Thanks: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 15 of 16
Thread: My Rudra Veena, What's that?
-
16th February 2013, 07:38 PM #1New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- chicago
- Posts
- 8
My Rudra Veena, What's that?
This is an Indian musical instrument called a rudra veena. I finished it a short while ago after working on it for three years. A lot of that time was doing research and scratching my head because there is no readily available information on making them. Its made from Honduran mahogany, ebony, Ivory (old piano keys) bone and shed deer antler. The resonators are large gourds. The finish is french polish and I used hot hide glue throughout. I very much enjoyed the carving part but it took like forever!
Thanks for viewing
Ray
rudra-veena11.jpgrudra-veena08.JPGrudra-veena05.jpg
-
16th February 2013 07:38 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
16th February 2013, 09:19 PM #2GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jan 2010
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 2,636
Oh wow, superb craftsmanship.
-Scott
-
16th February 2013, 09:55 PM #3GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Dec 2010
- Location
- Mornington Peninsula
- Posts
- 2,747
Very nice.
What does it sound like?
-
16th February 2013, 10:11 PM #4
I think you can be proud of that. What made you want to make one?
RegardsHugh
Enough is enough, more than enough is too much.
-
16th February 2013, 11:03 PM #5
-
17th February 2013, 06:04 AM #6New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- chicago
- Posts
- 8
Who knows how these things happen, I wasn't planning on it but about seven years ago I heard a sitar. Not a recording or an amplified one on a stage but in an intimate setting being played by a master. I was totally blown away. Shortly after I bought a sitar and since then I've been inextricably caught up in indian classical music.
Thanks guys for the compliments and Bushmiller It does sound very indian and rudra veenas are definitely an acquired taste! That's due to the jawari, the bridges on many instruments are large pieces of bone that the strings vibrate across giving them that distinctive overtone buzz. And yes its not unusual to have tunes/raags that are one and a half to two hours long.
In case you are interested here are some pictures of the building phase. I didn't set out to record the process but I did take some shots. I love workshop in progress photos.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/qw53jf26m6v1i8f/3VOeepeEGl
Thanks once again
-
17th February 2013, 06:30 PM #7
Ray
Not a beginner's project by any stretch of the imagination and not a beginners workshop by the look of it either. I have only an inkling of some of these Indian instruments and not all of them are to my taste by any stretch of the imagination. I had not heard of the Rudra Veena before this thread.
My son is into some of these instruments (not that he can particularly play them). His Santour, which I had hitherto regarded as exotic, now seems banal in the face of a Rudra Veena!
BTW welcome to the forms and apologies for not acknowledging that before. I think it is indicative of how blown away we were by such an instrument.
Regards
PaulBushmiller;
"Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power corrupts, absolutely!"
-
18th February 2013, 06:06 PM #8
My Rudra Veena, What's that?
My gosh, what an achievement. Congratulations!
Have you had it played by a really good player yet? It's amazing what they can tell you about your instrument."We must never become callous. When we experience the conflicts ever more deeply we are living in truth. The quiet conscience is an invention of the devil." - Albert Schweizer
My blog. http://theupanddownblog.blogspot.com
-
19th February 2013, 11:19 AM #9Member
- Join Date
- Mar 2012
- Location
- Outer East Melbs
- Age
- 52
- Posts
- 51
Love it, really great stuff
-
19th February 2013, 05:01 PM #10New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- chicago
- Posts
- 8
Actually I should have introduced myself first, but no, I just plunked by butt down and posted away like I owned the joint of something! Ok so here goes, My names Ray I spent my childhood in England then most of my adulthood in the US. I've been working with wood ( carpenter, cabinet making and boat building) for over 40 years. But I'm relatively new to lutherie, I've messed about with a few folk type instruments but this was my first serious attempt at a true classical instrument. Fortunately I had access to two museum quality Kanailal Rudra Veenas so I was able to study them and take measurements.
Bushmiller I liked your comment on your sons santour.
ebastiaan56 about finding a really good player to critique the instrument, herein lies the problem. There's not that many people who know what a rudra veena is much less someone who knows how to play them. So its pretty hard to get any feedback. I do have a knowledgeable friend who said after playing it "you nailed it" At some point I will have to make a recording that hopefully wont embarase me. Right now though, my woodworking abilities far outweigh my musical abilities on the veena.
Ray
-
23rd February 2013, 04:08 PM #11Senior Member
- Join Date
- May 2011
- Location
- Mangrove Mountain
- Posts
- 213
Oh yeah you nailed it Ray that's a given. And btw it looks like carving and woodworking don't hold too many secrets from you
Steve
-
26th February 2013, 06:18 PM #12New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- chicago
- Posts
- 8
-
26th February 2013, 07:23 PM #13
-
27th February 2013, 06:15 PM #14Alumnus of Wood and Strings
- Join Date
- Dec 2011
- Location
- Coffs Harbour
- Age
- 76
- Posts
- 113
That is bloody amazing. When I think of the time it takes me to make a violin, it pales to insignificance when you see something like this.
-
1st March 2013, 09:31 AM #15New Member
- Join Date
- Feb 2013
- Location
- chicago
- Posts
- 8
Thanks Brett
I'll have to search my hard drive and scan some older photos to post. I regret that I didn't take as many pictures as I should have. It seems with this livelihood deadlines are always looming and my main concern was finishing the project and getting it out of the door. It always seemed like such a hassle to clean the shop, pull out the backdrop, lights and camera, and back in the day, getting the film developed. ( thank god or whoever is responsible for digital cameras!) Anyway thanks for your interest I'll post something elsewhere on the forum soon.
Ray
I'll use this opportunity to add another photo of the veena. The headstock with lotus carving since its not evident in the other images.
IMG_0742.jpg