Wing-shaped gusli [gusli with a wing element] is one of the most common types of traditional gusli in Latvia and Russia, can be found in Estonia,
and it is also the only traditional type of gusli in Belarus. Although the tradition of playing the gusli in Belarus was interrupted,
the instruments played by Belarusians can be found in museums and essays by ethnographers from early 20th century.
Body: maple. Maple is a legendary material for gusli bodies. An old epithet "yarovchaty", "yavorchaty" it is about maple guslies.
Maple gusli has a deep sound with rich colors and tone.
These instruments are heavy, with beautiful wooden structure, regular for the maple only.
Maple is an ideal material for metal pins (wirbels) serve long.
Coating: wood stain and waxing.
There is no carving on the wing. Nature did the best composing the pattern itself. The wood grain is highly accentuated.
Soundboard: spruce. Spruce is the most tratidion wood for soundboards.
The correct selection of musical qualities of a specific soundboard made from spruce
and adherence to technology when glued — allows the instrument to expand timbre,
adds warmth to the sound. And also the loudness of the instrument directly depends on a good soundboard.
Pegs: metal pins (wirbels). For the bodies from a strong hard wood (maple, for example) it is an interesting variant to try wirbels, tuning pins for piano.
This modernization gives a different sound of instrument, less wooden warmness in sound, more hard and detailed sound. The special tuning wrench needed (it is in the set).
Strings: plain steel strings, light tension. Metal strings could have been already installed on the gusli of the 11th century,
and are most satisfying for a modern musician.
The range of ticknesses of the strings is between 0.022" and 0.010". The higher the tension of the strings, the louder the instrument.
The weaker the tension, the more overtones in the sound of each string, the richer the sounds of the gusli. Of course, everything
has its reasonable limit: too much tensed strings are often break (or deform the instrument), and too slightly tensed are not
perfectly in tune. The proposed option is optimal for this gusli type.
Softcase:
There is the framed bag case in the set. Outer layer is from the waterproof bag fabric.
All the sides are laid with two layers of foam and a layer of hard plastic.
It is the best comprehensive protection for the instrument from water, drops and shocks.
There are comfortable shoulder straps for carrying, soft carry handles for horizontal and vertival carrying.
Two outside A4 pockets, one inside pocket for small items.
A woven strap for playing in a standing position:
A traditional kind of a handmade woven belt.
