Forum Activity for @susie

Thanks Ken! It does sound really nice. BTW, it's only #7, I surely don't expect a #8.

Wow, that's neat to hear. I saw the pictures of your visit to Folkcraft. It's cool you saw it. Richard and crew picked out a fabulous set of Hickory for it. I've been playing it today. It has such a pretty voice and the sustain is remarkable.  Of course, the workmanship is fabulous. But one correction, they are dog paws, haha. I do think he has cat soundholes too. Since I've had 7 family dogs in my life so far (#8 is on the way), you can officially call me a dog person.

Thank so much, Dusty!

Update, I just added dulcimer #7. My last.

I've wanted a Hickory dulcimer for awhile now. This is it. A Folkcraft FSH. I also had Richard engrave a maple leaf at the 5th fret, since my husband and I have been producers of Michigan Pure Maple Syrup since 2008. I'm really happy with this dulcimer....it sounds great and plays perfectly.

Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI was the first to start carrying them (when I got mine....I have two). They are made in Chelsea, MI, just south of me. Elderly has been my go-to store since 1974. They are very helpful. I would give Elderly a call and see if they can resolve this for you, by either getting you the dense rubber pieces you need, or getting you the contact information for the company. 

https://www.elderly.com/pages/contactus

Getting the younger generation excited about music is awesome, Erin. I started into music when I was 9 and have made it a life-long passion.

Your new dulcimer is beautiful! Keep us posted after you get it set up and are able to play. I bet it's got a nice voice too.

There's a group of us here with interest in Native American Flutes. You fit right in with your growing collection of them, along with your growing collection of dulcimers.

Wow Kendra, thank you for sharing. Impressive, to have have so many heirloom instruments. I have one.....my grandpa's fiddle, that he got when he was 16 (1914). I also wondered about Bob's guitar stable. I was up to 7 at one point, but have thinned the herd to 4. Bob needs to catch up to your collection, haha.

Nothing wrong with that....it's all about having fun and making it your own. You may even start a trend in the dulcimer community.

Cute idea. I cut my string ends to about 1/8-1/4" which keeps them out of harms way. But, with  (currently) 4 guitars, 7 dulcimers, and 3 other stringed instruments, I have had my share of string pokes while changing strings (since I started playing 49 years ago). 

I will second this, and will add that their varying sizes come in handy for different applications....playing at home, taking to a festival, going in an RV, etc. Depending on where I'm playing and if I will be playing with others, I decide which one to grab. Also, you can have them tuned differently.  Not to mention the beauty of dulcimers.....different woods and appointments.  So, as you can see, we NEED many dulcimers.

I have one of these too, that is part of my travel kit, in case I break a string and need to do a quick change while on the road. My normal cutters and battery string winder stay at home for all my scheduled string changes on all my instruments.  Yes Dusty, these do work good.

I went to my local hardware store and looked at all the choices. I bought the size I wanted and the pair that felt best in my hands and were a quality brand. I change lots of strings on my dulcimers, guitars, etc., etc., etc. and they are still working great. Again, I'd stress a quality brand, RATHER THAN the cheapest set you can find on Amazon. Like they say, you get what you pay for. 

Sounds like your family is growing.

The 6+ fret is quite useful. 

Exciting. I've heard wonderful things about Dan's dulcimers. Maybe you could show it to us after you get it. 

That's a real beauty!  A deal too good to pass up. Enjoy!

I agree. An adjustable strap is pretty easy to get used to. I've even found as I have progressed, I've changed the positioning of the dulcimer by adjusting the strap (and my legs). So, the flexibility is an advantage. Experimenting with a strap is a cheap investment and might be a pleasant surprise for her.

Congratulations, very nice looking dulcimer. Hope it brings you years of music joy!

Thank you Richard.

Nice to see I'm not the only one adding to their collection. Thanks for sharing.

Dulcimer Acquisition Disease.

I ordered #7 today. I've been contemplating this one for quite a while. My husband said "life can through you a curve ball at any time....just do it". So I got my order in. A 4 month wait begins.

(Hickory sweetness, with some secial features.)

Ken, great job! I bet she's tickled. 

Awesome, be sure to post pics when it's done. You deserve it!

So happy you had a great experience  and it turned out beautiful  for you. I had one of his years ago, a Birdseye Maple. It was very pretty, but the intonation  was off up the fretboard. My Luther did his best to correct it, but it still wasn't right. I parted ways with it. I probably just got a bad one, because so many people are happy with Ron's dulcimers.  I have another builder lined up, but thanks.

Enjoy your gem!

Beautiful  and a great honor to your mom. Priceless!

I'm thinking about doing something special with another builder, to honor my dad and the farm property where we live and produce Maple Syrup, which was settled in 1889 (I'm 4th generation  and only descendent  living here). My dad died last year at 86 too. 

Yes, that was a really nice article.

Love my McSpaddens!

The VSL on a Black Mountain is a little longer than you stated, but they cost less than the Gingers. They are pretty decent dulcimers. Just trying to give you ideas.

https://blackmtninstruments.com/buy-dulcimers/

The Ginger DOES come with a real nice soft case.

That's why I asked Wally what tuning his friend wanted. I agree, your baritone dulcimette is gorgeous and has a great voice.  It sounds like she's just starting out, so my guess is she'd want a dulcimer in D tuning, to learn and play with groups. Many of these little dulcimers are for those of us who already have standard dulcimers and are looking for alternate tunings and fun little dulcimers to complement what we already have. Maybe Wally will get back with us and let us know. Hey, even I am still toying with the idea of a Ewing baritone ducimettte.

Does your friend want standard D tuning? 

Many of the little dulcimers are set up for alternate tunings (usually G or A). So that's something to keep in mind. 

I have two McSpadden Gingers, which I love. You can have them set up for standard D tuning. They check most of the boxes you have listed. They are quality made, sound great, and are a joy to play. 

Also, in the groups, check out the "Little Dulcimers" group, where you'll see a "Little Dulcimers Little List". Very helpful when looking for a smaller dulcimer.

That's great to hear. You will not be disappointed.  Those with the tuner look like a great idea (I got mine before he came out with those). Glad we could be of some help to you. 

Terry McCafferty makes some really nice capos for a little more money than the economical Ewing capos (which are generally a good value). I have purchased 4 of Terry's capos. Nice mechanism, consistent pressure across the strings.....my favorite dulcimer capo. 

https://www.mccaffertydulcimers.com/capos

That is beautiful. Bocote always seems to have an eerie look to it.

I really enjoyed that, thanks so much for sharing. I had one of Mike's Tennessee  Sweeties a while back. He's so talented and has quite a history in the dulcimer community. 

We met Sam at a dulcimer festival. A real nice guy for sure. Sad news.

Wow, that is really cool. Thanks for sharing....have fun!

Sad news. Taken too soon. I hope his family can find some peace in his passing.

At least they had an appropriate (musician) sense of humor. (Although,  a drummer may disagree.)