Orpharion Plans

[Dave White]

Perusing the MIMF sent me to the Renaissance Cittern Site and this page on the Orpharion built by in London by Francis Palmer in 1617, and held in the Collection of Musikmuseet, Musikhistorisk Museum & Carl Claudius’ Samling, Copenhagen, Denmark. This is an interesting instrument as it is a very early example of a fan-fretted instrument with a bass string length of 601.5mm and a treble string length of 518.5mm:



Even more interestimg is that a technical drawing and a report on the condition of the Palmer orpharion by Darryl Martin are available for free as PDF downloads, courtesy of the Musikhistorisk Museum of Copenhagen, Denmark. There are also links on the site to articles about the instrument and it's construction.

This is a very cool and interesting instrument that yet again demonstrates that there is little in modern "innovation" that is truly new. This one has just joine the growing "to do" list.

[ap404]

Beautiful isn't it, I love the 'one up one down' moustache bridge too ...

We're lucky that lawyers don't have time machines I guess

I'm very keen to do some fan fretting ( on my 'to do too' list )

A.P.

[Dave White]

A.P,

Beautiful it most definitely is!!

Interesting isn't it - if you are in America and made one, would you need a license from a certain person for a system he "invented" in the twentieth century to make an exact copy of a fifteenth century instrument? Now that's definitely irony or as we say here - you just couldn't make it up!!

[ap404]

... wait, the photo is starting to fade. If I didn't have a shed full of tools I could have bought that De Lorean that was on ebay and parked it in there.

It reminds me of the 1939 National guitar that I played today at work, which has it's original 1939 humbucker in situ. ( I figure that's at least 11 years before Gibson invented them )

A.P.

[Ron Wisdom]

Very interesting, Dave!! That appears to be a rather smallish instrument, do you know the overall dimensions? It sure has some thick sides.

Ron

[Dave White]

Very interesting, Dave!! That appears to be a rather smallish instrument, do you know the overall dimensions? It sure has some thick sides.

Ron

Ron,

If you go to the Renaissance Cittern Site page I linked in the post and scroll down the page it gives the dimensions and there is a link there to download a .pdf file of a technical drawing. The walnut sides are only 1.2mm thick apparently - what you see on the top must be a binding.

[Ron Wisdom]

Yep, about 10.5 inches by 16.5 inches according to my Arkansas conversion. I like it.

Ron

[sebastiaan56]

This is spooky Dave as I printed this plan yesterday. My current project is this instrument http://www.cittern.theaterofmusic.com/old/1600.html from the same page. There is an elegance in these instruments, and some serious challenges for the builder, the rosette, the neck joint, carving Hesh's head etc, etc.

I really dont understand how the fanned fret could have been patented, I wonder if the US patent office does any research or just patents whatever it is told to. This goes for genetically engineered organisms as well. I notice Novak's generosity ends at US borders, pity someone doesnt have the cash to put them back in thier place.

I am also encouraged that the Museum is making this plan available for free, I will buy future offerrings from them. The plan is high quality for those who are interested. It notes where there is conjecture such as soundboard thickness.

[Nick Payne]

For a modern example, see the so-called "Brahms" guitar that David Rubio made for Paul Galbraith, and that Galbraith used for several recordings.

http://www.rubioviolins.com/Pages/8string1.html

http://www.paul-galbraith.com/brahmsguitar.html

[Colin S]

A.P,

Beautiful it most definitely is!!

Interesting isn't it - if you are in America and made one, would you need a license from a certain person for a system he "invented" in the twentieth century to make an exact copy of a fifteenth century instrument? Now that's definitely irony or as we say here - you just couldn't make it up!!

Dave this is known as the 'Paul Simon, Scarborough Fair' system of invention!

As I think I've told you I've played an old orpharion a couple of times, very interesting. There may be a chance that I have one in the shop soon to rebuild, so that'll be a chance to have a bit of a nose around it, and maybe get some measurements.

Colin

[Sam Price]

Goodness' me, you lot have some quality threads over here!!

I really want to build a few traditional instruments one day.

[Kim]

For a modern example, see the so-called "Brahms" guitar that David Rubio made for Paul Galbraith, and that Galbraith used for several recordings.

http://www.rubioviolins.com/Pages/8string1.html

http://www.paul-galbraith.com/brahmsguitar.html

Hello Nick,

Welcome to the ANZLF and thanks for the links.

Cheers

Kim