Forum Activity for @david-lynch

David Lynch
@david-lynch
05/25/15 04:10:37PM
34 posts



Yes, if the dulcimer uses ball end strings. Look at the end where they attach to the dulcimer and see if it has a small brass donut shaped piece (ball end) or if the string is simply looped into a circle (loop end). Ball end are common, loop ends may be harder to come by. In either case, ask at your local music store for individual strings, not the set that is often sold as a dulcimer set, because the "dulcimer set" may not be the same size as what you have on it now.


updated by @david-lynch: 02/17/16 05:29:47AM
David Lynch
@david-lynch
05/25/15 04:15:12PM
34 posts

String sites people use


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I use Juststrings for bulk purchases. When I need one or two of a particular size or a set for another instrument such as a guitar I get them from Gary Sager at the Acoustic music shop in Waverly. His prices are comparable to most other stores and it just feels better to "keep things in the family" so to speak

David Lynch
@david-lynch
05/25/15 11:31:17PM
34 posts

electronic tuners people use


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

the snark is good. I've also had good results with the small fender clip on.....it seems to be as accurate as the snark but with out the fancy color display

David Lynch
@david-lynch
05/30/15 03:34:45PM
34 posts

Are there luthiers who will build with your wood?


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

I've done this before. However, I prefer to get a billet or plank about 2" thick, about 6" wide by 38"+ long. I then resaw it to thinner stock, sticker and stack it as Ken spoke about. Having the larger board to start with allows me to be more selective about wood grain etc.

Where are you located? Ken is right that a lot of Amish communities have a sawmill or two who will often do this sort of log to board operations

David Lynch
@david-lynch
02/27/15 09:53:24AM
34 posts



To speed up the shaping you can cut the bulk of the excess width off with an Xacto saw. Then, instead of trying to use the dremel tape a piece of 120 or so grit paper to a table and just rub the end or side of the nut on it as needed. That will remove stock very quickly. To polish it up switch to finer grits as you get close to the final size.

This is assuming that Kevin doesn't take care of it for you this weekend.

FWIW, the use of super glue for nuts is very common. While it has great tensile strength the sheer strength is not as good which means it can be removed with a sharp rap on the side if you ever need to remove it

David Lynch
@david-lynch
02/26/15 07:04:44AM
34 posts



If you still have one of the nuts you made try using super glue to hold it in place instead of wood glue. I think you will find it works great.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
01/01/15 08:07:22PM
34 posts



"could it be because of the hot/cold of the home? Is this common? anything to do to improve?"

The answer is Yes, Yes, and Yes. Weather can have a big effect on wooden stringed instruments, mostly due to major changes in the relative humidity. When the temps drop it is very easy for a house to drop as low as 10% RH. First thing I would check is the RH where it is being stored.....you want it to be in the range or 45 to 55%

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/23/14 11:33:15AM
34 posts



The rubberized padding (either shelf liner or floor padding) will be OK for short term use but avoid contact between it and the finish for long periods of time, such as a long playing gig or storage. That is when it can damage the finish. I have seen more than one dulcimer with the grid pattern of the pad etched onto the back of an instrument so when storing the dulcimer keep the pads in separate plastic bag

If you are having problems with slipping while wearing a strap you should probably shorten up the strap a bit. You want the instrument to be angled slightly away from you on your lap with the first few frets over your left knee and the other end of the body tucked firmly up against your right side. Keep in mind that if you use a strap you don't have to keep your lap flat or the instrument parallel to the floor.....it is OK if it tilts away from you.

If you don't want to use a strap or are still having problems with one then a couple of pieces of rough leather can be used in lieu of the rubber padding.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/16/14 11:31:31AM
34 posts

USPS is NOT my friend


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

And being on the other end of the pipeline, as a shipper it always raises the hair on the back of my neck a bit whenever I drop off a box for shipping. While I have my packaging pretty well down pat now, ya just never really know for sure what may happen.

Helen Seiler said:

Oh Kristi, i feel for you. I know what its like waiting and wondering........and worrying..........and panicking. I have been lucky and always eventuallyended up getting the goods but sometimes i think they come to Oz via Rio and Mars. When instruments get sent down here the tracking ends when it leaves the US...........that's when i cross fingers and toes and turn to prayer. I hopeyour dulcimer iswaiting in a safe (if wrong) place and arrives soon.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/11/14 01:29:55PM
34 posts

USPS is NOT my friend


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Regular rate as in "Parcel post"? If so, that is not great news. I've used USPS for years and have always had fairly good luck with the exception of some out of country shipments (but that is a whole 'nother story)

However, whenever I ship USPS it is almost always by Priority Mail or Express mail. This usually gets the package there with in 2 to 3 days. The couple of times I used Parcel Post I think they routed it through China as it took upwards of 2 weeks to get delivered......and unless the shipper specifically pays for tracking, there is no way to track it. Parcel post is real tempting because it an as little as one third the cost for Priority mail but because of the extreme time in transit I won't use it.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/11/14 12:38:22AM
34 posts

Does anyone know a safe way to get bad or musty smells out of an autoharp?


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

You could try a couple of shots of Fabreeze Odor eliminator into the sound hole. If you are going to put something inside, instead of cedar chips try activated charcoal. By the way. a small nozzle on a shop vac stuck into the hole will make quick work of getting small loose stuff out of the instrument.

Often just leaving the instrument out of the case for a few days or a couple of weeks will get rid of a lot of musty odors.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
04/16/15 07:45:43AM
34 posts



It doesn't make much a of a difference if the strings wind over the post or under the post....either way will work just fine. However, which peg it is on is kind of important. Not so much for the individual instrument but for the sake of standardization. As Dusty pointed out above, there is a way that the strings are usually placed and about 99% of the makers follow that pattern. What can happen is that if you get used to having it one way and then pick up an instrument string differently it is very easy to break a string because you find yourself turning the wrong tuner

David Lynch
@david-lynch
07/29/14 02:24:58PM
34 posts

Playing with a strap


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

You may get a chuckle out of this. Once when install a set of strap buttons at a festival the husband of the dulcimer owner made the comment that he could have saved money by doing it himself. His wife promptly replied that he could not do it himself....and off they went: "Yes, I could".... "No you couldn't"....."Yes, I could"...."NO,You could not do it!"

Finally the wife ended the exchange by saying "No, You couldn't, and the reason you could not is because I would never let you anywhere near my dulcimer with a drill!"

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/13/14 10:54:57AM
34 posts

Buying a hourdrop


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

Finding one with a natural sound hole can be tough to do. The problem is not in having an open knot hole but getting one that is the appropriate size for the instrument. Stability of the hole can be a concern too as knot holes tend to want to crack around the edge. If you do go that route make sure that the builder has reinforced the edges of the hole in some way.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
03/23/14 09:47:55AM
34 posts

Loop vs. ball end strings


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

I use pins which accept both but install ball ends as standard....if a replacement is needed it is a lot easier to get

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/11/14 11:10:03PM
34 posts



Part of the problem Randy is that folks often try to transfer their experience with woods on other instruments over to dulcimers. Such as from a guitar. But because of the big differences in the instruments a lot of it does not apply. For example on a guitar the body may be up to 16" wide and 20+ " long. That is a big vibrating surface...and it is going to vibrate a lot differently than a dulcimer top or back. Also, on a dulcimer we have a big massive brace (aka the fret board) running right down the entire length of the top, effectively cutting the surface that is free to vibrate in half. On a dulcimer, moving the bridge 1/2 of an inch one way or the other can make a much bigger difference in the voice compared to the same change on a guitar.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/11/14 07:40:39AM
34 posts



My two cents on the subject:

Does the wood make a difference? Yes, if everything else is exactly the same the wood used may make a difference in the final voice. The important words in that last sentence are "exactly" and "may".

In general, there are a huge number of factors that affect the overall voice and if I were to make a list of them based on my experience, the type of wood would be pretty far down on it. With a hand made instrument, even when everything appears to be exactly the same there will still be lots of differences that go far beyond the type of wood used. Just a few thousandths difference in the thickness of the body parts can drastically alter the voice. Even something as simple as the stiffness of the bracing will cause a change. The same with the moisture content and/or grain pattern of the wood.....small changes can make a big difference.

Then there is the "may". Can it make a difference? Sure. But will it? Not necessarily. Even within the same species there will be large differences in strength and stiffness especially from one region to another. For example, Walnut grown in Pennsylvania is quite a bit different from that harvested just a few hundred miles away in Northern Illinois and Indiana. (PA Walnut is usually much darker and denser) And if you have ever gone through a large pile of Poplar, well, nuff said....

I do a lot of custom work and tend to cringe when someone tells me they have heard that one particular wood is better than another for a certain tone and are basing their woods choices on that. For example one will often hear that Cherry gives a bright sound while Walnut is darker and richer. And in some respects this is true.....but again, not always. One of the sweetest sounding bass dulcimers I ever made was entirely from Cherry. Back, sides, top, fretboard....everything was Cherry, which is supposedly a bright wood. Go figure....

While I do agree that a softer wood for the top is preferable, for me that is about it as far as wood type. When folks tell me that they've heard "this or that" my response is to tell them to make the wood decision based on visual appeal, tell me how they want it to sound, and let me worry about the rest. To paraphrase Dwain, any builder worth his salt can do the same. Jim is a good builder so I would suggest you tell him what you like both in sound and appearance and let him make some suggestions.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/15/14 01:59:46PM
34 posts



If you don't need an actual template the stewmac link posted by Brian is great. That is my "goto" source for special fret scales. One tip.....if the scale you want is in inches, multiply it by 25.4 and do the calculation in millimeters instead. It will be a lot easier to lay out accurate measurements on the fret board if you are working in mm.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/25/13 07:04:36PM
34 posts



Hi Steven

I will second Kens (no, not that Ken, the other one ) comment about avoiding Apple Creek and First Act both of which are made overseas. I am not saying they are bad instruments, in fact I have seen a couple of really nice ones....the problem is a lack of consistency in the quality of construction, set up and intonation.

You want an instrument that has tight clean joints, with a good finish (no runs, drips or orange peel) and good action/intonation. Action has to do with how high the strings are above the fret board, intonation is how accurate the fret are as you work your way up and down the fret board. High action is often done to cover up a twisted or bowed fret board and can make playing very tough on the fingers as well as screwing up the intonation.
Shape (hourglass, teardrop, hourdrop or box) is really just a matter of personal taste....it rarely has much effect on the overall voice. However, the size of the box will have an effect. Larger boxes tend to be ore mellow while smaller ones brighter.

I hope this helped....

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/17/13 10:52:32AM
34 posts

levers on a dulcimer?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

No Bobby, the lever pictured mounts in the same location that the others do.....at the appropriate distance down the face of the neck between the guide pin (aka bridge pin by most other makers) and the sound board. It is a variation of what I called a single pin lever. When in the off position the lever is parallel to the face of the neck as shown in the first line drawing on page two. When "ON" the lever is up and the string gets lifted a bit as shown in the second line drawiong.

To locate the sharping levers on a harp, you measure the VSL of the string which is the distance between the bridge pin and the face of the sound board where the string comes out of the body, divide that measurement by17.817 and subtract the result from the VSL. If that sounds familiar it is the same way you can figure out the location for say a 1.5 fret......measure the distance between the first fret and the bridge, divide and subtract.

Bobby Ratliff said:

Here's the type lever I was talking about:
http://www.harpkit.com/mm5/pdf/Instructions/Lever_U.pdf

I was saying bridge pin in my earlier posts I think. (Not too much up on the harp lingo). But it's called the guide pin, after some research, which either has a hole in it, or a machined groove around it. The hole, or the ring, would serve as a solid contact point, which, would be the termination of the vsl. So, that would mean this type of lever pictured is simply a tension type lever, which installs between the guide pin and the tuning pin.
I still think this type would work on a steep angled guitar type headstock, (it would need enough angle so as not to lift the string out of the string groove in the nut, and there would need to be enough space between the nut and stems of the tuning keys to install them). But it would be an unknown as to how much of a rise in pitch you would get until you tried it. They might also work on the bridge end of some dulcimers in the same area that John Henry mentioned his bead fine tuners. One could get all elaborate, and place them under both ends if they wanted. Spacing them just so, so one end would raise the pitch by 1/2 tone, the other a full tone, or 1-1/2 tone by flipping both ends.

Dusty..... I think you misread one of my comments, or, I misquoted....... I suggested using them under the bass and middle string, but not under the melody string. Although, I do think this type I linked above could be used under either string.

This has been a great thread Dusty....... I think it's great to discuss and think outside the box sometimes.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/17/13 04:48:21AM
34 posts

levers on a dulcimer?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I've never seen a lever placed between the bridge pic and the tuning lever. That must be a new design. All of the levers I have seen and used are meant to be mounted on the neck of the harp in between the bridge pin and the sound board. When the lever is raised it comes into contact with the string and creates a new , temporary break point in the string, raising it a half step. When the lever is lowered the break point goes away and because the string is now free to vibrate at it's original length it drops down to it's original pitch.

Although there are several different brands they all operate on one of two methods. The first is a single contact point style where a rotating cam on the lever raises a small bar up under the string, lifting it slightly and thus creating a new break point. The second style is a bit more complicated in that it uses a pair of pins. One is either fixed and lies just below the string....when the lever is activated it cause a moveable pin to drop down onto the string, pushing it down onto the fixed pin and then creating a small bend just beyond that fixed pin which gives it a break angle.

On the second two pin method, both pins move, one up and one down as the cam rotates. The easiest way to describe it would be to picture the face of a clock with the string running across the face from 9 to 3. the normal bridge pin would be off to the left of 9 and the sound board would be off to the right of 3. There would be one pin sticking out of the face of the clock at 4 and another at 10. When the lever is activated the clock face would rotate counter clockwise causing the pin at 4 to move to what would have been the 2 position and the 10 pin moves down to 8. The 2 o'clock pin becomes the new bridge (and break point).

In any case though, the change in pitch comes form a shorter VSL.

Now, all that being said, it would be possible to design a lever that could change the pitch, but it would have to be done by changing the string tension. For example, if there was enough room between the bridge and the end of the instrument you could put such a lever there that when activated would press down on the string. You could do the same thing at the tuning end on a flat head if there was sufficient flat surface to mount the lever. The problem I foresee is that of being able to control the amount of tension. On a harp the lever is either fully up or fully down....anything in between is likely to cause a buzz (not enough break) or incorrect pitch (break point in the wrong place) . I suppose you could install a standard single point lever so that when not in use the lever handle is up....just the opposite of how it would be on a harp. That would put the the pin above the string. Then by lowering the lever handle you cause the pin to bend the string down toward the fret board (if mounted behind the bridge) or peghead (if mounted between the nut and the tuner) That would make the string go sharp. But how much do you need to push down? Every string is going to be different, and even the base pitch of the string will affect the amount of "push" needed. IN other words, you could have it set up perfectly to change a d to a d# but if you tune down to a c and then used the lever to try to raise the pitch to a c#, it probably would be off.

BTW Dusty, is it possible you were looking at a wire strung harp? Those don't usually use a bridge pin with the string running right from the sound board to the tuner. That might explain what you saw.....a sharping lever with nothing between it and the tuning pin.


Dusty Turtle said:

Remember that the ones I saw this morning were onharps, so perhaps bridge is not the right words. In one case the leversbasically acted to pushon the string on the non-vibrating side of a metal post around which the stringbent just before it hit the pin, thus tightening the string. They did not seem to be adjustable, but they were not all identical, meaning there were different size levers for different strings. Another type hadits own horizontal metal bar on the lever itself. When the lever was engaged,it pushed on the string just past that metal bar, again tightening the string. Those,too, did not seem to be adjustablebut were different sizes.Obviously, the degree of precision here is pretty high. My cousin's harp--which I only saw one inebriated evening and did not examine closely since the idea had not yet occured to me touse these contraptions on another instrument--has levers that can be adjusted for each string.They may indeed be the kind that shorten the VSL.

For the record, I did a quick search online too, and the only prefabricated levers I could find that were sold independly of a harp were intended to change the VSL, too. That might be what my cousin has and as you've all pointed out, they would not work on a fretted instrument.

If it would be feasible at all to design a lever for use on the dulcimer, it would obviously involve a lot of work to get it to fit exactly right. My uncle makes autoharps (and puts fine tuners on those) and perhaps I'll ask him if it would be possible todesign something. Maybe the only reasonable use would be as Bobby said to change the tuning of the melody string so you could switch modes in the middle of a tune or medley. But I still like the idea of something resembling a whammy bar that could alter a string by a 1/2 note and then drop it back down. I guess I'll keep dreaming.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/11/13 06:27:12PM
34 posts

strumming technique


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

here are some examples of what I mean about timing and extra notes etc etc. Same song, played by 3 different players:

Now I am not suggesting that we all have to play the same way, and that we should never adapt a song.....geez that'd be boring.....but to take a simple ballad and turn it into a dance tune....well, that is something I just don't get.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/11/13 06:02:00PM
34 posts

strumming technique


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

If I am reading this right, Dusty, the reasoning for the multiple strums (be they actual strums, picks or air strums) is to enable one to maintain the proper timing for the song? So lets say there are 3 people playing side by side in this fashion; What happens if your sense of timing is just a hair faster than the guy next to you and his is just a hair faster than the 3rd guy? See where I am going with this? Timing is more than just being able to maintain a steady beat. In my opinion if someone really has that much trouble maintaining the proper timing they would be better off spending some practice time with a good metronome.

Don't get me wrong here.....if it works for someone playing solo that is great. But they may find that when they get together with other players that their timing is far different than others in the group. Unfortunately I have seen this happen all too often at a jam where supposedly everyone is playing the same song, but in reality it sounds like there are 4 or 5 different tunes being played..... Everyone is so busy being busy, that is, adding bum-ditties or extra picked notes to "fill in the blanks" or to "make it their own" that they pay no attention to those around them.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/11/13 01:36:33AM
34 posts

strumming technique


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

The best suggestion I can make Helen is to not lock yourself into a set pattern.....vary it according to the song. While using a 8 strum pattern for a whole note (4 strums out and four strums in) can be useful it can also lead to a lot of clutter especially if you feel the need to fill in all those strums with "something". All to often I have seen beautiful ballads turned into fast fiddle tunes because the player HAD to fill in every fraction of a beat with a strum. I've also heard songs that have become unrecognizable because of all the added notes and bum dittys thrown in.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/11/13 01:10:14AM
34 posts

Opinions on new dulcimer


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

IF everything else is equal, then the wood used may have an effect on the voice. The operative word there is "equal". In other words, if the dulcimers are made the exact same way in every other respect. However, unless you are working with a mass produced instrument, this is rarely the case. There will be differences in wood thickness, sizes (just a 1/8 inch deeper box will have a 5 % greater interior volume) subtle changes in bridge placement etc etc etc. And even if they are identical in every other way, a different wood still may or may not change the voice depending on the overall construction of the instrument itself.

One thing to keep in mind when comparing the dulcimer to guitars is that the vibrating plates on a guitar are far larger than on a dulcimer so the wood used on a guitar will have a far greater effect than on a dulcimer.

Wayne Anderson said:

For those that have firmly stated that the type of wood used does not impact greatly on the sound of the instrument...I would invite you to look at This Web Page The author opens with " One of the most important variables in defining the sound of a guitar is the wood used to build it. Generally speaking, the tonal impact of the various tone woods used by guitar builders will be the same for any given body shape. "

Granted he is talking about guitars but the same would hold true for the Mountain Dulcimer.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
07/26/13 06:24:49AM
34 posts



I go around one full time and then as after the first full 360 degrees I cross the string over itself which locks it down in place. After that I might go another turn or so. But Paul is right that if you get up to four wraps it starts to look sloppy.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/24/12 07:20:49PM
34 posts



One other thing; the Applecreek beginners model is also a bit on the small side compared to other dulcimers......it would be more comparable to a soprano dulcimer. That smaller size will add to instability.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
01/11/12 03:42:46AM
34 posts



Because I lack the ability to read and play at the same time I'm strictly a "by ear" player. If it is not in my head then it is not going to get to my fingers. I do use tab occasionally but only as way to figure out or later as a reminder of how a song starts; if I can't get by the first 5 or 6 notes then I might as well move on to somethings else.

Don't get me wrong, I am not knocking either Tab or SMN. I'd love to be able to play that way. I am fascinated when I watch my sister take a piece of SMN and convert it to Tab and change the key on the fly then start playing the song. But if it is an unfamiliar song the only way I can play along is to listen to her play through it several times until I get the song in my head. Then I can usually noodle it out really quick (which she hates! ) But the next day she can grab her music and play it while I have to get it back in my head first.

As far as "developing (my) own style around it", well, I have a bit of a problem with this whole "make it your own" thing you hear so much about. I think it is often over used and abused. When I first learn a song I try to get it down the way the original composer intended. Later on I may make some minor changes but those are usually done to better suit the limitations of the fret board or tuning.....not from a desire to"make it my own". I've heard waaaaayyyy too many pieces that were so far from the original as to be unrecognizable.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
01/13/11 03:47:40PM
34 posts



OK, y'all are making me blush. But thanks for the kind words. They are appreciated.

I'm glad you are enjoying the instrument Dennis. For the record, the fretboard and peghead on yours is made from Cherry, not Sycamore, though I have used the latter wood in the past and I agree with you that Sycamore is highly under rated. The Cherry on yours comes from (as does most of my wood) a small Amish sawmill in Windsor, MO. Noah, who owns the mill is not only a great guy and has really good pricing, but he also uses a "slow kiln" that dries the wood very slowly without over drying it like so many other kiln dried woods you see in regular stores. In addition, he will billet out large pieces for me to use in a few years after air drying in my barn.

The nut and bridge are not bone. I use so many of them that I have taken to buying the pre-made Delrin ones in bulk from Folkcraft. Having identical and consistent parts like that make it a lot easier to set up for the notches which helps keep the price low.

For what it's worth, you are not alone in not wanting to deal with high tech. My kids joke about dragging dear ol' Dad into the 20th century.....I don;t even want to think about the 21st!

David Lynch
@david-lynch
04/16/15 07:28:27AM
34 posts

Dulcimer Strings


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

How much the type of string will affect the tone depends a bit on the instrument itself. If the instrument is designed for a bright voice then changing from a nickel wound to a Phosphor Bronze may not make much of a difference. On the other hand, on a mid range or mellow dulcimer you will definitely hear a more mellow overall tone with the PB bass string. The nickel wound will brighten it up.

What gauge to use will be decided by several factors: The scale length, the tuning,the tone you want and the "feel" you like. There are several good string gauge calculators on line which will give you a kind of a "middle of the road" string set (note that the one on Tom Strothers website tends to yield a "light set") and they will give you a good starting point. Once you have that starting point go ahead and play around a bit with the gauges to fine tune it to what you like the best. A rough rule of thumb is that a heavier string will give a bit more volume and sustain but be harder to fret. Lighter strings will be just the opposite.

To give you some examples: My standard models are designed to produce a mid to mellow voice (I can make them bright but that is another story) and they all use the same scale of 25 7/8". My standard string set for that scale and a DAd tuning is a .24 PB bass, a .014 middle and .012 melodies. With that set several tunings are available DAd, DAA CGc, DF#Ad and others.

However, if I know the player is going to be playing in DAA all the time I will put .014s on the melodies in place of the .012s. Or maybe the player has asked for a very light action so I would drop each size down a step. Another example: if when stringing up a new dulcimer I decide I want to bump up the mid range a bit I will use a .015on the middle and a .026PBW on the bass.

The main thing is to remember is that string gauges are not set in stone. Use what works for you.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
06/02/15 02:35:17AM
34 posts



I go 3, 5, 7, 10 and 12

David Lynch
@david-lynch
08/21/12 08:55:47AM
34 posts



To make a temporary marking dot use a hole punch and the sticky part of a Post-It note

David Lynch
@david-lynch
01/18/11 05:54:24PM
34 posts



As others have noted, the easiest way is to feed the string through the ball to create a loop.

The one problem with doing your own wrap is making sure that the two pieces of string actually twist around each other. If they don't, then you end up with a slip knot like a hangman's noose that takes forever to settle in and is a real pain to take off the post the next time you need to replace the string.

So, if you want just a loop and are not comfortable with trying to form your own, here is how to get rid of the ball.

First thing you need to do is remember that a circle or an arch is one of the strongest geometric shapes. Just crushing it with a pair of pliers will often lead to damaging the sting because once the ball starts to crush, it will flatten out really fast, often taking the loop down flat and kinking the end.

The way around this is to weaken the ball first. One way to do this is to take a pair of pointed nose wire cutters and nip or cut one side of the ball in a few spots around the edge. If you look closely at a ball end sting you will see that just below the wraps there is a small triangular space where the string doesn't actually come in contact with the ball. This is the best spot to nip the ball because you don't have to worry about damaging the string at the same time. What I usually do is nip it there, rotate the ball in the loop a little and nip it again. I do this a few times until one side of the ball is basically pretty well crushed up. (A lot of the brass will often break away in between the cuts.) At this point I can simply lever the ball out of the loop with a small pointed awl or the tip of a small screwdriver.

I stock a lot of strings in both end types. However, because of all the repair and restoration work I do it seems to almost never fail that what I have on had isn't what I need. I've done this often enough that it now only takes a minute or so to perform.

David Lynch
@david-lynch
09/26/09 12:52:37PM
34 posts



I make a "performance model" and I think Lisa has pretty much nailed it as to the reason that term is used. Basically, performance or concert models have as standard a lot of the features asked for by people who do a lot of stage performing.Also, while I have seen a few "fully loaded' standard models be labeled as a"performance model", a builders performance model will often incorporate features not available on that same builders "standard" models, and is usually a distinct shape or size.