Alex Didg Signature Othello Ravez
In short: A Silver-class Alex Didgeridoo, in D, designed with the artist Othello Ravez: an open bore, a warm, present sound, ideal for cheek/diaphragm playing.
This didgeridoo: Alex Didgeridoo made this instrument together with Othello Ravez, to showcase the partnership between an artist and a maker around one specific instrument. Through traditional learning and contemporary exploration of the instrument, Othello creates a unique, spellbinding musical world.
The air column is relatively open: the didgeridoo takes a lot of air, but it remains very comfortable to play and is ideal for cheek/diaphragm playing. The diaphragm bounces smoothly and the cheeks empty with ease.
As for the overblows, they are simply magnificent and well spaced! Alex has found a balance that gives superb warmth and presence of sound.
Othello talks about his didgeridoo: "This didgeridoo means a lot to me. It is the first of the didgeridoos Alex and I discussed together to arrive at an instrument that suits me as fully as possible. This D is an open didgeridoo, with a bass that is very present, clear, warm and well balanced.
It leaves room for the harmonics, which stand out with ease, clarity and softness. The sound that emerges has a warm, clear timbre. Power in its roundness, a perfect balance, from the voice to the depth of the attacks, through to percussion playing on the outside of the didgeridoo: udu style.
The sound of this didgeridoo has always been noticed and appreciated, by orchestral musicians and jazz players as well as by many didgeridoo players of every style. Even before it was made, with Alex and also with Gauthier, we discussed at length and in detail the possibilities this future didgeridoo could offer.
After talking about it so much, it appeared to me in my dreams. When I held it for the first time, it was just as in my dreams, just as I had hoped. It is certainly one of Alex's finest creations."
- Silver class: superior instruments
- Instrument guaranteed for 3 years by Alex
- Shipping is free! (France only)
- Carry bag free!
The Silver class: In this class, sandwich-built instruments generally have a complex inner shape and are made from a hard, attractive wood. They have excellent playability and are free of defects.
Classification
This scale is the result of an air column/bell start ratio If we divide the diameter of the bell with that of the beginning of the air column we get a number between 1.5 and 3.5. We can classify all the didgeridoos in 4 large families. Each family groups the instruments with a similar character, simply based on the overall shape of the air column (conical/cylindrical) and on the diameter of the column (wide/narrow). The result is a simple and very reliable reading grid, making it easier to search and purchase on line.
The diameters are measured with a caliper, start of the air column after the mouthpîece. This ratio is very reliable for a didg having a air column with a 'smooth' internal work, in the case of a hollowed eucalyptus instrument it give an approach of the instrumental character.
Alex Didgeridoo
French didgeridoo maker using the "sandidg" method
Who is Alex?
"My passion for making didgeridoos came very naturally in 1994, when I discovered the instrument. I then made maple didgeridoos in the family woodworking workshop. But it was only many years later, on my first trip to Australia, that I became interested in Australian eucalyptus didgeridoos hollowed out by termites. Since then I have worked with many woods and developed different making techniques. Always curious about new woods, new finishes and new instruments, I keep enriching my skills and my range."
How does Alex make his didgeridoos?
"My technique consists of making the instrument in two parts, then gluing them together. The main feature of my 'sandwich' didgeridoos lies in the choice of wood: I don't start from a branch, as many do, but buy squared timber or boards, perfectly dry and carefully selected from high-quality woods. I carve both the inside and the outside entirely. This way of working lets me create any shape: my only limit is the size of the original piece of wood." Alex