Forum Activity for @marg

Yes, many of us knew of Gary's health issues but you wouldn't know speaking with him.

  I was able to get one of his deep body dulcimers not long ago, it is so easy to fret and has such a great overall tone. It is a treasure and more so now. When I did speak with Gary, after getting his dulcimer, he was so pleasant talking about his dulcimers and shop. He will be missed not only by his family and friends but all of the dulcimer community. 

Keeping him and his love ones in my heart

Thanks Ken but the little dots are in the Ebony fret board, they are not the pearl place markers. I will look into the fret board conditioners, that would be good to have on hand. 

I have cleaned the dulcimer and it now looks like new. You can see the difference between grimy strum hollow before & updated photo attached. 

I lower the action, just a hair to make it easier to play and sing as I slide up the fret board. It is a Prussia Valley Butternut & Walnut 3" deep dulcimer, I knew under the grim it would be beautiful with a full tone - and it is.

Thanks for all your help

Oh, I blacken the 1.5 until I get use to it - it will wear off in no time.

 Gary Sager.jpg - 58KB

Ok, I got rid of the grime - thanks, that's all it was in the strum hollow -

The ebony fretboard still has the little dots (not as much but still there) and looking like it's needs oil or something to bring it back & protect it.

Need to clean an older dulcimer, I just got and I'm not sure how it was protected in the past - 

What would be the best to use:

Murphy oil soap, or lemon oil, or Howard's wood feed, or an instrument cleaner and what type. Mostly in just this spot of the strum hollow but a few little dots on the ebony fretboard.

Can it be cleaned or is it in the wood?

see attached photo

thanks,

m.

 strum hollow.jpg - 115KB

Special members greeting new members -

thanks 

(tuning is 1s and 5s)

sorry but what is that - could you say like Gg's or Aa's or Dd's

I checked your FB - what size strings do you have on it & what is it tuned to? Sounds lovely

What a good idea

Or when was Lori with the Dulcimer shop

 Screen Shot 2022-08-13 at 6.31.37 PM.png - 362KB

Is this a Cripple Creek Dulcimer from about 20 years ago? Did they have a style like this with the pointed head?

Or was it by someone else but sold at Cripple Creek?

 Cripple Creek front.png - 209KB

Beautiful

Ron

I have a Boss GT-1 Guitar effects processor I make my own sounds with, I am not sure what or how many effects went into the humming tone of the lullaby. I try and create the sound that would go with the music & tone I am after, for the lullaby I was after something that sounded like rocking the baby at 3:00 in the morning

CajunJam

If the other's amp has more then one connection you could, maybe but what ever setting they have it set to, would also be the setting you would be using.

I didn't buy a floating pickup, I made it myself. If you notice the photos of the 2 dulcimers with the pickups you can better see what I am describing. Also, notice in the lullaby iI am playing a different dulcimer, that's because you can make the floating pickup to go on top of several of your dulcimers.

Yes, a humbucking (a little taller) or Seymour Duncan (a little thinner) would work, you just need to place either pickup on 2 little post that fits on the sides of your fretboard and tall enough the strings are not bothered. I am using 2 small wooden screw blocks from the kids wooden construction set & just some mounting putty to hold it all together for my floating pickup.

I do have a dulcimer that has a flat strum hollow and the Seymour Duncan just slides under the strings - but most dulcimers don't have a flat area. That's when I came up with the idea of above the strings. these pickups are great, they read the strings not the vibration of the sound board, so you get a better tone & more responsive. 

I hope this helps

m.

This is the first time I have seen the different tunings make some sense 

thanks

I do like my tab (still not posted) but after many tries & not liking any of the dulcimers sounds, or picks, or tones, I created - stopping for today - but this is what I have. Trying maybe to put too much in (explosions, marching, crying, hope) and it just sounds the same. Oh well

What if we have a challenge to play - any instrument (music & chords included with tabs) - 'Peace in the Family' - Ukrainian Folk Song?

How many peaceful music hugs can we share to our groups & friends and ones in need - world wide?

What can we do as musicians? Any ideas?

By the By - both of the dulcimer tabs of "Peace in the Family"

by Peggy Carter & Laurie Alsobrook can be shared.

So, share with your group - Pass on this Hug.

I saw this, posted by Dulcimer Society of Dayton  on FB, this morning. Word is getting out.

 dulcimer day.png - 1.3MB

That's fine, just checking if that date was good  Internationally.

(International - last Saturday in March) 

Did anyone check if this date is ok for different countries - That their country doesn't have that as a special date? Did anyone discuss just (Appalachian Dulcimer Day)

WOW, I'm impressed with all the responses. Good luck with the end result. 

(Dale had a shop in Pigeon Forge in the 1990s )

Thanks for the information - could it be Dale didn't make/sell many dulcimers, that it's hard to find out  information? Or, maybe because he made them before we could google or post about the dulcimers from Pigeon Forge.

Does this 6 string look like a Rippled Sycamore & what type of tone wood would that make

 between mahogany maples.jpg - 146KB

Does anyone own or know anything about Dale Ward's, dulcimers?  It's a  6 string Pigeon River String Instrument, handcrafted by Dale Ward 9/24/97

 0.jpg - 91KB

Electric tape is smooth and you can wrap a little around your thumb, slides easy & protects your thumb

So sad, So young & So much more to give. I love the dogwood sound holes on his dulcimers & I bet many members have one of Bill Taylor's dulcimer. Now a piece of history and a piece of his love to go on. 

Thoughts & prayers

Someone posted in Everything Dulcimer they were selling a dulcimer for a friend - Walnut Valley Dulcimer.

   Turns out thats just the info. I have been needing to know where this dulcimer (that a someone's grandfather had) came from - kit or not. The  arched fingerboard,  the inset maple ball and the chamfered strum hollow. 

 The dulcimer is a great adventure.  Always with a bit of patience we find out more about what it is we are wanting to know.

m.

.

Great info. interesting story of how the name came about

I have tried out my floating removable Humbucking pickup on 4 different dulcimers so far and it works great, fitting each dulcimer.

With this video, I have moved the pickup up some and I am strumming behind it. 

I set a Seymour Duncan up years ago under the strings in a flat space at strum hollow, so I could learn & use the Boss GT-1 during Harvey, the TX  Hurricane.  It is the only dulcimer I had with a flat space, all others had the strum hollow. 

 229938442_4188293084580015_7402355955313553331_n.jpg - 10KB

As it's set now, I am more concerned on having clear notes as I fret - it is not so high to be uncomfortable. I may sand it a bit more, I was just giving myself time to decide. Also in changing the strings I put on heavier ones (& a different brand) deciding now if I wanted to go a bit lighter on the melody. 

Thanks for all your help,  the Intonation  was the concern at first but it is right on now. 

(Now that you have conquered set-up, the next thing is you will start building dulcimers.)

  I feel good about learning to care for a dulcimer but - not there yet on building. Would love to watch someone from start to finish but I'm better at drawing one then building one.

Morning

OK, careful, careful.

Sanded down - still space between nickel & string but much easier to fret, so will leave it here for now.

What would have taken someone maybe an hour or two to set up, has taken me 3 days but I learned a lot and took my time - checking with you guys as I went.

Team effort - Thanks again

Thanks Dusty, I was so busy working up at the nut - just wanted to make sure I could still sand the bridge.

Sorry, nut is sanded down, strings are on the 0 fret, it's the bridge (bottom end) I'm considering sanding.

So, I can sand the bridge to help  the action. I really think the dulcimer was set up for a noter

One last question, I hope:

Nut sanded, new strings & tone is good  off the 0 fret -

But the action is still a bit too high - can I sand the bridge down just a bit?

Thanks Nate, I have it sanded way down and tiny slits cut in the wooden nut for the middle string  & using the nails for the melody & the bass.

All Good, thanks so much everyone

m.

( feel comfortable sanding the nut way down)

  There was another nut in the case, no slits. I sanded that one down, saving the wooden one till I would see if I could get it to work. Hey, Hey - right on from open string to the 7th YEA!!!! Off some up pass 14 but I don't go that hi & if I would - think I would just use a different dulcimer. I even sanded the top more rounded like Nate said, for better pressure on the string.

  I like the wood better, since I don't have anything else white but good for now. I will need to replace the strings, they got a work out today. I'm leaving the nails in since I would have small holes to fill and I don't want to change what the builder did too much. 

Thanks for all the help, I'm slow but learning much from y'all

m.

( the intonation is correct at the nut or at the zero fret)

Intonation is correct at the zero fret, not at the nut