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Sunday, January 7th
When I finish the guitalele, I am going to start working on the second Tin-can cello. It will be a good deal more ambitious than the first one, and will address some issues that make the first Tin-can cello softer and less clear in tone than it could be, and more difficult to play and maintain than it could be.
Neck and blocks
The first tin-can cello has a single-piece neck which extends from the "end-pin" to the peg-box. As a consequence, the top of the neck does not have straight grain, and I was not able to carve a traditional peg box. The pegs are difficult to turn. The "blocks" were added as an afterthought and do not serve the purpose of blocks in a traditional violin or cello; the body is lacking in structural stability. Additionally this means there is no contact between the instrument and the player's chest, so a traditional cellist will not be able to switch easily to this instrument.In the second tin-can cello, I will add a traditional neck block and tail block, fixing them to the ribs with fish glue. The cello's neck will be composed of two pieces. A lower neck stands in for the upper bout of a traditional cello; it is fixed to the neck block using a joint similar to a traditional cello neck. The top of the lower neck rests against the player's chest. The upper neck is similar to a traditional cello's neck (with a truncated heel); it is fixed to the lower neck with a simple dovetail-shaped joint. I've got these parts pretty well worked out in my mind's eye but have not had much luck yet with drawing them. I will work on that.
Body and back; soundpost and bass bar
The first tin-can cello has a much deeper body than a traditional cello; and the back is not fixed to the body. As a consequence, the vibrations of the soundboard are not amplified as they could be and they are lost at the bottom of the ribs. There is no bass bar, meaning the soundboard flexes under the weight of the string tension.
I will address this as follows: the washtub body will be cut to a depth of 120mm. I will carve an arched back in the approximate shape of a traditional cello back's lower bout; the longitudinal arch of the back will be continued in the lower neck piece. (I also have an idea for purfling that I think will look very pretty.) A soundpost will be in the same position as on a traditional cello. The back will be fixed to the ribs using fish glue. I will weld a bass bar to the soundboard, to make it rigid. My hope is that the combined effect of these modifications will give the cello a much clearer tone and increased volume. Fingers crossed! We shall see.
posted afternoon of January 7th: Respond
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Monday, September 19th, 2022
For several months now I've had in mind how I could go about making a better tin-can cello. I'll not bother to enumerate the shortcomings of my current cello. The instrument I have in mind is also built with a bucket and intended to mimic the look and sound of a violoncello. But it is a completely different beast.
I believe I could weld two buckets together, cutting metal away and clamping in such a fashion as to mimic the shape of the upper and lower bouts of a violoncello's body, and to cut away and shape a c bout. Could hammer a slight arch/radius into the belly of the instrument (note, would be better to arch the upper and lower bouts separately prior to joining them together.) Could weld a bass bar in.
Once the body is joined together and cut to rib height, I can carve a back of maple or poplar and attach it with fish glue? epoxy? There will be neck and tail blocks and a true soundpost.
I should draw a picture of what I'm talking about, or a diagram; but so far have come up with nothing at all convincing. I am making large assumptions about how much welding and metalwork I will be capable of. If this all worked, I would get a steel resonating chamber under tension, amplifying the vibrations of the wooden back. If my imagination is serving me faithfully, it would make a fantastic sound.
posted afternoon of September 19th, 2022: 2 responses
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Thursday, August 6th, 2020
For a long time I've been wanting to get a jam going with the tin-can cello and my Stroh fiddle. The problem is, I can't play them both at the same time.... Multiple tracks to the rescue!
Here is the method I've hit on: I compose a rhythm section in Noteflight, then jam against that with fiddle and cello, recording the instrument I'm playing while the rhythm section is playing in headphones. I use Audacity to mix the instruments and vocals with the rhythm section, so I can hear the cello while playing fiddle or vice versa.
Below the fold, a take on "Jagged Sixpence": pretty good although it falls apart a bit near the end. Needs another take of the cello part for the instrumental break at the end. Should see if some better singer than I would be interested in singing this one (and playing guitar). Maybe Malcolm.
posted afternoon of August 6th, 2020: 2 responses
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Monday, April 13th, 2020
posted morning of April 13th, 2020: Respond
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Monday, March 30th, 2020
Will you dance?
posted morning of March 30th, 2020: Respond
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Friday, December 27th, 2019
I've been practicing for the open mic on Monday at Hat City Kitchen, where I'll be playing cello and singing. I was pretty satisfied with my plan to play "Tombstone Blues", "The Raven Rag", and "Jagged Nickel", but then I thought why not make it all originals. I decided I can sing "Rainy Day Woman", so I'm going to open with that. Sylvia is planning to come along, and assuming she does, I will ask her to film the set. I've invited several people -- this is just about the first time I've done that for an open mic. Real Tom said he will come, and John from Traficantes also said he may. Jerry will try to make it.
The songs are all in G*. Oh well, I haven't got a huge range vocally. Also it is easy key (G minor*) to improvise in on the cello.
I made a couple of changes in "The Raven", the bird is now going to have "he" pronoun instead of "she" and is "a jet-black bird" rather than "pretty". If I can make it work, the last two verses will be a good deal slower than the rest of the song and with extra measure on the first and third line. (Similar to Richard Fariña's version in "The Falcon".)
I am hoping there will be a bass player there who wants to back me up and can work out/follow my changes, they are quite simple but I don't have a chord sheet to give.
 *...Wait no, duh, D minor! Not G -- I've been rehearsing these songs in G but I can sing them much better in D. Glad I realized this today (Sunday) & not tomorrow.
posted afternoon of December 27th, 2019: 1 response
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Saturday, December 21st, 2019
the "the raven" rag for tin-can cello:
posted evening of December 21st, 2019: Respond
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Sunday, December 15th, 2019
Happy holidays all! A new take on an old carol.
The "angels we have heard on high" rag for tin-can cello:
the "silent night/joy to the world" rag for #tincancello:
the "god rest ye merry" rag for strings + tin-can cello:
the "herald angels" rag for strings + tin-can cello:
 The "angels we have heard on high" rag for strings:
↻...done
posted morning of December 15th, 2019: 3 responses
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Sunday, September 15th, 2019
There was a jagged man, and he walked a jagged mile.
He found a jagged sixpence behind a jagged stile.
He bought a jagged cat that caught a jagged mouse.
They all lived together in a little jagged house.
posted morning of September 15th, 2019: 5 responses
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Sunday, July 21st, 2019
Here's a fun mashup --
posted morning of July 21st, 2019: 1 response
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