Forum Activity for @sunvalleylaw

I ordered myself a fancy new Mountain Dulcimer! (Blue Lion).

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I have a couple pretty nice, mid but not completely top-shelf acoustic martin guitars, and love those.  This instrument will cost more than those each did by a few to several hundred, and it sort of surprises me I chose to spend more on this instrument rather than a guitar, my primary stringed instrument.  But, thinking there the production level of a large company like Martin makes good instruments available at the mid price point, even more so than I would expect the lower volume dulcimer makers.  So thinking it will be worth it.  My current dulcimer, pictured, is a nice little dulcimer, and will either be passed to someone else, or I will keep it as an alternate dulcimer travel where I am concerned about conditions or theft, or whatever, and it does not have the extra frets to make it chromatic, so might be interesting to play with it in a more traditional (not completely, as it has a couple of the “extras”) way. 

virtual fest from Hindman KY

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Ok, I registered!  Thanks for pointing it out.  Interested in Joellen’s stuff on strumming and alternate tunings, and saw something on fiddle tunes that looks interesting as I know how to play a little beginner flat picking fiddle tune stuff on guitar.  Cool!

I ordered myself a fancy new Mountain Dulcimer! (Blue Lion).

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Thank you!  And will do!  I have no stock picks to show, as it will be its own thing, but was going for this sort of vibe, but as an AJ, will be just slightly larger.  

I ordered myself a fancy new Mountain Dulcimer! (Blue Lion).

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Wow, cool!  Thanks for that!  In the limited learning regarding technique I have done so far, it has been sort of in a Joni style, using a guitar pick, and a percussive type of stroke.  Kinda guitar oriented in the mechanics, but on a different plane than an guitar with the strings oriented away from the body.  I am a long time guitar hack so that feels natural for me. @robin-thompson Hard to describe other than that for me.  Tim Hanseroth has a little video of him woodshedding his part on All I Want on Instagram, but I cannot figure out a way to share it here.  His nice, compact wrist action, without too much elbow, keeping it in time back and forth across the fretboard is what I am shooting for.  Not that I have that down in any way.  ;)

Will be interested in that lesson if the timing works out!  I have Joellen’s book too!

updated by @sunvalleylaw: 03/28/22 04:59:34PM

I ordered myself a fancy new Mountain Dulcimer! (Blue Lion).

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I probably am not good enough to have done so, but ordered a nice one.  Blue Lion, AJ (Acoustic Jam) size, Redwood back and sides, spruce top, redwood fingerboard, Scroll head, strung with 4 strings in 3 positions, but with nuts cut to go equidistant if I ever wanted to, Strings attach with acoustic guitar style pegs and holes in the bridge, rather than on metal pegs on the end, fretboard will be Chromatic, LR Baggs pick up, Heart/F style sound holes, gloss finish. Janita has been amazing throughout the shopping and ordering process.  

Will be used in folk/folk rock music played in a somewhat percussive way, Ala Joni, I having been originally inspired by Tim Hanseroth of Brandi Carlile Band covering Joni’s “All I Want.”  

Again, probably too expensive given my skill set, but receiving a little inheritance allowed me to spend on something nice for my arty side. And I may consolidate some other gear/sell some stuff I am not using, also.   And I think my Mom (and Dad, having been gone nearly 11 years now) would be fine with that.  

Should be ready in about 4 or 4 and a half months.  

updated by @sunvalleylaw: 02/15/23 07:48:45AM

Removable Magnetic Pickup for Dulcimers

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I would be interested in something like that. I have used the Seymour Duncan kind with my acoustic guitar before. Would be fine n with dulcimer too. 

Choosing Your String Gauge

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

@dusty-turtle interesting!  I ordered a basic FolrkLife set with 11s for my melody strings and not being used to tuning a dulcimer, broke them. So now I have GHS Boomer electric guitar strings in 13 (I think B string on guitar in that set) on the melody strings as I had a bunch of sets laying around I bought in a blowout sale once. 

decided I liked that better anyway, especially trying to tune for Joni’s All I Want. Will look at the middle and bass strings too and see if I want to up the gauge.

updated by @sunvalleylaw: 08/04/21 12:11:03PM

Got myself a book to start out with

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

@dusty-turtle Starting to make a little headway on the song. Bit by bit.  Along the way, loosened the strings and worked the saddle out, took down the action just a bit.  Still seems high as compared to what I am used to.  But will take my time in working it down.  The tuning for this song makes the strings feel pretty slack as compared to what I am used to feeling, so I am getting used to fretting and pick action as well.  My normal pick holding style is very guitar oriented, so am learning how I want to adapt that.  I am finding for now that my .88 Dunlop Tortex feels best.  I just cannot get comfortable and happy with floppy picks, and the sharp pointed triangle ones seem too sharp for my tastes.  But this will continue to evolve.  Tried to rip the edge of my fingernail on my index finger off a time or tow playing with this.  A symptom of my sometimes sloppiness in pick holding. 

Bottom line, learning this and learning to make the sounds I want with clean tones and effect is good for me, . . . And fun!

updated by @sunvalleylaw: 07/30/21 12:34:31PM

Got myself a book to start out with

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

i’ve been reading a little bit and also watching a little bit and now have my dulcimer tuned to this tuning and I am working on this piece as a starting point to start learning my way around. Fun!

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

@dusty-turtle, sorry to be dense, but navigation here is a little different from some other forums I am used to.  Which very first post?  In this thread? Sorry, still missing it.  :(

EDIT:  I followed the link, and I there is a post by @strumelia introducing the article, but that is all that is there.  Nothing to scroll down to and no other active link that shows up for me.  

EDIT to my EDIT:  Never mind.  I figured it out.  I had to join the “Beginners” group before the content showed up.  I am starting to figure out how to get around here.  I also joined a couple other groups, such as the modern/chording one, in which I have interest.  Cool place!

updated by @sunvalleylaw: 07/24/21 12:43:28PM

Got myself a book to start out with

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks folks!  Will check out Berman’s work too.  As I do want to I learn a little bit about more traditional playing. But after paging through last night, am really excited for Joellen’s too.  And it appears that she signed it, and sent a nice little email when she shipped my order.  Very nice!

I want to learn some traditional, for the learning of it, but in no way want to stop at that and plan to be percussive and experimental, and even add jazz tones and notes in if I can find them.  And I like mixing in foundational “beginner” concepts that can always be reaffirmed, with more advanced concepts, and I know a lot of theory and the guitar fretboard and piano keyboard already, so would not want a beginners only book.  I would get bored with that.  BUT, it is important to consider ergonomic body and hand mechanics, fretting and strumming techniques, staying in time, etc. and expand as I go and become familiar.  

Thanks for the input!

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thank you, @ken-hulme.  Would love to read it. However, they link seems to take me to a place mentioning the article, but not including it.  Do you have a different link, or am I doing something wrong at that link?  Thanks!

Steve

Got myself a book to start out with

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I am interested in modern chord style, rhythmic, percussive style, probably some alternate tunings.  I picked myself up this book.  Is this a good resource?

Any other suggestions?

Thanks!  

Steve. 

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks, Ken, for the suggestion!  I had already checked out what Richard and FolkCraft had put up on YouTube, and put it on the back of the scroll head.  BUT, if I end up wanting to have another option, I could always put another one on the side like you have in the pic.  Taking this on a family trip to Hood Canal, WA and will just mess around with it and get acquainted for a bit.  I am bringing some sand paper and a block of wood to see about the action if I find time.  

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hi folks!  My first name is Steve. Long time guitar player (dad hack, nothing too fancy), mostly rock oriented styles, with jazz influences. Interested in the M. Dulcimer as a rhythm, percussion instrument with melody possibilities and different tones from guitar. Ala Joni Mitchell.  Got turned on to this by watching signer/songwriter Brandi Carlile and her band perform a campfire acoustic version of “All I Want.”  On a super, super hot day in Western Wa a few weeks back.  Her guitarist, Tim Hanseroth, looked like he was having a ton of fun on his mountain dulcimer, and I decided I needed to try it!  

I went and found the 1998 FolkCraft CF-300 you see in my profile pic (not sure why it is sideways sometimes, I keep fixing it).  It had been purchased new and not really ever played, and stuck in a closet or something.  Paduk back and sides, spruce top, maybe wenge fretboard?  Action is too high, particularly toward the bridge, so I need to fix that, and put my strap buttons on, but it sounds and looks really nice otherwise!  

Came here to learn how to care and take care of these things, get ideas on learning to play, and just connect!  

Cheers and happy Friday!