Friday 12 August 2011

Five String Medieval Fydell


Here's a quick excerpt from a traditional tune entitled "Shepherds Rise" played on a five string medieval fydell or vielle built by myself back in the spring of this year. This instrument has a flat spruce top and flat three piece back of mahogany and black walnut. The ribs are steam bent from different strips of walnut and spruce which are layered to create the pattern on the bass side.

 
The neck and peg disc are beech and the fingerboard and tuning pegs are hand-carved from oak. The sound hole is cut into a tree design.

This fydell has a spruce sound post and bass bar with internal spruce bracing to ren-inforce the back. It's tuned CGDAE and has a very full and rich sound, ideal for droning dance melodies! In the video clip I play it with a simple willow bow made by myself.

This instrument is sold, but you can commission something similar, just email me at joelmerriner@hotmail.com




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