Hey all, I have made a Diddley Bow but with a wire fro the string. I am afraid the wire is too thick because when I strum it, it sounds really dull and not loud or long at all. I was just wondering what kind of item you guys have used for a string? I asked a guy at a music store if guitar strings would be good for a diddley bow (I basically told him I had two screws at each end of a board and needed to tie the string to each screw) and he said no because one end has a circle I could put around a screw but the other end doesn't and they are very hard to tie. im wanting to try to just use a thinner galvanized wire and try that out.
what do you guys think I should use? are guitar strings actually that hard to tie? and now for a unrelated question... what did you guys use (if you've built a diddley bow) where I put the glass jar? I heard glass jars are best.
thanks!
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What I understand is this: The original didley bow came from some smart thinker using 2 nails about 36 inches apart strung with the wire from a straw broom , and nailed to the front porch pillar. These days I seen builds use rabbit wire...non used strings, weed wacker string....there's really no guided path, let your imagination roam free.
I just looked at your design....Maybe if you take a screw or bolt, or a piece of bone and try it on top of the bridge you have, it will make a noticeable difference.
now remember, im new at this. ive never played a guitar of any kind. so... whats a bridge again? lol if its just the wire, ive tried putting an allen wrench on top of it but that doesnt seem to make a difference.
Reeds is right a screw or something hard on the bridge will make it brighter . keep in mind it has no box or anything to make it resonate . hold it against the wall and pluck it and see what happens ;)
a box? u mean a thing to make it play through an amp? if so, idk where to put it on on the bow to make it work. i think i read somewhere that you need to put it underneath the string and just barely touching it. is that correct?
I can't tell from your pic but what if you replaced one screw with an eyebolt of sorts - then you could tighten it easily.
Baling wire works.
You could use an old tin can with a disk piezo glued in it for amplification.
Heck, you could use fishing line and a tree branch and a door buzzer stuck to the branch with old gum :-o
so would i still need a pickup if i did that?
you should be able to get a reasonable accoustic sound,your main problem atm is you have no string tension adjustment,if you picture it withe the string low at tha nut[block of wood]end,then your board,the string and the jar form a triangle,so when you slide the jar back it increases string tension,the string could even be fixed on the bottom of the board and come up through holes in the board,over a small nut and with enough slack to fit the jar,then you just slide the jar back to tension,yune,hope this helps
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/photo/100-0937,heres a simple one,note the string angles,you probably want a bit steeper angles,which you,ll get with the jar,this one looks like it has a piezo disc or similar in the tin to make it electric
try taking the bottle out,lower the string at the other end,with a bit of slack then put the bottle back in and slide it towards where it is now and the futher you go the more tension you,ll get as it raises the string from the board,experiment a bit till you get a tone you like
everything is pretty much set in already with nails, screws and (refering to your other reply) the board isnt very thick so the screws and nails wont go any lower without poking through the board. i have a dremel tool but i dont think i would be able to cut it close enough so that nothing gets snagged or cuts me. i might just build another one and try a different design.
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