnut was reclaimed from. All the american chestnut I have used before now came from individual boards that had already been removed, nails pulled, and offered for sale. I was in Asheville, NC fifteen years ago and stopped by a business that specialized in antique archi-tectural items salvaged from old buildings. I found these two complete barn/stall doors leaning against the wall and know right away they were chestnut. I bought them, brought them home and stored them away for future use. Well the future is here. Here's a link to the whole story about this new Chestnut Series.
Beautiful new walnut on this tenor. The rich, dark color is fantastic.
This psaltery also has an internal pickup installed. Plug in to an amplifier to perform or just enjoy at home. There are tremendous possibilities for shaping the sound you want using electronics. Adding effects can give you some wild sounds, with many of them being beautiful. There are even effects boxes that will alter the octave. You can make this psaltery sound like a bass psaltery.
Ringing Strings Bowed Psalteries
handcrafted by Rick Long
Clinton, Tennessee
(865) 660-4026 psalteryman@gmail.com
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 21 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.
The tripod attachment 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.
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.
The camera tripod is not included.
The price is $75 for just the tripod attachment if you didn't purchase your psaltery from me.
The ball head tripod pictured is the one I recommend for a tenor sized psaltery. Very lightweight, but very sturdy and hardly any shaking while bowing. The important thing is that it has an all metal head, even the quick release plate is metal. Any plastic in these areas will allow the psaltery to shake slightly while bowing, very annoying. This tripod won't support one of my baritone psalteries.
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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.
This picture shows what is included with the tenor psaltery.
Update - Now includes three songbooks. Total of sixty-eight songs.
Scroll on down the page to see the tenor psalteries that I have available. There are pictures, descriptions of the wood, and sound clips of each one being played. The information for the tripod holder attachments I build for double bowing is shown at the bottom of this page, just under the instrument listings.
The listings of the tenor bowed psalteries that are available for sale are on down the page.
Scroll down to see pictures of the front, back, and side. There are also sound clips of them being played, so you can hear exactly what they sound like.
Copyright Ringing Strings Music 2004-2013 All Rights Reserved
Scroll on down for info on the tripod holder attachment I build to allow for playing the tenor psaltery using two bows, or double bowing.
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Top - Quartersawn Sycamore
Back - Maple
Item number - TEQSMA08
Price - $625
$50 more for the tripod holder attachment and a second matching bow.
This quartersawn sycamore is spectacular. The dark red specks are referred to as ray or flake when buying lumber.
Sawing the log on the quarter is what brings this figure out in several types of wood. The light color under the flake is a perfect match for the light colored hard maple that I have paired it with.
Click pictures to enlarge
To Order -
Email me at -
psalteryman@gmail.com
or Call -
865-660-4026
To Order -
Email me at -
psalteryman@gmail.com
or Call -
865-660-4026
5-20-13
5-9-13 TEWCWA18E has sold.
5-3-13 I am adding four new tenor psalteries to the site today. Two of them have internal pickups installed. Pictures and sound clips are there for you to see, hear, and compare these new psalteries.
2-6-13 I have the page ready, that tells the story about the new Chestnut Series of psaltery I have started building. Click here for the whole story with pictures. One of the first psalteries from that special wood is listed on this page.
2-5-13 I have one new tenor psaltery finished and I have added it to the site today. It is a new wood combination for my tenor psalteries. Curly cherry and maple, it turned out great in both looks and sound. Pictures and sound clips are there for you to see and hear it. It is the fifth one down. Scroll on down to see all the tenor psalteries I have available.
1-5-13 Two new videos added above. Click the Youtube link at the lower right hand corner to view on Youtube and leave feedback.
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Top - Wormy Chestnut
Back - Walnut
Item number - TEWCWA19
Price - $600
The chestnut used for this psaltery is a special piece. This is one of the first in a special series of instruments and bows being built from an actual complete piece of the structure the chestnut was reclaimed from. All the american chestnut I have used before now came from individual boards that had already been removed, nails pulled, and offered for sale. I was in Asheville, NC fifteen years ago and stopped by a business that specialized in antique archi-tectural items salvaged from old buildings. I found these two complete barn/stall doors leaning against the wall and know right away they were chestnut. I bought them, brought them home and stored them away for future use. Well the future is here. Here's a link to the whole story about this new Chestnut Series.
Beautiful new walnut on this tenor. The rich, dark color is fantastic.
To Order -
Email me at -
psalteryman@gmail.com
or Call -
865-660-4026
To Order -
Email me at -
psalteryman@gmail.com
or Call -
865-660-4026
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Click pictures to enlarge
Click pictures to enlarge
Click pictures to enlarge
Click pictures to enlarge
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Top - Curly Cherry
Back - Maple
Item number - TECCMA01
Price - $625
$50 more for the tripod holder attachment a a second matching bow.
This is the first time I have used curly cherry for the soundboard on a Tenor psaltery. Great color and very interesting grain patterns. Looks wonderful paired with the hard maple.
To Order -
Email me at -
psalteryman@gmail.com
or Call -
865-660-4026
Click pictures to enlarge
Top - Wormy Chestnut
Back - Walnut
Item number - TEWCWA20
Price - $600
The chestnut used for this psaltery is a special piece. This is one of the first in a special series of instruments and bows being built from an actual complete piece of the structure the chestnut was reclaimed from. All the american chestnut I have used before now came from individual boards that had already been removed, nails pulled, and offered for sale. I was in Asheville, NC fifteen years ago and stopped by a business that specialized in antique archi-tectural items salvaged from old buildings. I found these two complete barn/stall doors leaning against the wall and know right away they were chestnut. I bought them, brought them home and stored them away for future use. Well the future is here. Here's a link to the whole story about this new Chestnut Series.
Beautiful new walnut on this tenor. The rich, dark color is fantastic.
Top - Sitka Spruce
Back - Maple
Item number - TESSMA06E
Price - $675
This psaltery is made from the same wood traditionally used for bowed instruments in the violin family. I often have requests for custom psalteries using this wood.
This psaltery also has an internal pickup installed. Plug in to an amplifier to perform or just enjoy at home. There are tremendous possibilities for shaping the sound you want using electronics. Adding effects can give you some wild sounds, with many of them being beautiful. There are even effects boxes that will alter the octave. You can make this psaltery sound like a bass psaltery.
