I'm also a leftie that plays right-handed and started on guitar as a teenager. I've always thought of it as an advantage since my most dexterous hand is the one forming the chords. Someone told me once that on a dulcimer your strumming hand is the meat and potatoes. Your fretting hand is just the gravy!
Dusty, I'm a little late for IADD but that tune of yours works for any day! Love it!
Yes, it's true. A good friend of mine, John Hawk, has been the Modern Mountain rep for many years and he confirmed that David is no longer building dulcimers.
I had Bill for several workshops at Mountain Dulcimer Week in Cullowhee. What a fine gentleman, great teacher, and musician. I don't own one of his dulcimers but know many people who do and love them!
R.I.P. Bill
Richard Beard has been building for a long time.
I happened to be watching the news on WLOS when they aired this story. Melanie and Mack Johnston are good friends of mine and we play together whenever possible. Melanie is also a whiz with Tabledit and teaches classes on it at festivals.
I just talked to John Hawk who is a dealer for MMD. He told me the action should be the width of a nickel sitting on top of the seventh fret. Most people buy MMD's because of the low action. I have 2 myself and to me the action is perfect.
This video was taken on October 9, 2013-Fran Cargill's 93rd birthday. She is accompanied by Sally DeLawter. Fran passed to her heaven ly home April 10, 2017. There is beautiful dulcimer music and singing in heaven today!
I stick mine on the back below about the tenth fret. Works well and doesn't get in the way of strumming. In the attached picture I'm using it and you can't even tell it's there.
With the lever down loosen the nut on the end so it will fit on the fret board. Place on the fret board with the lever still down and tighten screw till it fits as needed. Then release lever to remove. It is now set.
Looks like it could be a Edd Presnell. Here's a link that has one.
I should have said that the strings I referenced above are the ones that come on a MMD (David McKinney's default strings).But you can order individual strings from juststrings.com in whatever gauges you like
I use .012, .014, .024 on my Modern Mountain dulcimer. Here's a good place to order them.
http://prussiavalley.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=59_66&products_id=346
The best external pickup I have found is a Schatten Dualie. Depending on what kind of amp you have, it may require a preamp. I stick it on the back of my dulcimer so it is not in the way. here's a link to it on Amazon:
Also, the best acoustic amp I have found is a Fishman Loudbox Mini. It weighs only 20 pounds and no preamp needed.
CJ, don't go over tothe dark side!!!!
The stand is adjustable for width and depth-I think it would work for just about any guitar.
Hey CJ, I use a guitar stand-the kind that doesn't have an upper part.It adjusts to fit any dulcimer or guitar. Our friend Dave-O uses guitar stands with the upper part but he modifys them to fit his MMD's (which he has many of)
Hey Julie, a friend of mine has one and he tunes in Dad but an octave higher than a standard dulcimer. When he and I play together, that is our favorite combination of dulcimers to play. Go to my page and listen to Possum Up a Gumstump. That's a Modern Mountain dulcimer (played by me) and a 6 string Ron Ewing dulcimette (played by John Hawk).
Hope this helps!
Phil
Strumelia said:Robin Thompson said:How shall we mark the day?
I'm thinking I'll listen to our official song a time or two.
Ah yes...the official theme song.
Strumelia, I'd play our official tune if I knew it. Who knows, maybe I'll learn it by Thursday.
Phil, are there many other dulcimer players in your neck of the woods?
