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Comment by Nile on December 29, 2008 at 7:59am

Hello Willie.
I really like your music by the way. i think you could realy do some damage with a berimbau

We did the same thing that you where talking about but with Car tires, the wire is about the same thickness of piano wire, and just like you said we carve it out with a knife. then once the end is found and its unwound sand the rubber off wire. if you run it like a cloths line you can hand sand it varry clean, if you burn the rubber off it weakens the wire and a berimbau is strung fairly tight. i know some guys in Brazil the take the wire from tires after there burnt but those berimbaus are only good to sell to rich tourist. they sound really bad and the wire breaks about 4 days after they are strung up. my sister is here visiting now but when shes gone latter this week ill make a little video on berimbau basics if your intrested

Take care
Nile

Comment by One String Willie on December 29, 2008 at 6:42am

Thanks Nile-

I would be interested in learning more about building and playing this instrument.

I thought I would share what little I know about salvaging wire from bicycle tires. Bicycle tires have multiple wraps of wire imbedded in the rubber inside the two edges of the rim of the tire. The advantage of using this wire is that it is readily available and does not stretch. Most bicycle shops throw away old bike tires. Get one or more of the large diameter tires (adult-sized bike) from the trash, and use a utility knife to cut around the edge of the rim of the tire. Carefully "whittle" into the rubber around the rim until you get to the wire. Then try to separate the wire from the rubber--it is easiest if you can find one of the ends of the wire. After some work, you will have a couple of lengths of wire with bits of rubber still attached--do your best to get these off. This is as far as I have gotten with the wire, as it seems a little light for my diddley bows--I like really heavy wire.

I have been told that the wire can be heated over a stove to burn off the rest of the bits of rubber--this will likely stink, so it may make sense to do it over a charcoal grill outdoors. You end up with a couple of pieces of wire about 17 or 18 feet long. Nile, does a thin layer of rubber remain on the wire?

Best regards, Willie

Comment by Nile on December 26, 2008 at 2:55pm

those are all the parts ill look for my old worksheet on the steps to make a good one and how to play it then send it on to you

Comment by Nile on December 26, 2008 at 2:52pm

Comment by bairfoot cajun on December 26, 2008 at 10:46am

this seems like a cool place, lots of activity, i am interested in building a didlybow and it seems that i have learned a lot in just about a half hour of viewing this page, thanks guys you are very informative, i want to build this instrument for the music i can learn from it. if a didly bow was built with two strings would it still be a didly bow or would it classify as something else? i want to build one with one string and another with two strings for octive tones, as a scientific experiment of course, it will be of interesting results i am sure. will someone help me with my question about the two string model i want to build. thanks for all your help guys in making my world of music a new and interesting place to be.

Comment by Nile on December 26, 2008 at 10:09am

hello all. this is Nile. i might be a little late but i thought i would chime in on the Berimbau. i was a Capoeira instructor (a Afro-Brazilian Marital art that is centered around the Berimbau) for about nine years. i taught students how to make them and play traditional rhythms on them as well. it is a really fun instrument, if any of you would like info on making or playing them let me know. id be happy to help.

Comment by Willardj on December 23, 2008 at 2:25am

Willie and Joker,The piezo is taped down...I am fixing to sandwich it or use something like a morse pad to cushion it...Just experimenting more over the holidays...when you put a piezo in a altoid tin,,,placed in a gallon resonator...does the string set on the pickup or above it??? I have several hand wound pickups like Teds.Have not used them yet...Pickups were made by Rick"MOJOSTICK"Thanks guys!!May you and yours have a happy holiday...
willardj.

Comment by One String Willie on December 23, 2008 at 2:07am

I only have made one diddley bow with an altoids tin sound board, and I epoxied the naked piezo (removed the cover) to the underside of the lid. Willard, how is the piezo set up in the red alligator (I've never looked inside the can)?

Best regards, Willie

Comment by Willardj on December 23, 2008 at 1:36am

The diddley bow video below is Chuck Bernstein...Delta Berimbau Blues...The following is a statement by Chuck..."The origins of bottleneck guitar in the Mississippi Delta came from one-stringed instruments of African origins called Diddley Bows. By creating my own techniques, I have turned the Brazilian Berimbau into a Delta Diddley Bow with a built-in Wah Wah."
Chuck Bernstein
October 2008
You can listen to Chuck playing this on the link below...Delta blues album...
http://cdbaby.com/cd/chuckbernstein

Comment by Willardj on December 22, 2008 at 11:52am

Joker or Willie,In your altoid tin diddley bow,did you leave the piezo capped in its plastic cover??? How did you secure it in the tin,,,tape,epoxy glue??? I have many piezos,most have 3 wires.1 black also 1 red & blue.I USUALLY SOLDER THE RED AND BLUE TO THE SAME SIDE....what are the 3 wires for? I will try to post a pic ...piezo...on mypage shortly....thanks.

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