What's your current fave GO-TO instrument these days?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Correct, Ken! Bernd is an extremely talented luthier … and renaissance man!
Forum Activity for @jerry-posner
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
What's your current fave GO-TO instrument these days?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I have a Bernd Krause dulcimer with the 1.5 fret. I play (my version) of excerpts from Orff’s Carmina Burana on it. I’m also learning a few new ukulele tunes on my Magic Fluke Concert Flea.
Did you purchase one of these dulcimers in the 1970s?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I did buy a Musical Traditions dulcimer from Hank Levin in 1970 or so. The price might have been $125. I also bought a no-name dulcimer around that year from the Music Inn in NYC for, I believe $60.
Question about the 6 1/2 fret
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Ken Longfield:
Jerry Posner:
My question is ... when did the 6 1/2 fret become popular?
I started building dulcimers in 1974; 50 years ago. At that time none one plans I found had a 6 1/2 fret. So, become popular? I guess sometime in the early 1980s or perhaps even the late 1970s.
Precursors of the mountain dulcimer, those built like their European ancestors, sometimes had "odd" fret patterns. These patterns sometimes represented a different starting place for the "do" of the scale. Sometimes they just represented the "bad" ear of the builder.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thanks, Ken!
Question about the 6 1/2 fret
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Hello friends! Most of the dulcimers in my collection are "traditional" -- that is, without the 6 1/2 fret, and I've never felt shortchanged, because I mostly play noter style, with a little bit of chording (kind of like Richard Fariña). My question is ... when did the 6 1/2 fret become popular?
Geoffrey R. Johnson Dulcimer?
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Hi there! Have any of you had a Geoffrey R. Johnson dulcimer? If so, what string gauges did you use? The one I recently acquired is oak and spruce, gold plated tuners, extended "foot" that I know is common in his instruments. Not a particularly great sounding dulcimer, but well crafted and pretty good looking!
updated by @jerry-posner: 04/07/24 11:43:13AM
Introduce Yourself!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I do live close to Dewey Hall ... but I don't dance :-)
updated by @jerry-posner: 03/28/24 11:05:40AM
Introduce Yourself!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hi, I've been a member here for a while, though somewhat inactive, so I thought I reintroduce myself. I live in the Berkshires of Western Mass (right down the street from the Magic Fluke Company, known to ukulele players ... and I am also one of those)! I've been playing and collecting dulcimers since the late 60's. Bought my first one from Hank Levin at the House of Musical Traditions, then on St. Marks Place in NYC (I grew up in Northern NJ). Here in the Berkshires, there is a busking program in the summer, and I've been happy to participate on dulcimer, ukulele and autoharp. I work as a lecturer, so-called motivational speaker, training specialist and consultant. I particularly speak about intentional gratitude practices, and every Tuesday I post a "GratiTuesday" quotation or gratitude reminder on my blog and various other sites. I have always liked the dulcimer ... a lot!
Carrot Creek Dulcimer, 2007, Made by Steve Miklos
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
This Carrot Creek dulcimer was built by Steve Miklos, who sadly, passed away earlier this year. He named it "Double Happiness."
updated by @jerry-posner: 06/08/16 09:24:05PM