Geoff Black

Location:

Location: Ross-on-Wye
Country: GB

My Latest Followers:

RobMachin Beth T Homer Ross ocean-daughter Exukaden chris hornby DianeL Redmando Jane Syers Monica Lexie R Oakley Pete Answer Lynn austin Jerry Posner Amanda Boyd Wayne Jiang Patricia Delich John Rawlinson David E.Hall John Turner john p Tom McDonald Martha E folkfan Ken Longfield Peter Corser John Henry John Shaw Ken Hulme Strumelia

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youtube videos: 5
images: 38
videos: 2
audio tracks: 1

Latest Activity

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Latest Group Discussions

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Geoff Black

UK Tour by Stephen Seifert and Dan Landrum


Most of you will already know that Stephen and Dan are over in the UK...
@Geoff Black 8 years ago - Comments: 1
Geoff Black

Dulcimers Take Over Halsway Manor, May 2016


Dulcimer Week At Halsway Manor -(UK) Monday May 16 2016,...
@Geoff Black 8 years ago - Comments: 0
Geoff Black

Summer Festivals...starting this weekend!


2015 Festivals: Dulcimer Workshops Dulcimers will be to the...
@Geoff Black 9 years ago - Comments: 3
Geoff Black

Dulcimer Day at the American Museum, Claverton, Bath


A last call for all of you within striking distance of Bath. On...
@Geoff Black 10 years ago - Comments: 9
Geoff Black

Nonsuch Annual Dulcimer Weekend, Launde Abbey


Just a reminder to our UK and European MD players that early booking...
@Geoff Black 10 years ago - Comments: 1
Geoff Black

Old-Style "Picks" for Noter Playing


The attached "picks" came with a pair of Amburgey dulcimers from the...
@Geoff Black 10 years ago - Comments: 6
Geoff Black

Chestnut as Tonewood: Can you only tell by the holes?!


What is this 1981 Leonard Glenn top and back made from, all you...
@Geoff Black 10 years ago - Comments: 24
Geoff Black

"New" Epinette des Vosges


Some years ago I bought a rather sad epinette over the internet from...
@Geoff Black 12 years ago - Comments: 23
Geoff Black

"English" Folk Songs from the Southern Appalachians


Hi all.Just been reading two books about the song collecting trips of...
@Geoff Black 14 years ago - Comments: 5

Latest Audio

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Almain Arr Roger Nicholson

Almain Arr Roger Nicholson


@Geoff Black
14 years ago - Comments: 0

Latest Videos

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The King of Prussia's March

The King of Prussia's March


@Geoff Black
13 years ago - Comments: 2
Saltarello

Saltarello


@Geoff Black
13 years ago - Comments: 5
Almain

Almain


@Geoff Black
13 years ago - Comments: 3
Argeers

Argeers


@Geoff Black
14 years ago - Comments: 8

Latest Photos

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Latest Forum Discussions

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Wormy Chestnut for dulcimers - Clifford Glenn

Posted: Tuesday April 5 2022, 5:54 PM
By: @Alegre1

Death of John Shaw, UK mountain dulcimer...

Posted: Friday October 1 2021, 8:34 AM
By: @Robin Thompson

Comments

marg
06/28/17 11:59:19AM @marg:

Thanks for writing back, sorry no I do not have the teardrop but the fiddle-side hourglass.

I  would love to read any correspondence concerning Carrell's dulcimers. Do you know when in '84 he sold his business & moved to Fla?

(The weeping heart soundholes I'm pretty sure I've seen on other Carrells. )  I have seen the 'weeping heart' on an old tear drop add on e-bay but mostly I have seen have the 'f-hole' design. Want to take a guess as to why this soundhole design? 

Your info. on the tunings & care for the pegs, I know I will need to go over many times. Thanks for that information, it could be why I am having trouble with the bass peg, if it had more tension place on it from the heavier strings before. 

If I was to tune DAdd, I probably should put different size strings on for dd, I have 12's on now & tuned DAAA, such a wonderful sound. I took it to practice to see if I could just play in DAAA while everyone else was in DAdd. I don't have many tabs for DAA but the few I had like (Amazing Grace) worked well & I even did part of the song on the bass D, so was able to go back & forth between the two - interesting.

Yes; I had the bridge and where the dulcimer didn't look to have any where, the bridge was more like someone couldn't decide where to place the strings - many notches.

( customer's name inside ("Made for....") I had hear this but mine does not have a 'made for'

What about the head, mine is stretched out making the dulcimer even longer - close to 40".

Thank you again for your reply, I feel like I have a treasure with this Carrell dulcimer.

 marg.


marg
06/27/17 02:06:55AM @marg:

 9/16 post to Jennifer (Interested to know which model you have and how you find it.)

I checked inside my Carrell, he list the wood, the date August 1984 & signed it. It is also signed on the back. 

Did he usually give his dulcimers a model #?

Do you know how often he used the 'weeping hearts' design for the bottom soundholes?

 Since you said you had 2  ( I've found my two to have very good intonation,)  could you give me some info on Carrell & his dulcimers? Do you still have yours?

  Mine is very nice, took some cleaning & setting up & getting the bridge back in the right place. All good now except still having trouble with the bass peg not holding. If you are interested, I found mine in a pawn shop.

 


marg
06/22/17 05:46:25PM @marg:

In a post on Sam Carrell (9/13 - . Between 1975 and 1984 he made quite a number of high quality dulcimers,) I just saw last night you were asking Jennifer about her dulcimer. Looking at your photos, looks like you have a 'feddleside' dulcimer. I was able to pick up one of Sam Carrell's later dulcimers, August 1984 at a pawn shop yesterday. I have been learning a lot about him & my dulcimer. 

Anything you can tell me about wooden pegs or how to play equidistant courses with 5 strings. Since I am having trouble with the bass peg, I just have the dulcimer set up with 4 strings DAaa, it has such a wonderful tone.  

 


marg
09/08/16 12:10:37AM @marg:

Looking at the epinette post, you wrote (the melody strings tuned to d are too taut.)

Did you ever come up with a nice tuning? I just picked one up and yes, the d melody is very taut, I usually play DAd - what would be a good tuning for the epinette to sound like it should?

My epinette is 6 strings & 25" VSL


G David Young
06/01/15 11:17:47PM @g-david-young:

Its been awhile since I built a dulcimer with the bitterroot dulcimer label. Ask your question via my email address : dave50kate@gmail.com

send me a picture of it if you can

Reguards,

David


David E.Hall
03/24/15 09:59:50AM @david-ehall:

Hi Geoff, No problems with the van this year ? What a great day the Saturday was at Allendale . I had a great time , I think I learned a lot this time round or it feels like I have . What a find that Sobell was , I don't think Helen knew what she had, until the vultures ( Guilty ) surrounded her. I am glad Mr Coe strung it up, It sounded gorgeous

See you next year perhaps Take Care


Wendy Hawkins
12/01/14 04:12:11PM @wendy-hawkins:

Thank you so much for the music and I have bookmarked your website. Thanks again.


Wendy Hawkins
12/01/14 03:05:44PM @wendy-hawkins:

Hi Geoff, Thanks for the welcome. I have a very basic mountain dulcimer, I only bought it on Friday and it is my first ever musical instrument. I have always painted as a hobby but love the sound of the dulcimer. I went to Eagle Music with my husband (he plays ukulele)and there was a dulcimer just hanging there ... I couldn't resist asking for a try and that was it, I had to have it.

I am interested in the old medieval type of musicand classical, I am trying to learn Greensleeves at the moment but rather than 'finger dancing' I seem to be finger knotting Grin.gif I understand the tab music but do not read music so need to know the tune in order to play.


Pete Answer
07/22/14 04:01:36PM @pete-answer:

Hi Geoff

Thanks for the welcome.

I was fortunate to be in North Wales recently and Robin kindly agreed to meet me and gave some very helpful advice, including putting me onto FOTMD.

Your site is brilliant and you have some fantastic dulcimers. If I hadn't decided to buy a Red Kite Mountain Dulcimer from Robin, you would be getting a call from me now!

I hope to meet you sometime.

Regards

Pete


David E.Hall
03/28/14 05:38:17AM @david-ehall:

Geoff - I know this is Granny & Eggs - but the lightest possible may work on the Gondola - 8's or 9's melody and a wound string a bit less than 23. At one time i used 9's across the whole instrument and I think a 22 as the bass. PS I nicked a couple of the photos from Facebook. Incidently the Bushby has I think 14's melody 16's middle and i think the bass is 26 or something. Lighter strings sounded too sloppy for my taste somehow. Its so lomg since I changed strings on the other Sobell (More than 5 years if memory serves) I dont know what they are. I will have to buy /borrow a micrometer to check sometime. They have stood up to a good hard hammering at least twice a week and at least 5 festival weekends for that time.They may even be Elixir guitar strings with the ball removed .I really cannot remember.


David E.Hall
03/26/14 10:24:36PM @david-ehall:

Yo ! Geoff , Nice photos on Facebook , Pity about that old man holding the Sobell Dulcimer, Nice photo of the Bushby as well(being played by a nice young manGrin.gif ) Its 0130 GMT and have we ( my wife & I) just got back from a sort of practice . This is a wild life we lead these days. The photo of the "Gondola" - Is that the one you aquired from abroad and sorted out?. It looks good. Hope it plays OK.


David E.Hall
03/24/14 07:11:10AM @david-ehall:

Hi Geoff - Hope you got home OK - That was some day on Saturday. My brain is still hurting. It was great meeting all the people who are very slightly demented about the dulcimer (like me) Grin.gif . I also now know I need to practice a lot more than I do , including how to read tab & what number my frets are, something I never considered before. On top of that it was a beautiful Northumberlad day. A good advert for those who had never been to this neck of the country before.Smile.gif

Gaan canny DEH


David E.Hall
03/13/14 01:21:00PM @david-ehall:

Hi Geoff - I think I may make Deneholme . Wangled some time off & the better half ( The Boss ) said if the weather's OK & I am feeling OK Ican have a drive up. If I do I will bring all 4 of my dulcimers ( IncludingThe Heron in its monster box ) . Will you be bringing any bits & bobs ( strings, Plecs etc ) ?. Hope to meet you even if it is just fleetingly & the Rest of the dulcimists of course. . DEH


David E.Hall
03/01/14 07:36:22AM @david-ehall:

Hi Geoff

Just had a quick look at the new web site - Very nice indeed . plenty of reading for night shifts. Keep on keeping on.

On another matter, I hope the floods and windsdidn't cause too much trouble . Newswise, its gone very quiet on that front.

At this moment in time I will not be able to get to the Deneholme gathering ( shifts are wrong ) But the weather seems to be a bit different to last year.

Again congrats on the site - D E H


Will
02/22/14 06:12:25PM @william-sizemore:

Hello Geoff,

What a wonderful collection you have here! The wormy chestnut Clifford Glenn looks amazing. I will have to head over to ED and find your Ledford documents, too. I have a couple of Ledfords but neither of them came with anything. Right now my collection consists of two Amburgeys, two Ledfords, one Warren May, an unidentified North Carolina style dulcimer, an absolutely wonderful Mike Slone dulcimer, and one that I built myself. I'm very interested to know...Has your Amburgey been restored yet? I have a solid cherry Amburgey that needs to be restored and was curious about how yours turned out afterwards.


Christina Murrie
02/14/14 09:53:26AM @christina-murrie:

Thank you (better late than never) for your welcome, Geoff. You mentioned to me that there was a group in Edinburgh and I have made contact, as well as with a few others within travelling distance. Thanks again.


Jan Noorduijn
02/11/14 05:13:22AM @jan-noorduijn:

My apologies for sending the same question twice. I was not yet used to the delay in posting via an American site. Jan


Jan Noorduijn
02/11/14 05:12:12AM @jan-noorduijn:

Dear Geoff,

At the moment I own a hommel made by Evert Kluter here in Friesland and a six string mountain dulcimer made by Jerry Rockwell in the U.S.A. You wrote that the group can advise on buying a dulcimer. Well, at the moment I am looking for a 3/4 string concert solo instrument. Are there any luthiers in Holland making good instruments or do I need to look toward the U.K. or even further afield? I am more into music that building my own instruments.

I also play the theorbe (archlute). However, I started this when living in the UK with my teacher just 10 minutes away. Here in the north of Holland there is no possibility of getting any lessons, so sometimes we use Skype for lessons, but it is far from ideal.

For now, all my best wishes, Jan


Jan Noorduijn
02/11/14 04:44:25AM @jan-noorduijn:

Hello Geoff,

Thank you very such for the warm welcome to the community here. You all seem a very nice bunch of people! Looking forward to exchange ideas etc. in the group.

Best wishes Jan.


John Tose
10/09/13 03:54:50AM @john-tose:

Too far for me too, Geoff. Maybe sometime when I'm over your way visiting the kids at Uni.