hybrid string calculator

[donald wilson]

It's abit far afield, but KenH got me onto the idea of building a lyre or a kantele with the notes of the first 15 frets of the diatonic scale. Both kanteles and lyres have varying string length and some have floating bridges that don't sit perpendicular to the string length, but sharply slanted, complicating the matter. So, I'm looking for a string calculator where a) the desired note and the vibrating string length of each string can be entered independently and the output would be the string gauge for that string, or, b) the desired note for each string and a constant string gauge for all - or a group of - strings can be entered and the output would be the vibrating string length for that string. Can anyone give me a hint just where to get such a beast?

[Jon]

Check the Spring 1999 issue of DPN, Technical Dulcimer, by Sam Rizetta. The article provides formulas showing the relationship among string length, diameter, tension, and frequency. I use it to put together charts in Excel solving for string diameter as a function of frequency (pitch or note) and VSL. It's not exactly what you're looking for, but should solve the problem with some manipulation.

[Jon]

I realized the article I mentioned is not in the archives. If you don't have it, let me know and I'll send the formula.

[Dave-M]

There's one here too. http://members.cox.net/dmurray777/data/Dulcimer.xls

Peace and music,
Dave