Noters of Note from BillD & Mike Byers!!

Subject: Noters of Note from BillD & Mike Byers!!
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 May 01 - 03:53 PM

I couldn't let these go by just with a PM of thanks to both of you, so blush all ya want!

In one my recent dulcimer threads I was lamenting, okay, bytching :-) about how skinny noters were and how I just used my finger. I also mentioned that I like the diameter of a prescription medicine bottle and I did like the slide sound when I used a noter.

Like errant knights just knocking about looking for a ahem "lady" in distress, Bill D kindly offered to make me a couple of noters to choose from, from his wondrous stock of exotic woods, and, Mike Byers offered to send me one of his specialities, made of Delrin with a wooden grip.

Well!! I've now received them all and they are wonderful!! Mike's grip has set-ins for where my thumbs go and the Delrin is tough material, very hard, and gets a really smooth glissando sound from my strings! This guy has a wicked, Mudcat-type sense of humour which carries over in his paper handout: "Delrin is slicker than a ten-term senator..." and, he calls it a "high acceleration noter" which it is! Thanks, Mike!! Oh, and if you ask Mike about his noters, be SURE to look at his Works of Art glass pieces! WOW!

BillD, as many of you know is a master woodworker turning out gorgeous bowls (scroll down) and other fine pieces of art made from all kinds of exotic woods. One piece of his, in particular, stuck me, as he used a bole/knot of a tree and made the vase in one piece from it, incorporating the hole in the design. Lots of negative and positive space to fire the imagination.

The three noters Bill sent to me are incredibly beautiful. I know already that I am in love with the double-width handled one, which he made out of lignumvitae, which he says came from some very old stock. Made all in one piece, it's graceful lines fit into my hand just perfectly and it is a very hard wood.

The other two are so beautiful, just for the wood and its grains, alone, that I love them, but also as works of art, and, yes, as noters! You can tell that this man communicates with the wood and knows how to let its beauty shine through at its best. These are made of Tulipwood OR, with picture(isn't it a gorgeous wood! My piece is redder, though, much prettier!) and Goncalo Alves/Astronium graveolens from Mexico. They are both very lightweight, beautifully turned, and finished.

Now, Bill had told me that if I didn't want to use any of these I should put them in auction. I KNOW I will be using the lignumvitae because of the handle. I also know I will be using the Delrin one which Mike sent.

As the other two which Bill sent are so beautiful and feel so fine, I am going to try them out for a week or two, also. I'll let you all know what I decide; right now the auction isn't looking too likely!**BG** (Well what's a gyrl to do when she's given so many choices?!**BG**)

Anyway, another reason to be proud, Mudcatters! Two Master Craftsmen and two caring and sharing individuals, just what we'd expect at the Mudcat, huh?

THANKS SO MUCH, MIKE AND BILL D!! You've made my weekend and then some!!

kat

Subject: RE: Noters of Note from BillD & Mike Byers!!
From: Sorcha
Date: 27 May 01 - 04:33 PM

Neat!

Subject: RE: Noters of Note from BillD & Mike Byers!!
From: Bill D
Date: 27 May 01 - 04:43 PM

*smile*...I can hear the pluckin' from here...glad they got there

(lignumvitae is a naturally oily, but VERY hard wood whose most famous uses are as carvers mallets, and as housings for ship propellors, since they have natural lubrication that works underwater.)

Subject: RE: Noters of Note from BillD & Mike Byers!!
From: catspaw49
Date: 27 May 01 - 04:55 PM

Damn! I was just going to say that!

Anyway....Very cool!!! And I'm happy you've found the "noter" to be of value as part of your bag of tricks. No rights or wrongs.....just differences for effects!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Noters of Note from BillD & Mike Byers!!
From: Bill D
Date: 27 May 01 - 05:51 PM

...with practice, that weighted noter can be used to throw at cats trying to steal food from the table.....*wink*

Subject: RE: Noters of Note from BillD & Mike Byers!!
From: Noreen
Date: 27 May 01 - 06:39 PM

Thanks for telling us, kat- lovely!

Lignum vitae is also used to make the 'nut' at the scroll end of a violin neck, due to its hardness.

Noreen

Subject: RE: Noters of Note from BillD & Mike Byers!!
From: katlaughing
Date: 27 May 01 - 06:59 PM

Oh, Bill! Ya think? Was that a wink of experience? Haha!Thanks everyone!