Koto Steel

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 6 May 2010 8:27 am

A few weeks ago I put up a Sound clip
on the Forum featuring my newly built
SteelKoto

I decided to make a video for my YouTube
Site and after 3 days of edit, converting
problems I think I have something to
post.
It is an intriging concept but on the
narrow path.
I hope it will be of interest to some.

Please feel free to visit my ClicTab site also
as per signature below.

Many Thanks

Here is the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB2Src_--Ak

Fred Kinbom · Post by **Fred Kinbom** » 6 May 2010 10:46 am

Lovely Roy! Beautiful playing and an amazing instrument. It is smaller than I had imagined it from your previous thread. Seems a very portable and versatile instrument.

Should be movie soundtracks next for you and your Koto Steel!

Thanks for posting!

Fred

Steve Cunningham · Post by **Steve Cunningham** » 6 May 2010 10:50 am

Very nice!

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 6 May 2010 11:46 am

Thanks and good luck you guys.
I appreciate your encouragement.

Roy

James Kerr · Post by **James Kerr** » 6 May 2010 3:38 pm

I enjoyed that very much Roy, I'm heading down the same road, but I'm trying not to copy.

Look at this thing I'm building, it will have around 28 strings.

James.

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 6 May 2010 3:54 pm

delightful!

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 6 May 2010 6:04 pm

James,

That's got the makings of an Austrian Zither?

Are you planning to press the strings to
the frets for melody with the left hand fingers
or use a bar?

Playing those five strings with a steel bar
would make for an interesting sound.

Mark Bracewell · Post by **Mark Bracewell** » 8 May 2010 7:55 am

Fantastic video Roy! Encore please!

Mark Mansueto · Post by **Mark Mansueto** » 8 May 2010 9:51 am

Roy, thanks for sharing the video. Very cool instrument that has a sweet sound and the song you played is very melodic and beautiful.

James Kerr · Post by **James Kerr** » 8 May 2010 1:12 pm

Roy,
I will set the strings high enough so I can use both steel bar for slides, and fingers for chord shapes, and yes it is a hybrid Zither.

James.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 9 May 2010 8:38 am

Very nice Roy

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 9 May 2010 8:47 am

Tom,

Wouldn't I love to have you living
next door.

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 9 May 2010 9:43 am

Hey Roy, not sure I want to live that far north again

Kurt Kikendall · Post by **Kurt Kikendall** » 9 May 2010 7:50 pm

Absolutely beautiful.

I really loved the part from 0:14 to 0:25. Well done!

Did anyone else notice the airplane flying across the upper right corner of the frame at 1:17??

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 13 May 2010 9:20 am

Just beautiful!

seldomfed · Post by **seldomfed** » 13 May 2010 10:19 am

Lovely Roy!
You'd be a hit on stage at HSGA in Honolulu next year. We have a lot of members from Japan that attend - I bet they'd get excited about the KotoSteel.

Chris

Jerry Gleason · Post by **Jerry Gleason** » 13 May 2010 1:25 pm

That's really nice, Roy. Hope we get to hear more.

Manfred Nabinger · Post by **Manfred Nabinger** » 13 May 2010 2:50 pm

James,

this "Hawaii-Zither" might interest you: an Austrian long-scale zither modified and used for playing with a bar

http://cgi.ebay.de/Hawaii-Zither-Beatle ... 3a5a9c1542

A 70 year old gentleman from Austria played it in the 60s and 70s and says "it sounds like the best Hawaiian guitars". Has piezo pickup for the melody strings and magnetic pickup for the bass strings, which were not plucked but only did resonate and enrich the sound (played guitar style, not zither style).

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 14 May 2010 6:27 am

James Kerr keep us posted on your
Hybred Zither. Looks interesting!

Manfred, I am familiar with the
Austrian Zither and have recorded
music in my collection. I often
wondered what it would sound like
with a bar in the left hand instead
of freting with the fingers? James Kerr
in the foregoing post appears to be heading
in that direction?

The configuration of the sound boxes
of the Zither offers a peircing but pleasing
sound ie Third Man Theme. I love it!

My thanks to everyone who posted
positive comments and suggestions/ideas.

I have at least three more arrangements for the
Koto Steel ready for recording and putting up on
YouTube and will be working on that over
the next several days.

Incidently, with the use of ClicTab software I
have come up with a simple and easy way to
write Tab for the 12 string Koto Steel. I am
really pleased that "the way to do it"
showed up.

My arranging for Lap Steel C6th, Leavitt etc
is ongoing and I invite visits to my
ClicTab Site ....see signature hereunder.

Roy

Kurt Kikendall · Post by **Kurt Kikendall** » 14 May 2010 7:11 am

Roy,

In addition to steel music, I enjoy aviation (including models) and hate to hijack this thread, but my curiosity is getting the best of me. What is it that flies through the upper right hand corner your frame at 1:17? Is it some kind of Air Hog, micro R/C plane, or just a fancy paper airplane?

Kurt

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 14 May 2010 7:40 am

Kurt,
I did not notice that plane until your
referrence to it ..and that sent me back looking
...and then I saw it. My TV may have been on at
the time and my Computer Monitor reflected it?
I honestly do not have the answer?

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