You're right, John. I was seeing shadow, rather than shaft sticking up. A small or needlenose vicegrip pliers should do the job... It will take a lot of turns to get it out, but patience will be rewarded as they say.
Is that a Hammered Dulcimer? In some decades of messing about with dulcimers I've never seen a steel pin shear like that. Wooden pegs, yes, but not autoharp pins!
The tuning pins are threaded into the wood of course. There are "screw extractors" which you can purchase to aid in the removal. Basically, you'll have to use a tiny drill bit to drill down into the broken tuning pin, insert the the screw extractor (which IIRC has threads reverse to normal), then unscrew the pin using the extractor. Do an internet search on 'how to extract a broken screw".
Beautiful work! As is everything that Dan makes. One of thee top three or four traditional dulcimore builders in the coutry.
Wally -- I could do something like a finished version of that kit your wife won last year at Berea. Mushroom frets and geared tuners instead of staple frets and wood or autoharp pin tuners.
What Dusty said. Personally I don't need it or use it. But I play very traditionally in Noter & Drone or Fingerdancing style; never play 3-finger chords; and, with some exceptions, play traditional and folk music b ecaue it is what appeals to me.
As Dan said, there were old time builders who used banjo strings, but I don' think that that is the reason for the different sound. There have always only been a literal handful of music wire manufacturerscubic inches under the hood" of many and many string makers and brands. Basically wire is wire.
What does, from our own experience as Dan says, make a difference is the wound versus plain steel bass string. That, even I can hear a difference in the sound. That, IMHO is what helps produce that "high silvery" old time sound.
Another factor, IMHO, is the generally smaller interior volume "cubic inches under the hood" of many old time dulcimers compared to the deeper-bodied modern instruments. Larger interior volumes emphasize the baritone and bass tones.
That's me Strumelia -- Retro Ken!
There are no DQOTD!! There are only questions which you haven't gotten answers for yet.
I agree with virtually everything Dusty has said below. Buy/build the size, shape and wood combinations which appeal to your eye and ear. Know that bodies with more "cublic inches under the hood" (more internal volume will tend to have a more 'mellow' sound guitar-like sound; where thinner, small volume instruments will tend to have a higher, more 'silvery' sound reminiscent of the early (pre-1950) dulcemores.
I only disagree with Dusty when he says scroll heads a pain in the @ss to use.
A properly designed scroll head (open on the bottom to make stringing easy) with properly fitted and matched pegs and pegholes, is not hard to use but does require a bit of getting used to, unlike the 'instant gratification' of geared tuners. That said, there are geared tuners which look exactly like wooden pegs ('planetary' tuners) which can be installed on any scroll head instrument -- the best of both worlds.
I won't call a 1975 dulcimer "vintage" -- that would make me an "antique"! Those earlier post-revival instruments, for the most part, weren't designed with DAd home tuning in mind. That doesn't mean that the pegs won't hold that tuning. It just means that if you are absolutely set on DAd as the home tuning you will want to experiment with different gauges of melody strings -- instead of the .012 which comes in a package set, you may want to try .011 or a .013
If you are playing with others, then DAA or Ddd would be good home tunings. If you play mostly by yourself, as I do, then the key of C (CGG or Ccc) might fit your voice better.
I find that those Bagpipe tunings (Ddd/Ccc) have an advantage on dulcimers without 6+ frets, similar to the advantage that the 6+ fret gives to players who prefer DAd/Chord Melody. Ccc/Ddd gives us the ability to easily play in two or more Modes without re-tuning.
Stephen -- I numbered the frets for you on the attached version of your photo.
A good trick when doing glue up -- to avoid a lot of staining from squeeze out -- is to cover both sides of the joint with blue painters tape before applying the glue. That's saved me hours of sanding!
FYI -- our glue of choice for all this is Titebond II or III. They can be un-glued if necessary by the application of a heatgun/hair dryer to the glued joints for a few minutes.
It may be a fair bit of work, but you're learning a lot about how the dulcimer goes together, and what to do -- or not do -- when you decide to build one from scratch, or from your own kit.
Good job getting the photos here, btw!
Yeah, from that description it is what you called "a very low-end instrument". The peghead as an extension of the fretboard is a dead giveaway.
The reason photos are good is that you mentioned some "minor damage", which might be hard for us to help with if we can't see the extent of the injury. Do you have a 10-12 year old child/grandchild/neighbor kid who can help up upload a couple photos?
Dan is correct, as always. It is a fret usually found on chromatic fretboards, placed between the nut (which is sometimes called the 0 fret) and the 1st fret. As a term, 0+ is less confusing than "1/2 fret"
Yes, but most nuts and bridges have a high ridge with the notches filed in it, sio flipping really isn't an option. Easiest to make a new nut and bridge, and then put new string on the other way around.
Pictures! We can probably tell you which kit be seeing the instrument in whatever state it's in...
Welcome Steve:
You know from my friends John, Ken & Richard where to put the edge of the bridge. As far as tunings, both DAA and DAd are popular for different reasons. There are a number of other tunings as well, some historic, some modern, which are also very useful.
Which kit did you acquire? Folkcraft? McSpadden? Another?
As a new player, you'll want to join our Beginner Player Group. Groups must be 'joined' to be able to read and interact with the various discussions.
Here's a link to the article/booklet I wrote a number of years ago to address new player questions. It's called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? It's an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms (so we all speak the same jargon, plus answers to the common beginner questions about tuning, playing, care and feeding of the instrument. The discussion has a link to the article itself about six responses down...
Ken Hulme's "I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?" Article - Strumelia | fotmd.com
Another vote here for Dec 8. I understand the significance of the earliest dulcemore, and Uncle Ed; but IMHO Jean did so much for the dulcimer across the country and across the world...
I've owned and played one of Dave's instruments for years, and I've done one or two "authorized repairs" on instruments of his which live here in Florida, rather than having the owner ship the idulcimer to Missouri.
Although Dave told me last month that he's built and sold over 5000 of his Student models, he also builds custom instruments to your specifications. He's 'slowing down' his building career (medical issues) so if you like the look of his instruments, now is the time!. The website is a "mess" because he's moving/moved to a new server.... Drop him an email and he'll gladly work with you in any way you choose -- send you pictures, sound samples, whatever you like.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: I have moved to a new server. Unfortunately, I was not able to transfer all of my previous emails. If I have not responded to your email, please send me a reminder to Harpmaker@SweetWoodsInstruments.com. I will respond to you as soon as possible. Thank you!
Are you a snowbird? Or permanent resident?
I'm in Fort Myers, but I don't play with that evening group.
IIRC, the group that used to be in Englewood was a "snowbird" group like many others down here, which disbanded each spring when they went back north. There are a couple players I know of in Venice, and I've heard of a couple in the Rotunda. but with a 15 mile and daylight limitations you'll be lucky to find 1 or 2 players, I think.
Yep -- a small triangular file belongs in every dulcimer players kit. Good catch Dusty!
That way, if things are still discordant, then the issue is definately not the capo itself causing problems.
You're playing "King..." from DAd tuning -- capoed where? And it's when you're capoed that the open middle string is discordant?
Have you considered re-tuning from DAd to whatever the capoed tuning is, or to any other tuning?
As KenL says, Georgia really does not have a traditioan of dulcimere building/playing in the same way that Kentucky, or Tennessee or North Carolina or the Virginias do. No known early (1800s or early 1900s) builders or traditional shapes associated with the state. Neither does South Carolina. The reason may be how and from where those areas were settled -no direct connections to areas where the instrument was known, no settlers from other known dulcimer building areas, etc.
Sycamore makes good dulcimers.
It has a Janka hardness rating of 770; mid way between Honduran Mahogany at 800+ and Silver Maple at 700. Softer than any of the common American woods used for the rest of a dulcimer body like Walnut or cherry, but a bit harder than Poplar (Janka 550) which makes excellant instruments.
If you google "Don Pedi Youtube" you'll find at least 8 recordings of Don's playing. Notparticularly "instructional videos". The folks who make their living with dulcimer don't tend to give away a lot. But you'll also find links to Don's website with all of his available materials.
Yep -- what Dan said. Don Pedi is probably THE current master of traditional Fingerdancing. Check out his videoes, how-tos, classes and festival appearances.
If you are Fingerdancing on just the melody string, use whatever combination of fingers in any order that doesn't tie your fingers in knots as you move up and down the fretboard!
If you change over to Chord-Melody style playing, then which finger get usedon which string is more important.
Dusty has pretty well laid it all out for you there...
The width of nuts/bridges, and the depth of the notches aren't terribly important. The distance between the inside edges is. the VSL. If the nut & bridge are that bad, it would probably behoove you to make new ones.
Still would like to see pictures -- overall plus closeups of the places where the nut/bridge ought to be.
Slur between two of the same pitch -- d-d? Or different pitches d-g?
Offhand I'd say it looks like someone's attempt to have an Everything Dulcimer. Something that could be set up with a wide range of string setups from 3 to 8 strings. Which begs the question, "why not nine?" A nine string dulcimer could at least have 3 courses of 3 strings. Unless this was someone's attempt at a dulci-mandolin".
The body looks to have been made by someone who really knew what they were doing. The quality looks top shelf.
But that chicken-scratch "Wizard" and date looks more like someone's poor attempt to individualize the instrument rather than a professional ID. The old time dulcimer builders who hand carved their names into their products did a MUCH more professional signature than that!
No search I could make found any "wizard dulcimer" maker or company.
No maker's label visible through the soundholes, on the inside bottom?
To tell you what gauge strings you need, you need to tell us what the Vibrating String Length is (what a guitar player calls the Scale Length) -- the distance between nut and bridge. Then, assuming you want to tune to D like most dulcimers (the bass string is D the others are tuned relative to that), we can tell you string guages.
Yep -- what Ken said -- photos of where the nuts/bridges "should" be would be a big help. There should be wear marks, if nothing, else to show where the errant nuts and bridges were originally placed.
A number of builders use(d) bead type fine tuners, but I've never seen them so tall! I would think they would get in the way of your strumming hand!
Sorry, I've never heard of builder Titus either. Others to query would be Robert Force and Neal Hellman, both of The Pacific Rim Project days. Bonnie Carol is another of that crew, and a builder herself, who may also shed some light.
Like Lisa, I wonder at that slot... thinking that the bridge has been moved forward whether due to a miscalculation of the correct location (and the mis-cut slot never filled in) or something else. You might want to query Joanna about that...
Nice work! The bocote is gorgeous. I try never to use a planer on figured wood -- a surface sander is much safer!
The 1/8" difference in width means the melody course and the bass course are that much farther apart. Most Chord-Melody players don't have an issue with fretboard width affecting chording ability, although those with "chubby" fingers find the wider board more useable. C-M players do have issues with longer VSLs (28" to 30" making it harder to fret some chords. Smaller-handed Chord-Melody players seem to prefer shorter VSLs (25-26")
There are many, many factors of dulcimer construction which effect the tonal quality of an dulcimer. Wood species is pretty far down the list. My advice, as a player for many years is to ignore wood species except for the æsthetic effect. A cherry carcass with a butternut top will make a visually striking instrument, especially as the cherry darkens and ages over time. I think you would be very happy with that wood combination. Several of my dulcimers have butternut tops/backs, and I love the grain structure and patterns which the wood gives..
To Rod... and our other Absent Friends.
Sorry to hear that Dave. I use that super hard aterproof cardboard "Sono Tube" you find at Home Despot and Lowest; which is used as a form to cast concrete piers and posts. Comes in a variety of diameters. I roll the dulcimer in bubble wrap until it's a snug fit in the tube, saw the tube off a couple inches long than the dulcimer, and make 1/2" plywood ends which I tape in place with LOTS of duct tape. I also use it when travelling, as a check baggage dulcimer box, as you can see in the photo attached.
I've been a table-thumper, thigh-slapper, doumbek player and Scottish Bass drummer. But I was challenged by my friends of the local band Pine Island Sound to come up with something more suitable to play along with them. So I created my first cajon from dulcimer and Anglo-Saxon lyre construction scrap. I didn't want a "sit on" cajon, but something I could hold on my lap, or in my arms like an autoharp or a musical washboard. I also didn't want a deep bass sound or high treble sound. So here's what I came up with:
10" x 18" x 2-1/4". Two tones from two different wood species and thicknesses on the two faces. The one-piece side is a 3/16" slice of Oregon Myrtle leftover from a lyre project. The divided side is 1/8" Sitka spruce salvaged from an acoustic piano soundboard by some guys I know who are doing that. One of the pieces already had a hole in it. As internal and external joint braces I added 1/8" x 2'' strips of Ash leftover from an archer's bow build I did a couple years back. The sides are maple piano frame salvage.
There are phrases from at least four Irish tunes which I know that are in there!
For the ultimate in pure acoustic volume, you might consider having someone build you a Tennessee Music Box with modern full-width frets rather than the traditional half-width frets. My friend John Knopf just listed one of his fabulous TMBs here the other day, but it only has the traditional frets so you couldn't play Chord-Melody style. I have seen Big Box dulcimers with rounded ends (and different soundholes), so a custom Box would not have to be rectangular...
Tom's unique designs have been around for many years. I understand that he is only making a few dulcimers these days, and not taking any special orders. He makes a few and if you like one you can buy it...
Yocky's are not something that appeal to me, but I have heard them being played, and they do have more "California" sound than "Kentucky". If you can find one, I'm sure you would appreciate it. Personally I'm partial to the 'high silvery' sound of the traditional "Kentucky" instruments.
