Mise à jour le 20/03/2024               


Maintaining your instrument

or how to fix minor lutherie problems at home


THE QUESTIONS:

1. When my instrument is tuned (in major) and I play a piece

With minor chords, it doesn't sound quite right.

2. I bought a second-hand zither and one of the strings is broken (or missing or it doesn't sound right)

3. One of the strings is no longer in tune.

4. There's a crooked ankle


Let's go! Short videos will be added later to illustrate these points.



1. The modulators need to be adjusted.

But how?

Start by placing the zither on a table, observing and reflecting (otherwise, all the explanations will be of little use)

New paragraph



We observe that for each chord, the strings of the thirds are taken on a modulator (gold-colored rod) and that, on either side of this modulator, there are two screws (a smaller one on the right and a larger one on the left) against which the modulator butts.


Let's think about this: when I tighten my string, the sound rises and vice versa. It all comes down to that.


The only weapon needed here is a screwdriver.







When the modulator comes to rest against the right-hand screw, the string is more taut. The chord is in major.

Conversely, when the modulator rests against the left-hand screw, the string is less taut, the tuning is minor, and the screws have been set so that there is a semitone between the two. However, this semitone is subject to variation over time, hence the need for adjustment (twice a year).






If the tuning was done in major for example, it may therefore not be correct in minor.

Let's think about this some more... There are two solutions: lower the major key or raise the minor key. It can be equal, but not always.

If it's equal, it's equal. To go up in minor, simply tighten the left screw a little, and to go down in major, simply loosen the right screw a little. And here, the second weapon is patience. Tighten (or loosen), check in minor, check in major until the string is in tune in both major and minor. The result can, however, be achieved quickly.


Sometimes it can be very difficult to tighten the minor key because you feel like you've reached the limit. In that case, it's best to loosen it in the major key... but be careful not to loosen it too much because the modulator won't hold: suddenly, in the middle of playing, bam! it pops out! But it's not a big deal!



So, you have to find the right balance. All you need is a screwdriver and some patience. Isn't life beautiful?!


2. Change a string!


Ah, it's like the grain of the wood when you're carving! We make a mountain out of a molehill, when it's actually quite simple. But yes!

Three possible scenarios

  • The rope is broken.
  • The rope is missing
  • The string needs to be replaced because it's deafening.


    • And to complicate matters a little: the offending string is on a modulator.


Start by removing the support bar (usually three Phillips head screws). Then, regardless of the situation, loosen the anchor by a maximum of three turns. Remove the rope or the end of the rope, and if necessary, unhook the rope at the bottom.

If it is a modulator string, carefully observe how the string passes over the modulator.

Attach the string to the tuning peg, observing how the other strings are mounted. Pull and hook the loop onto the small nail at the bottom. Then turn the tuning peg in the opposite direction while holding the spirals at the top. Tune. The first one is difficult, the second not very easy, the following ones are a breeze!

If it's a modulator, pass the string through the modulator's groove, while keeping it in its original position and like the others. While some dexterity is required, observation is still key.