Gusli have been known since the 5th century. They represent a resonant board with strings stretched on it. Gusli are back in fashion and are increasingly being made independently at home.
It is necessary
A block of well-dried wood, 1m long, 35-40cm in diameter. It should be a "sounding" tree: maple, spruce, cedar, pine. You will also need tools for working with wood: chisels, a hammer, a drill, an ax, sandpaper
Instructions
Step 1
Take a prepared wooden block and split it in half using wooden wedges and a sledgehammer.
Draw the outline of the gusli on the workpiece, select the middle with a chisel, meaning the side (1 cm) and end (2, 5 cm) indents. It turns out something like a trough, the width of which is 3-8 cm, and the thickness of the bottom is 1-1, 5 cm. Carefully grind the workpiece with sandpaper.
Step 2
Install several wooden springs (narrow long strips) inside the body that will support the deck, strengthen the body.
Step 3
Use 3 mm thick planks to make a gusli deck. Glue the boards along the entire length. Glue the deck onto the gusli body over the wooden springs.
Step 4
Tap the deck with your fingers, in the place of the most dull and low sound, cut a hole 3 cm in diameter - a resonator. It affects the quality characteristics of the sound and will give them volume.
Step 5
At the end (end) indents, install the tuning pegs and the tailpiece (metal tube). Tuners can be made from a small metal rod, or you can make them wooden. Punch holes on the side to hold the strings. Glue the harder wood pegs into the gusli body and drive the pegs into it. Their number is equal to the number of gusli strings.
Step 6
The tailpiece is fixed on the other side of the gusli body between two sticks glued to the deck.
Pull the strings on the tuning pegs (you can take guitar strings). Adjust their pitch and tone by pulling on the strings and turning the tuning pegs. Now you can start playing the harp.
