Indian Music Forums

I Don't Have a "Clew"! MELODIC INSTRUMENTS
Reply
987 posts Anonymous 987 posts
Anonymous
Here we go, my two cents:

make a loop, wrap the end of the string two or three times around the main lead of the string, then push the short free end through the loop and fold upwards back towards the main string. Place the string on the peg (main or sympathetic) and put the other on the peg and wind. When the loop closes the small end is trapped and there will be an initial slipage to close the loop and then it holds forever. Been doing it for 30 years, never fails.

Bharat
Reply 0 0
David Russell Watson Senior Member 362 posts
David Russell Watson
Some of us here, including myself, buy our music wire by the roll and make our own loops instead of buying the much more expensive precut wire with ready-made loops.

Most of my loops are pitifully done, and I have to constantly keep retuning for a day or two after I put them on as they gradually tighten up. I've even had them slip and open up completely a few times, the flying string giving me a painful sting in the process!

So I wonder, has anybody else who makes their own loops ever tried the little tool offered on ebay called a "Clew Maker", for which see
http://cgi.ebay.com/Simtab-for-Tar-Setar-tanboor-clew-maker-for-strings_W0QQitemZ250025826014QQcategoryZ623QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQcmdZViewItem ?

I had never seen the word "clew" before, so I looked it up and apparently it is indeed an English word, and refers to "a metal loop attached to the lower corner of a sail".

I wonder if the tool really does makes a loop significantly better than what we make twisting the wire by hand?

David
Reply 0 0
element-82 317 posts
element-82
David,
that is news to me, love that pun BTW. It might be worth a try. I am ok at clewing but this looks like an interesting tool.

Pb
Surbahar Dude (formerly Sitar Dude)
http://sitarplayer.net
Reply 0 0
Sitarfixer Senior Member 1,937 posts
Sitarfixer
"Clewso" here! This looks like it would do the job as intended but - - -

The bend and strain on the wire is equal at both the feeder (short bit) wire and the long section that will go to the bridge. Such a twist is also seen on aircraft lock wire and rebar connections. Not good, in my opinion.

The loops I make keep the length of wire straight to the back of the loop. This keeps the strength at optimum level, I feel. Works for at me, at least. For the 1st. and 2nd. string, I make a loop and scrunch it up into a "pigtail" on the end. Now the actual post hugging loop is made keeping the pigtail clear of the main windings. Should those slip or seat to the post or tailpiece tab, the pigtail butts up against the main winding and locks it all for the duration. Result is a 100% guaranteed slip proof loop. I used to wind loops much like this clew rig but wasn't happy with the result no matter how neat a job I did. I think there are some pics of this loop system on one or more of the sitars pictured on my website. Cheers!
http://www.karaseksound.com/
Reply 0 0
sitarman 599 posts
sitarman
I tried a looping tool once, similar to what you have here but the size of the loop was too small, as if intended for guitar or mandolin strings. The tailpieces/posts on sitars are by no means universal in size. As for hand looping so it won't slip, you can also, after a few twists, take the remaining "tail" and tuck it inside the loop so that when the string tightens against the post the tail gets pressed into the post and won't slip. Perhaps that is what Sitarfixer was saying- it is difficult to describe twists and turns.
To be candid, looping and stringing pales in comparison to replacing tarabs. I know all the tricks with the hook etc but threading each tarab along the neck under the frets and then pulling it through the peg hole etc. is a bitch. I would love to see how it is done by a pro sitarwallah. I understand that if done before the frets are tied it would be a lot easier. Uh, oh...don't get me started on tying frets!!! That's another excersize in patience!! I laugh at work when one of my fellow employees complains about having to restring a guitar.
Reply 0 0
Joshua Feinberg Senior Member 323 posts
Joshua Feinberg
hi,

it is normal for a new wire to take about a day to settle. if you loop is slipping, thats another issue. tony's method is good. another good one is making the standard loop, wrapping the short end around the big end many, many times. while you're wrapping it move up the longer end and then retrace your steps back over the previously wound wire. i've never had a problem with that method. just make sure you wrap it around quite a few times.

best,

jf
http://www.joshfeinbergmusic.com
"Practice is the word, because without practice you cannot take one step more," Pt. Nikhil Banerjee
Reply 0 0
coyootie 490 posts
coyootie
as usual, the simplest way to go is probably best- I can't quite figure if Sitarfixer's description is the same here, might be!
go to silverbush.com and go to repairs info- there's a clear diagram of the knot. I use this and if you do it correctly and scrunch the twists firmly but gently against the pin, you may have almost no stretch out time. you only need 3 or 4 twists. I use a flat ended jeweler's pliers to push the twists down towards the bone peg/pin. You definitely DON'T want to make lots of twists- that makes a tangling mess at your pins and takes longer to stretch out.
Reply 0 0
Anonymous 987 posts
Anonymous
I actually have a high-tech version of the clew which I used to use for looping safety wire on motorcycle engines when I was a race mechanic. It's required for all parts that carry liquids - just like on jet engines. Unfortunately - it's not really practical for sitar strings. Bronze phosphor and copper wires are too soft and the very neat looking twists actually stress out the wire too much and they break. You can use them for the sympathetics but it takes a while to get the technique down so that you don't over twist them. I use the earlier described tail through the loop technique. Looks messy - but it works.
Cheers,
Keshav
Reply 0 0
Reply