(the builder just shim something over the 0 fret)
What could act as a shim for over the 0 fret?
Could I maybe place something right in front of the 0 fret, creating another 0 - like the size of a tooth pic? I have sanded the nut but hesitant to sand anymore.
( found that how rounded off the side of the nut facing the headstock is can affect the pressure )
This was good info.
Update:
I Always like making a new (for me) dulcimer mine. This one had the rounded-off plug of wood where a hole had been bored into the scroll (I think Patrick's grandfather just didn't finish this part) anyway, I didn't like the look of the plug. While thinking of what I can do -
I inserted a fleur de lis 
(may be a modified kit)
Interesting idea.
(rounded-off plug of wood was glued )
What would be the idea to 'bored in the scroll' only to glue a plug of wood (not something more decorative)? An idea starts but then changes needed? Maybe he was thinking of carving something but time ran out & just glued till he could get around to carving the plug.
How ever this grandfather built the dulcimer - kit or not, he did well. I'm still thinking the high action and the 3 strings close together, he had to be using a noter.
thanks again,
m
( large hole was bored in the scroll, and a rounded-off plug of wood was glued into it.)
yes, but not all the way through - Do kits do the scallop raised fretboards? Lots different from a regular kit.
(eliminated the nails)
I think the nails were there to hold the 3 strings close together the 2 melody & the middle string - maybe for playing with a noter. The Bass was where it belonged.
(the nut is installed backwards) Not sure Ken if you meant besides sanding to also turn the nut around or switch out with the bottom bridge but I did turn it around and those two things seems to take care of things.
Thanks again guys,
m
Still the mystery of the kit, it does seem to have the leaves of Cripple Creek and the same nut & bridge but not the head scroll (circle on the sides - different) or the raised fretboard, or wooden knobs - hmmm
(the strings should touch the 0 fret)
Would I slit the nut or sand the bottom to lower it so the strings touch the 0 fret? I'm better at sanding some off the bottom, don't that.
Thanks Dusty,
Yes Cedar Creek, cripple Creek but the head scroll is different & it has the raised scallop fret board.
Don't need who made the dulcimer but what kit it's may be from - and back in the 90's if that is different then kits now.
Someone's grandfather made this dulcimer sometime maybe in the 90's from a kit. Can anyone tell who's kit it's made from? The case has a McSpadden sticker on it but that doesn't necessary mean it's their kit. Also there are leaves & hummingbird more like Cedar Creek. Lots of photos and a raised scallop fret board - hope these clues help.
Questions also:
Why are there little nails to hold the strings in place up at nut?
The strings coming off of the nut, are they suppose to ride over the 0 fret (touch or above)? Maybe the slits were not cut into the nut - therefore high action and off a bit up at the 6+ fret. (I place a small stick under the strings up at 0 fret - that helps the tuning up the fret board - so maybe I just need the strings to ride over the 0 fret?)
(The +3 tab conversion really works best) Sorry, but what does that mean?
Use a DAd tab & count up 3 frets on melody? So, if it's a 2 I would play a 5? Same as a DAA tab
or - use a DAA tab & count up 3 frets, so a 3 I would play on a 6?
Strumelia,
Looking at your Noter & Drone Blog - Lots of info - could reversing tuning of DAA be the same as AAd
(Tonic/home note which is on fret #4.) means d is 4 up from A - I still don't understand whats standard tab i have that I could just count up a few frets to make that tab work
Hi
I just ran across a tab (from Carolyn Brodgnisku 'St. Kilba's Lullaby' playing with 'Send in the Music') I tuned to this and tried it out, easy to tune my bass down to 'A. It did sound like bagpipe tuning.
I usually play melody/chord in DAd/DAA/DGd/CGc etc.. Lately I have been learning how to strum down & much on the melody in AEA (the 50yr. old red dulcimer, I just finished working on)
As I was just starting to try different tabs, I played a DAA tab on the bass string & again on the middle.
(Tonic/home note which is on fret #4.) If I can take my DAd tab & count up 3 & turn it into a DAA tab - does this mean I would count up to 4 for this tuning and would I need to play on the A string, or could I play on the d string?
(dorian tunes) Is that what this tuning is - Dorian?
Thanks, Strumelia - I love how I keep discovering new ways in playing the dulcimer
If I am tune to say AEA I can play DAd tabs, does anyone know if there are any standard tabs for an A'Ad tuning? (Just tuned the D in my DAd down - base D down to A')
Have you ever found any picks that were as nice as a finger? After working on this 50 yr. old dulcimer & tuning it as a Baritone, I find my finger strumming down sounds the nicest - any pick ideas?
After spending time working on this 50 year old 'Sears' Christmas Dulcimer. Not knowing what I was doing, I learned a lot as I worked on the gears, knobs (I ended up getting longer screws & a nut for the gears & new black banjo knobs), nut & bridge (glued in & split), strings & a floating bridge up by the bridge to help the tuning up the fretboard - After much experimenting I have it tuned as a Baritone and it sounds lovely. After many tries, a $20. old broken red dulcimer with it's repairs & decorations has a new life and I think it's priceless
Thanks for everyone's help
Good suggestion Strumelia, will think about it but don't want to sand a bit more then I should, no redo on the holes. I know about sanding a little at a time, I just did that with the nut and bridge. It's through this site I even knew to use the hair dryer to loosen 50 yr. old glue holding them both.
Thanks Richard but I don't want to ship the dulcimer, it's not worth the expense but makes a good dulcimer for learning how to repair problems.
You are right Don, learning on my own as I try things out would come with risk of creating a hole to large - planning on going slow and not trying anything I am not ready for. As far as hammering - was not talking about the buttons, they are not a problem but tapping the new gear in - which I decided against.
Thanks all for the suggestions
In 2015 I purchase just the buttons (Banjo tuner buttons), they worked fine.
I tried replacing the whole tuner set since I can't keep the tuning from slipping & wanted black buttons.
The new tuners (Uke pegs) do not fit in the wooden hole, they are just a hair too large. I can't find a shop near me that carries banjo or Uke peg sets, so I thought the Uke ones would work. they don't & not sure if the Banjo ones would or not, so after mixing the the new shaft & black button with the old gear, I'm back to the way it was & the new Uke set is off on the side.
I thought about using violin peg compound on the gears - would that help in holding the tuning or just gum up the hole?
Running in circles & getting no where other then learning about repair work. I also took the old bridge & nut out (50 years of glue & dirt) and replaced it with new ones, I sanded to fit - good job on that but it took time using hair dryer, mat knife, pliers. & & &
(rectangular shaft has 2 flat and 2 rounded sides)
The banjo button fit these shafts, does that mean the older tuners are banjo geared tuners or just geared tuners? the Uke tuners are round all around, not 2 flat sides
Thanks Strumelia for your help
(amber buttons are very good quality banjo planetary tuners)
The amber buttons (amber, vintage oval shape) were old and brittle and I replaced the buttons years ago (2015) with banjo buttons. Now I need to replace the tuners - can't hold the string tension - slips
The rectangular shaft has 2 flat and 2 rounded sides, does this mean it's banjo pegs & not Uke pegs?
Are all banjo pegs the same size or how do I order ones to fit the holes in the dulcimer?
Seems I had replace the buttons before with maybe banjo buttons someone on here had suggested years & years ago, not a Uke peg set but wanted to try a new peg set to hold the string tuning better. I thought the Uke peg set would work & almost did. I found my old photos of the old buttons and the pegs that came with the dulcimer.
6B BlackButton Ukulele Pegs -
Demo of Hammered dulcimer with Jimbow
How long should the rosin work before you need to reapply. I am trying one out on a MT. dulcimer and the rosin wears off the bow & it wont sound after about 8 measures.
Any ideas?
Do they work better with H. dulcimers (the bow are a bit bigger)
Dusty, thanks for all the info. I like trying out new possibilities, hearing all the new discoveries that are possible with the dulcimer. With an extra dulcimer & extra time, it's fun to explore
Venni,
Take care & hugs from all of us
(However, if you only fret on the melody string,)
I don't just use the melody, I was using that as an example - I know I can play in DAA using a DGD tab & the other way around, the melody string tab is the same with both - I just need to change my cords. So, I was wondering if the 157 or 154 could be played in tabs I had a lot of, like the DAd or DAA or DGd on the melody string - I could than put the cords with it or if they needed their own tabs?
yes, capos changes the tunings quickly and either there is a tab or if you know the pattern of the tab can just do a DAd or DAA - like put a capo on say the 3rd fret and if there isn't a tab written out for capo 3 just play the DAd tab pattern, the 2,3,&1 Dad tab would be played on the 5th, 6th, & 4th frets
Interesting and confusing, the more we learn the more there is.
I knew about some of the tunings but when I hear about the GGd - it made me wonder just how many there are. I am sure each instrument has a tuning it sounds the best with. Now, I'm thinking to try which one of the G tunings sounds best on one of my dulcimers, GGD, DGd, GDd or GDg can they all be played in DGD tabs ... - ... what about GDc or GDf# is it also a G turning or something else in 154 & 157
Thank you for taking time to post all of this, I hope it helps many others
ok, getting it
the bass and middle strings are 1 and 5 and the only string that changes is the melody string.
(DGd is a little different, but you could just count the same way we did before to find other tunings in that pattern. It is a little different because DGd is considered a "reverse" tuning where the root (or the 1, that is the note that tells us the key) is on the middle string.)
OK, I wrote out lots of #'s & letters to match up to the 155, 158, 154 &157 - that I understand now but what tabs would 154 &157 play?
but is the GGd like 115 & DDa, EEb, AAe, CCg - what tabs would they play? GGd I play DGd tab, what tabs could CCg play
How many of these can someone make up? Ha, my page now looks like some kind of code, I feel like you could shuffle many of these around to make more & more tunings.
Dusty, thanks the numbers make sense this way.
So, if DAd is 158, any combination of 158 I could play a DAd tab - like your EBe, CGc, Bfb it would just be in a different key but I could play a DAd tab
or DAA 155, again any combination of 155 I could play a DAA tab like FCC, EBB, CGG
what would DGd be 148 but all your numbers are 15 something or GGd ( or is it 115) - i think this doesn't make any sense to me once I get away from the 155 or 158
154 & 157 have their own tabs? Can they be played on just the melody line with any of the other tabs?
How many different tunings can go with the standard tabs of DAdd or DAA or DGD
Is there a list somewhere?
I would like to try a number of different tunings but not sure what they would be or what tab I could play with them. I know theirs #'s 155,158 but I don't understand that, so looking for a list of tunings.
I know ones like CGc, EBe & so on & play the DAd tabs
GGd I just hear the other day, so many I don't know - how would I find out the different tunings?
thanks
Dusty,
Thanks for checking. The thing about a music software is you can put your music into folders so you don't need to go through thousands to find the ones you want. But that is something to consider, I dropbox the tabs to my table anyway - I'll see if I can find another way to open them.
Help:
It seems GigBook has not updated or managed their site in some time. I have a page turn pedal - AirTurn which will not work now with GigBook. I checked & the pedal seems good, I tried another pedal and it also will not turn any music pages in GigBook but will will scroll other programs.
Yikes - now what do I need to transfer all my music files to another app & if so which ones do you fine work well? How hard is it to transfer all the files?
thanks
marg
Below is a short part of Skin & Bones - I did with our dulcimer group Friday -
it's on the Double Dulcimer tuned DAcc & Bass.
The sound from the GT-1 I tried to create something for Halloween
Thanks Skip,
I was able to figure out how to balance the dulcimer & overhang on my lap, that took care of the height and distance problem I was having with it on it's stand.
( Maybe a bass, arpeggio & strum across all of the bass strings to finish.) Now that it's on my lap, I was having fun playing around, picking out notes across the fret boards & harp strings
Fun new adventure,
thanks
Double Dulcimer Harp:
Thought I would let you hear how I have set up the double dulcimer with the harp strings. there is no pickup, it's all just the dulcimer!
Demo: DAd with 3 drone strings as a Bass - the 3 extra strings - A' below c, D & melody d
Demo (Amazing Grace) : DAA with Baritone - but D instead of E
Reaching over to the far fretboard is throwing me off (seems like I'm digging into the strings as I strum) but gives you an idea of the DAA & baritone tone. Distance is a problem, or just me - At the moment the dulcimer is on a stand and I am standing or with a high stool, I find it difficult to play with height & reach. I have not tried on my lap yet but will and hope that will help.
skip: ( overkill) you maybe right. Seems I need to learn how to play it now, I'm like a beginner - strum the drones - always - sometimes - ?? any suggestions will be helpful
(The Cherub violin mic ) Is a mic the same as a pick up, I have seen several listed as I am also looking to some kind of a way hook a pick up on a dulcimer.
Has anyone hear of a passive piezo pickup for nylon strings - Kremona NG-1. It sits on the tie bar utilizing the tension of the strings, so its seems it could sit behind a dulcimer bridge and under the strings for tension also. They are incase in wood and thin, seems we could just loosen the strings than slip them under.
Any thoughts?
