# Music by Genre > Celtic, U.K., Nordic, Quebecois, European Folk >  planxtys The Blacksmith

## garryireland

hi has anybody got a full tab for the blacksmith by planxty. im really sruggling with this one. thanks!!!

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## Eddie Sheehy

Check out this link to the SAW group...

http://www.mandolincafe.com/forum/gr...cussionid=1339

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garryireland

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## garryireland

thanks eddie, the abc thing confuses the hell outta me, but the tab is workable. thank you!

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## Mike Anderson

By sheer coincidence, I found this video yesterday. No idea why the title says "As I Roved Out"!

Fascinated by Andy's use of the Portuguese guitarra, would be interested to know what (if any) songs he might have used it on in the albums if anyone knows.

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## kmmando

I think that mandolinist extraordinaire Luke Plumb may have transcribed the whole first Planxty album at some time in the past - you can try him - he's on facebook.

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garryireland

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## Martin Jonas

If you can lay your hand on the DVD of the 2004 Planxty reunion, one of the bonus features is Andy demonstrating the Blacksmith riff.  Of course, it's hardly intended as a proper instructional video but you can make out what's going on better than in concert footage or the studio recording.

Doesn't seem to be on Youtube though -- rare, these days.

Martin

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## Eddie Sheehy

I think it's a Waldzither in fifths tuning not a guitarra...

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## Mike Anderson

> I think it's a Waldzither in fifths tuning not a guitarra...


Well I'll be darned...I know nothing about the waldzither, but checked some pictures online and it sure looks like it! Thanks Eddie!

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## Eddie Sheehy

I have one.  I keep it in Ireland so I have something to play when I visit.  It was restored and modiified to a mandola by Dave Hynds:

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## Mike Anderson

> I have one.  I keep it in Ireland so I have something to play when I visit.  It was restored and modiified to a mandola by Dave Hynds:


What a fine-looking instrument! Now I want to learn more about then too.

happy Friday,
Mike.

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## Bertram Henze

The waldzither originally has a 9th single string on the bass side, which Andy omitted, obviously. It was a popular OM surrogate of the 70s in Europe, when OMs were rare and expensive. I have seen it often in sessions, the last one not more than a year ago. The steampunk tuner machines make it a conversation piece, but there are also waldzithers with a normal slotted head.

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## chuck3

> The waldzither originally has a 9th single string on the bass side, which Andy omitted, obviously. It was a popular OM surrogate of the 70s in Europe, when OMs were rare and expensive. I have seen it often in sessions, the last one not more than a year ago. The steampunk tuner machines make it a conversation piece, but there are also waldzithers with a normal slotted head.


good band name - the waldzither steampunk tuner machines ...

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## Eddie Sheehy

I use a clock key for a tuner...

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## Mike Anderson

I've seen pics of the ones with slotted heads too Bertram. I have to say I prefer the steampunk tuners - undoubtedly because of Irvine worship.  :Smile:

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## garryireland

must get my hands on one of those!! I have the 2004 dvd so must check the bonus detail, thanks guys. btw, can anybody have a look at the APC website and check out the 851 model bouzouki and let me know your opinions? much appreciated

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## Mike Anderson

> must get my hands on one of those!! I have the 2004 dvd so must check the bonus detail, thanks guys. btw, can anybody have a look at the APC website and check out the 851 model bouzouki and let me know your opinions? much appreciated


That's a lovely looking thing. Saw the "Portuguese" version at a German site jut a few minutes ago, and interestingly has the lowest course in octaves, the rest unison.

Just wish the quality of the photos was up to most of the ones at his site...

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## Martin Jonas

Waldzithers are great!  I have two of them, a 9-string and a 10-string.  I keep them tuned GDAEB and CGDAE, respectively and they are wonderful for playing in the mandola range -- loud, clear, lots of sustain, lots of character.  You can usually get reasonably playable ones from about 100 Euro on Ebay Germany, where these surface very frequently, although as always with vintage instruments there is a lot of pot luck involved.  Hundreds of thousands were made between about 1890 and 1940, and as few of them are being played now there is an almost inexhaustible supply.

As a example, here is a waldzither duet I've recorded:



Martin

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## Mike Anderson

Easily found two on eBay.com for what looks to be decent money. Both have pretty deeply arched backs, which I didn't know about and quite like!

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## Jim McCullough

Martin, could you tell me what gauges you use for tuning GDAEB, please?

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## Martin Jonas

> Martin, could you tell me what gauges you use for tuning GDAEB, please?


Normal mandolin strings for the top four courses (can't remember what gauges, J74 I think) and a single thick 0.070" guitar string for the low G.  At that scale length, the G is pretty weak.  Useful to have to fill out chords and for the odd note that drops below D (most fiddle tunes don't).  If the tune has a lot of notes on the G string, I would rather switch to a longer-scale instrument, e.g. my Mid-Mo octave.

Martin

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Jim McCullough

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## garryireland

so mike do you think the apc is worth a shot? while I was on there I found a guitarra, as we were discussing waldzithers. might be interesting for messing about with, its 12 strings right? how is tuned?

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## Mike Anderson

> so mike do you think the apc is worth a shot? while I was on there I found a guitarra, as we were discussing waldzithers. might be interesting for messing about with, its 12 strings right? how is tuned?


It would be nice to hear some sound clips and see better pictures, and have more details on construction. Don't know the maker's reputation either, I just like the look of it.  :Smile:  So I wouldn't tell you to spend $1000+ based on my esthetic tastes! Found one video, bizarrely telling us it's an acoustic guitar being played. Phil Hardy is a highly renowned maker of whistles, but maybe you knew that. Hardly the kind of playing that would help me make up my mind unfortunately. Tough call, sorry I can't really help...

Here's a great thread on guitarra tuning.

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## Kyle Baker

I wrote out that tab for the blacksmith a while back. Sorry if it's a bit sketchy, I wrote it as I play it on the GDAD bouzouki. With a tune like that, it's almost impossible to tab it right with timing like Andy Irvine plays in.
Apparently my old video isn't on youtube anymore...
Here are a couple fresh recordings of the intro. Once fast, and once slowed down.

I tried to make it so you can see my left hand a bit for the slow mow vid  :Wink: 


Cheers!

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Eddie Sheehy, 

Jim Baker, 

Rob Zamites

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## garryireland

thanks kyle, would you have a tab for the whole song??

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## garryireland

any ideas on this? seems very basic
http://www.mandolintab.net/tabs.php?...smith&id=01746

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## Kyle Baker

Garry, I'm not too good at making tabs but just learn stuff by ear a lot and whatnot. My dad on here Jim Baker might be able to tab it out from me sitting down and playing it for him, but I could just try to just tab the basics. The tune doesn't have too many different parts to it.

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## garryireland

anybody give a stab at tabbing it??

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## garryireland

> I have one.  I keep it in Ireland so I have something to play when I visit.  It was restored and modiified to a mandola by Dave Hynds:


Hopefully getting a Waldzither off Dave in a couple weeks. He is a gent and know his stuff, id recommend anybody to have a look at his page mandolinluthier.com

ill post a vid of it asap alonng with the Buchanan zouk!

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## garryireland

> I've seen pics of the ones with slotted heads too Bertram. I have to say I prefer the steampunk tuners - undoubtedly because of Irvine worship.


just bought myself one Mike!! double jealous now!!!!

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## Mike Anderson

Okay, you got me mate. Well done!  :Smile:

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## ollaimh

andy Irvine also played a Portuguese guitar on occasion, like with the waldzither he played he only strung the top four courses. he had a really nice antuqie lisboa instrument,  can't remember the makers name--if I ever read it.  there are pictures of him playing it but I don't know if there are any you tubes videos of this.  I think it would be on an early album.

I have both waldzithers and Portuguese guitars.   both are great instruments with great musical traditions which can easily transferred to the celtic world.   or any other music world.

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## Steve Baker

Try this: 

http://www.mandolintab.net/tabs.php?...smith&id=01746

I haven't trid this yet myself. Hope it helps.

Steve

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## LongBlackVeil

> thanks eddie, the abc thing confuses the hell outta me, but the tab is workable. thank you!


You can convert abc to tab using the tabledit program

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