Building a psaltery-esque instrument for a Physics Project

[Deth Muncher]

I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to do this. My teacher assigned us to make an instrument for physics class, capable of producing 5 different tones at minimum. He also said no commercial instrument-making. I asked if we could use guitar strings, and he said, sure, why not, it's pretty much like a regular string anyway.

So here's where I am. I have a trapezoid of wood, ready and raring to go. My problem is with the affixing of the strings to said board. I don't plan on tuning this at all, so that problem is alleviated, but I do want to know how to keep the strings taut (sp?) when I put them on. My thought is put a nail through the loopat one end, then at the other end, loop the wire several times around a nail, then loop the excess again around another nail, positioned directly behind that.

Does anyone have any tips, perchance? Better way of doing this, etc, etc?

[reorith]

could you use a sliding hitch of some sort? a tautline hitch perhaps?

how about screws? you could attach the string to the screw and then turn the screw to apply tension.

[Deth Muncher]

how about screws? you could attach the string to the screw and then turn the screw to apply tension.

I like the screw idea, but how to attatch the strings to the screws? Just wind them a few times?

[eidreff]

Nails may not cut it if you want strings taut enough to make a viable tone. Guitar strings would tend to slip and go slack pretty quickly. If you dont need something easthetically beautiful an arrangement of wing nuts/bolts might be better. Drill a hole through the nut (easier said than done) pass the string through it and catch the string under it's self as you tighten it. This would also allow you to tune to a degree. Your nails anchoring the other end of the string will also need to be pretty solid too guitar strings (classical might be best btw) operate at a surprising amount of tension (tens of PSI).

Hope this is of use :smallsmile:

[Deth Muncher]

Nails may not cut it if you want strings taut enough to make a viable tone. Guitar strings would tend to slip and go slack pretty quickly. If you dont need something easthetically beautiful an arrangement of wing nuts/bolts might be better. Drill a hole through the nut (easier said than done) pass the string through it and catch the string under it's self as you tighten it. This would also allow you to tune to a degree. Your nails anchoring the other end of the string will also need to be pretty solid too guitar strings (classical might be best btw) operate at a surprising amount of tension (tens of PSI).

Hope this is of use :smallsmile:


Ok, this sounds feasible. And no, it doesn't have to be particularly aesthetically pleasing, just semi-functional. As to the classical strings...it's possible, but I'm short of cash and already have a pack of guitar strings lying around, so I'm more inclined to use those.

The one confusion, though, is how do you mean catch it under itself? And, also, how is the wing nut going to stay affixed to the board? Or does it?

[eidreff]

Drill a hole through the board and screw the nut through it (the hole would need to be tight enough that the thread on the screw catches the wood).

pass the string through its hole, turn the "tuning peg" a little and then loop the loose end that you passed through the peg back and under the bit of string that is going to vibrate, so that the preassure of the tightening string holds it in place.

This might help http://www.stormthecastle.com/classical_guitar/tutorial/tutorial2-stringingthepegs.htm