How to tie frets with one continuous line?

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Tom Snape
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:51 pm

How to tie frets with one continuous line?

Post by Tom Snape »

I am nearly finishing building a dombra, but I don't know the frets are tied.

The dombra is a long necked lute type instrument from Kazakhstan. It seems the frets are all tied using a single continuous piece of line, starting with the first fret. The line runs down the middle of the back of the neck between frets. The edges of the fret board a notched a bit to locate the fret positions.

I have found lots of information online about how single frets are tied on lutes, but nothing for this.
dombra.jpg
Tom Snape
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:51 pm

Re: How to tie frets with one continuous line?

Post by Tom Snape »

I ended up going with individual frets.
Bob Francis
Posts: 582
Joined: Wed Jan 11, 2012 6:28 pm

Re: How to tie frets with one continuous line?

Post by Bob Francis »

Picture?
Tom Snape
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 5:51 pm

Re: How to tie frets with one continuous line?

Post by Tom Snape »

I used the instructions from Gamut music:

https://www.gamutmusic.com/tying-viol-frets

This makes a double fret, which is what my dombra book says to use. You can also tie a single fret, which Gamut says is for lutes. I used 60# nylon fishing line and used a soldering iron to cut and "mushroom" the line.

I suppose you could use the same method with a continuous line down the back from fret to fret, but it seems like it would be hard to keep the line tight. I didn't try it. I think the continuous line would have a better feel to the player, instead of the pair of cut ends at each knot.
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