Kantele #003

Luckily during my build of Kantele #002, I had exactly enough wood to make another 8 string kantele. So I did, and made Kantele #003 a twin of the previous. It has a different theme, but made of the same exact woods with the same exact dimensions. Interestingly enough, the sound is very different. I will do a comparison of these two in a future post. I will say however, that I really like the tone of #003, and feel that it is a significant improvement, much more mellow and rich.

 Though the woods are the same, there is definitely a noticeable difference in style. This kantele uses kind of a "curl" theme, reflected in the ponsi, headboard, and "f-hole" soundhole. The dragon flairs on this ponsi was particularly fun and challenging to carve, being my first attempt at such type of carving. Despite having an unusual grain, I found the leopardwood very nice to carve and hold its shape, but one must work with the grain flow to avoid chipping or tearing of the wood. Another unique feature of the ponsi is the carved top and front profile. This was inspired by the geometric chip carving style, and was also a first for me as well. The inside curve where the varras, or string-holding bar is located, is also a noticeable improvement from the previous two, which has a very round vertical profile as opposed to the more flat-sawn curve shape of its predecessors. The decorative headplate is simpler than #002, and cleaner all around than the previous. I had bought another padauk rosette to inlay, but felt that the added wood to accommodate it would make the headplate unnecessarily bulky. There is also less overlap onto the vibrating portion of the soundboard, possibly contributing to its overall better tone. #003 turned out only slightly wider in size, but all other dimensions remained the same. I do feel that the cypress used for this soundboard was also a bit nicer quality than #002.


I also chose a much nicer curly hard maple board to use for the backboard, which has much more noticeable and attractive figure than #002. Curly hard maple takes a beautiful polish, and with the curl can provide quite a stunning look. The soundhole was quite a bit more challenging: since I already glued the backboard on before cutting it out (to ensure it went on straight, since it can slightly move around during the gluing process), I had to drill many tiny holes along the outline of the shape, then slowly cut away the shape with a very sharp knife and chisel by connecting the dots. The larger soundhole also not only lends itself nicely to the overall theme, but provides more volume while still keeping the aesthetics of a backboard.

Extra Sources and Info:

1.) Kantele #001 Info:  http://oertheeternalstrings.blogspot.com/2014/10/kantele-001.html

2.) Kantele #002 Info: http://oertheeternalstrings.blogspot.com/2014/11/kantele-002.html

Kantele #002

I have learned a tremendous amount from the kanteles that I have built, and continue to learn with each one. My second kantele, #002, was started around the same time as my first, and finished shortly after (you can click on the thumbnail images for a larger more detailed view). Like my first kantele, I used leftover wood from previous projects for the frame of the instrument. Having already built a 5 string model, I wanted to play around with a slightly larger stringed instrument. Having only one string size though and a limited budget, I opted to build a small 8 string model. This kantele is also 24" long, a bit wider at 5.75" wide, and tuned to the diatonic scale in the key of C. I wanted to add some contrast in the sides, so the frame consisted of mahogany with a thin strip of soft maple accent at the top, which would be mirrored on the bottom by a curly hard maple backboard. Not having enough mahogany for the tuning peg shelf, I bought a turning blank made of African mahogany to use.

As a side note, I got this turning blank from Westpenn Hardwoods, an absolutely awesome source of exotic turning blanks. This place is also on my top wood supplier list. Their selection is incredible, and is a great source for exotic woods for the frame, as well as bowl turning blanks for exotic wood ponsis. For their turning blanks to be used as woods for the sides, I normally buy 24" long to 36" long 1.5"x1.5" turning blanks, and rip them in half length-wise for a matching set of .75" thick x 1.5" wide pieces. Future kanteles I will be building with woods from them including cocobolo, bocote, bubinga (now complete) and east indian rosewood. A very economical method for getting beautiful exotic hardwoods for kantele making for only a fraction of the price you would spend ordering one custom built from a luthier. I will post more details and info on exotic wood selection and simple shortcuts to beautiful and affordable woods in posts to come.

I chose to stick with cypress for the soundboard, as I had excellent results with Kantele #001, and did not want to vary too much yet with soundboards. The ponsi uses leopardwood, a beautiful exotic hardwood that finishes excellently. I also used a thin strip of padauk on the bottom of the ponsi as well. The decorative headplate also uses leopardwood, with another inlaid rosette from Folkcraft Instruments. I opted for the soundhole to be located on the backboard again, this time using a larger diameter of about 2.5". Stay tuned for sound clips and playing description of this kantele in upcoming posts!


Extra Sources and Info:

1.) Westpenn Hardwoods: https://www.westpennhardwoods.com/default.aspx

2.) Kantele #001 Info:  http://oertheeternalstrings.blogspot.com/2014/10/kantele-001.html

Kantele #001

This kantele was my first kantele, the beginning steps into my journey into not only the world of the kantele, but better instrument making in general. I finished this one in January, and am quite pleased with the results. You can click on the thumbnail photos for larger detailed pictures. This kantele uses red oak sides and tuning peg shelf, which was leftover wood I had bought from The Home Depot for another project. The front part under the ponsi is a bit of leftover mahogany from wood I had used for a traditional bow many years ago. The ponsi and decorative headplate consist of black walnut, with a thin stripe of padauk at the bottom of the ponsi, and a very nice little padauk rosette which I bought from Folkcraft Instruments, inlaid into the headplate. The backboard also consists of black walnut with a single 1.5" diameter sound hole.
 

The soundboard took me a while to decide upon. Often times, woods like poplar are used. Its a relatively soft wood, and good choice for soundboards, but I wanted something with more grain character. Pine is ok, but still a bit lower quality and dull for what I was intending. Spruce, particularly sitka spruce, is often hailed as one of the best quality soundboard materials for stringed instruments. It is a bit harder to find smaller pieces for kantele however, and still has a bit boring (in my opinion, compared to other woods out there) grain pattern. Its also used on many, many guitars, and I wanted something a bit different and less common. After doing some searches and comparisons, I found that cypress has a very nice grain look, and has very good soundboard characteristics. From the Wood Database, here are some general stats on the wood: 

• Janka Hardness: 510lbf

• Average Dried Weight: 32lbs/ft^2

• Specific Gravity: 0.42

• Elastic Modulus: 1,440,000 lb_f/in² (9.93 GPa)

Overall, very similar characteristics to the commonly used spruces, with the bonus of more interesting grain. I ended up using 1/8" thick soundboard wood (as well as 1/8" backboard), which is a very good thickness to start with for smaller kantele. For reference, I strongly recommend The Wood Database as an excellent resource for basic wood properties and information, especially for when comparing specific statistics of different woods. They have an extensive and excellent list of many domestic and exotic wood species. For soundboards, backboards, and woods for the ponsi and decorative headplate, I often buy woods from D&D Hardwoods. The selection, products, prices, and service is top-notch, and I have ordered from them many times for all of my kantele so far, and greatly recommend them for thin woods for smaller sized kantele. I will write a more detailed and full review in coming posts, but they are definitely one of my favorite wood sources yet.

I made this kantele as a 5 string instrument, 24" long, and a little wider at 5". I wanted to experiment with a wider model 5 string instrument and play around with wider string spacing than normal.
With my kanteles, I also want to create a unique and distinct style of my own. This design came about from a combination of both a lack of tools at the time, and a want to explore new styles, which has stuck with each kantele so far. One major difference with my kanteles is the shape: the front is pointed as opposed to the traditional round ponsi end. I did this for ease of construction, which also happened to fit well with my kantele themes. Another unique feature is the carved ponsi. Each kantele has its own theme, represented by the decorative headplate at the tuning peg end, and the ponsi. I have added what I like to call "dragon flairs" on the ponsi, giving them more distinct flavor as opposed to the more traditional simple straight or slightly rounded ends on the ponsi. My kantele are also heavier than normal, using thicker woods for the frame. I have always preferred the feel of a heavier instrument, and as this thickness is most commonly available (3/4" thick), I have decided to stick with it.

Most kanteles I have seen use relatively simple woods, such as birch, pine, poplar, mahogany, and walnut. These are great and relatively inexpensive woods to start with, with woods like birch having cultural significance in the folk roots of traditional kantele making. I wanted to expand and use more exotic choices, adding things like contrasting strips on the sides, and unique carved themes and accents. My later kanteles reflect this, with more exotic choices with each one I make. Stay tuned for sound clips and a playing description of this kantele in upcoming posts!

Extra Sources and Info:

1.) The Wood Database: http://www.wood-database.com/

2.) Folkcraft Instruments: http://www.folkcraft.com/search.html?sep=rosette&sed=128

3.) D&D Hardwoods: http://www.dndhardwoodsonline.com/