Forum Activity for @marg

Oh my, great fix idea for a loose sting in a slot. 

Thanks 

Happy for you, winning and enjoying the dulcimer

ken,

Just so I will know, what would be your ' temporary' fix?  

I will probably want to try another tuning at some point and could be back to string problems. I know about putting something in the slot, is there additional find

ken,

I was trying to tune higher from middle string A up to c or d (Fcff or Gdgg) I couldn't turn the 14 that high but the string gage said could do 11. But I think the slot was not meant for an 11, so I changed back to 14 and retuned back to DAdd.

I guess the way I learn the dulcimer is by trying and doing and then re-doing. I had tried putting a bit of paper in the slot but the string still had a ring so just decided to go back to what this dulcimer was design for, a 14. I wasn't ready to fill and recut a slot. 

Thanks, all fixed for now was just trying and learning

m.

I have a middle string that rings. Could it be too thin of a string for that slot? I change from a 14 to 11. If it's moving in the slot, do I put something in the slot with it, or go back to the 14 size string and don't try tuning so high?

thanks

Beautiful sad sound with the bow on the instrument, thanks for sharing the video.

I didn't know the  smithsonian  had contacted Warren, thank you so much for posting this. I am so happy to have one of his special small groundhogs dulcimers. 

m.

Warren says to just use chalk not any of the peg drops. I have a small Warren May 'groundhog' with the wooden tuners, I can use chalk now but not sure what the other owner used or for how long. Most of the pegs do fine but i have one that is a problem, I was wondering if I should switch it around with one of the others, maybe over the years it got into the wrong slot.

Kyodan Yago Mat Bag - I just happen to see it at Marshalls. Only as tall as the W. of a mat

(I never even heard of a yoga mat bag until I read Marg's post!)

Ha, me either and to think the bag was also padded. 

I wish I could say, I had made mine but I didn't. I thought of just getting a table runner and folding over and sewing up the sides. My (new for me dulcimer) is a slander rectangle, so would move around too much in a standard dulcimer bag or case. I went looking for something, maybe a heavy duty laundry bag but ended up with something I had not even thought of,   so funny - 'A yoga mat bag'  

 bag.jpg - 94KB

 Not crocheted or thin but FREE, I use the straps from my suitcases or laptop cases and pin buttons or pins on them

The dulcimer is beautiful, I hope the sound is also wonderful and you have many years enjoying it.

Need to click on the ones (Ed Stilley & Workshop) above on the right, http: didn't show up as I typed it but still can see the videos

Very interesting, thanks for sharing. 

(below the tuners and under the strings)

Didn't know under the strings - 

thanks for the extra details, I was wrapping an extra loop around a tuner to make sure the cord didn't slip off. 

The leather strap or cord we just keep looped or tied around the dulcimer?       

I have sweet dulcimers not needing capital punishment  ;-)  - just looking for a way to hang or mount now that I am getting one more and need to make room/re-arrange and have all at the ready.

What are some of the way you might hang a dulcimer? I am looking for a different way to hold my dulcimers and I am interested in how or what materials you use in holding your dulcimer, say on a wall without worry of slipping.

 ( check the first fret and see if the length of the first fret is less than the length of the second fret.  The first fret is shorter than the 2nd fret distance and so it is a just intonation)

Wow, is this how we can tell Just intonation on all dulcimers? Is there also a way to tell equal temperament?

Paula,

Haven't used a possum board for long but have made two, last one much better - lighter and can fit most any dulcimer but if I made another one and raised the part to hold the dulcimer and made it only pencil wide, I'm sure it would make the dulcimer sound different. Other members will have a better answer but below is what I have found out so far as I am learning about the possum board and what it brings to the dulcimer.

1.  What I have found, using only mine is it does raise the dulcimer up a bit on your lap so you will need to readjust your playing style some.

2.  Where the board would fit any dulcimer, not all dulcimers sound good on it. My McSpadden maybe doesn't need one, since I fell it bounces the sound around more than boosts the sound.

3.  If you add felt so the dulcimers doesn't get scratch or if any loose clothing overlaps the board and makes contact you will damper the sound.

I would bring the dulcimer you most want to put on a board or several dulcimers to Jm's and try it or them out. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Have you seen some of Christine Shoemaker's videos, she has a dulciborn but just got a Gold Tone custom chromatic 5-string bartione dulciborn  

She is a member so you could search for her on FOTMD    

Frank Ledgerwood was a member but I do not see him now, can still see some of his videos on youtube, with these I just fell in love with the sound f the dulcimer

     Well,  Lowe's only sells fan blades in a package of 4 but the lumber section had some nice wood about the size of a fan blade and less expensive. I followed the 1/4" measurements but I ended up not putting the inserted wood at the ends, I thought it sounded better placing it in more. Anyway very simple to make, very light and cost about $5. for the materials.

    Photo attached, remember it's a very simple P. board but works and doesn't change the tone. Not having sides I can slide the dulcimer up or back or use for all of the ones I have.

thanks everyone, again

 p. board.jpg - 48KB

Sorry this is an older post but i am just now reading it, I have a dulciborn and once I lowered the action it wasn't hard to fret and yes the sound is incredible. 

 Not sure this ever got to you, posted it 3 weeks ago

Posted a response to   "Morgan McKay Dulcimer"

 I did not know John but I am very sorry for his passing and for the sadness it brings to his family and friends and his music that will be missed. He posted on his site that one of his favorite songs was -  Whiskey Before Breakfast'.  

As someone who was active with FOTMD and it's members, maybe a few of you could post the playing of 'Whiskey Before Breakfast' for John

Great posts, love all the responses.

    I love each of my dulcimers but only have 2 hands so some need to wait their turn to play.  I also have a McSpadden FM 12-W, a small Warren May - a ground hog more for travel, a new TK O'Brien I just picked up in the NC mountains, my first dulcimer, a John Naylor and the 'red stain' one - more for the kids to strum on or travel (a good dulcimer to learn all about fixing a dulcimer with). Since I have only been home less than a week, I am spending a good bit of time with the new O'Brien but will be playing at a nursing home in a week with the McSpadden. I did have them all down last night trying out their sound on a possum board, not sure that counts. Interesting discussion since if I was to answer a week ago or next week it may be different. 

    Every dulcimer comes with great stories and their own sweet sounds.

Thanks Ken, I like the idea if a hollowed box as too a fan blade. Will see what I end up with my next possum board. Maybe the difference is the height I have now on mine, after I rejusted it for a larger dulcimer - To me the tone changed and sounds terrible. 

Is there a difference of tone depending on what wood the possum board is make from, or the height from the board to the dulcimer?

    I needed to make an adjustment on a possum board I had made, that raised the dulcimer up and I found the tone was much more brighter than when I just play the dulcimer.

Is there a best distance to try for or any height or space between the possum board and the dulcimer is ok? Do certain woods bounce back the sound better than others? real woods vs plywood - Hard vs soft woods -  distance to dulcimer  - does each of these cause the dulcimer to vibrate differently or sound different?

thanks  

Thanks Annie, can't wait till I can be there. This coming Friday or Saturday maybe

Oh, I have one of those, didn't know what it was for - came in a nice set of different type of pliers.

Great, will try them.

Thamks

I use 'needle nose pliers to clip'  but it is never close enough and leaves just a bit of wire. No problem with that but will try the 'back & forth' and compare. I need to be more consistent in how I do it so each is done similar and not each string different since I am still learning. I have gone through the holes twice and have tried over and under - the first way is harder to get off and the second way is still not very  neat. Still needing practice but what I do holds, just isn't right yet.

thanks

I make loop ends out of ball end strings this way - pushing the other end through but I'm always at a lost as to how to finish the strings off neatly. I will try Butch's way, over than under and under and under than back & forth till it breaks off.

Sounds good, thanks Dusty

 annie,

I will be traveling to Asheville, NC in a few days. I plan on going to Black Mt.  to see and play or hear a few of their dulcimers. Any other comments you have on the shop or the town would be most helpful.

thanks

marg

(the heavier string I had put on that day was just a bit wider then the originals and that was what was causing the issue.)

This may very well be the problem, I will check this out - if it is sitting in the slot.

thanks so much

.24 - .26 wound string is what I use.  Flappy as in maybe strumming too hard and the string jumps back vibrating flappy, hard to explain. No problem with easy strums, maybe instead of strumming across I go down some. Need to see if I can figure it out. Trying to figure out somethings is sometimes harder than fixing the problem but I will. Strange it's only a problem with the Mcspadden, beautiful voice just flappy a bit sometimes on the bass string.

thanks, as always

some of the discussions:

Possum Boards revisited

New Possum Board  

Possum Board Question: Pros And Cons  

 If you do a search on possum board you will find lots of good info on the forum discussions on what they are for and now to make one, as in part of the post below - I hope you don't mind ken my reposting part of your post.

Ken posted:

"Dulcimer on a table - whether 5/8" or 3" thick -- is better than dulcimer on the lap.  The lap is soft and absorbs sound. Tables are hard and reflect sound making the dulcimer louder.  However.  Dulcimer suspended even 1/8" above a "table" gives you even more volume because it frees up the entire back of the instrument so it can vibrate."

I have a bass string that is flappy, I have a 26 on it -  Mcspadden 28.5.

    It had a 24 but that was flappy also, am I going the wrong way. I wanted a deepper bass. Yes, I know about the string calculator,  it has a really low gage size, I have never used a bass that size (19- 20)  Mcspadden has string set they sell with .023 for the bass - so my question on the flappy bass, what size should I be looking for? There isn't much difference between 23 & 24 and the 24 was also flappy.

   What can I use for a good bass sound but not flappy.

Thanks