Dusty, thanks for your helpful reply. I went to my local office supply store and bought a webcam. While there I looked at the Blue Yeti mic. I will buy that in a week or two. Can't wait to start noodling around with this stuff. Should be fun! I'm sorry I put my question re tech stuff in the wrong place.But I did get more helpful info directly from you. Thanks again!
Hi, Dusty - greetings from SW Western Australia. Been a long time. I'm working on "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," finger style. It's kind of a funny choice because my wonderful other half brings me flowers often, but I do love the song, anyway! Not sure, but I may still be the only mountain dulcimer player in Western Australia. 
It's a lonely road. Your 'Moon Shadow' sounds good. I don't think I would have thought to try that on dulcimer, but you make it work. Onya!! I have a probably unrelated reason for writing. I looked at a post you made with Anne Bowman like 10 years ago about microphones. My old computer has neither a camera nor a mike. I want to join in on the many dulcimer social sites but can't record or film myself because I don't know how or have the equipment. You recommended a Samson something-or -other mike, but from 10 years ago, surely there are improvements? Can you tell me what you use these days? Also, what about a camera? Any and all help would be much appreciated. Thanks in anticipation.
Maddie, thank you so much for donating to help keep us running. Yes, that name is me. (I don't use my real name online when I can avoid it.)
Your donation was received! 
(and thanks John, for clarifying)
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Maddie, Lisa is her real name. It's OK!
Maddie
When you work on a song, you get better at that song. But when you work on your technique, you get better at every song you play.
Hi, Strumelia - I just tried to donate US$20 with PayPal and it was to be donated to a Lisa ____(??). Then said there was a problem and try again. Until I know who Lisa ____ is, I await your response. Otherwise, happy to donate. Thanks, Maddie in SW Western Australia.
Strumelia, I had to laugh at what you said about changing strings. I absolutely HATE changing strings! I don't know why find it so tedious to do, especially when one has so many instruments. So, like you, I do it only when it can't be avoided any longer - like when I can see the rust on the strings and they sound totally dead. I think with guitars, because it takes so long before the strings settle down and stop going out of tune right away. Annoying! Dulcimers hold tuning so much longer! 
Thanks, Dusty. Yeah, I didn't expect it to sound great but I'll be traveling in the US and won't have access to my regular amps at home in Oz. I'll be dying to try out my new baritone - as better than nothing 
Yeah, I'm a little out of control with dulcimers and a few other things with strings: I have a standard McSpadden, McCafferty, Keith Young, 5-string Homer Ledford, a Clemmer Banjammer, and a huge standard I made from a kit (I call it The Boat). It doesn't yet know if it's a boat, standard, baritone or a bass. I have a McCafferty baritone on order to collect next month in the States. My other noisemakers are 3 banjos, 3 guitars, waaay too many harmonicas, a panflute, and an electric bass I'm giving to my grandson who wants to play in the school jazz band. I gave my Native American flute to my son who cast covetous glances at it. Just a final thought: How come nobody ever comments on how much money it costs to keep all these babies in fresh strings !?! 
Can I plug my baritone dulcimer into a bass amp with no ill effects and will the sound be ok?
Thanks, Maddie
oh oh....Maybe the bridge was supposed to be movable!!!!! I NEVER glue my bridges down. I adjust intonation of my dulcimers by making my bridges FLOATING. I know there's been discussions on this before. And I know that some ONLY glue them down or make a little trough to set the bridge in. However, when I've found these old home made dulcimers and fixed 'em up......OFTEN that little trough is way off and that dulcimer was never in tune. Before you glue it down, string up the dulcimer. The strings will hold that floating bridge down. Using a app on your phone or a tuner....... On the lowest string first pluck it to a D or C........ THEN pluck the 7th fret. If it is a perfect octave, your bridge is in the right place. I go even further to see if the 14th fret is 2 octaves perfect. Now if it's SHARP, lower your floating bridge by moving it away from the top of the dulcimer. If's it's FLAT, move that floating bridge up. ALL IN TINY MOVES. Now you can do that with each string after that. Sometimes you'll have the bridge too high....sometimes too low. And as we've talked on here before. Your string height up at the NUT of the dulcimer should be close to a DIME (money) distance. Down at the lower strumming part of the strings, it should be about a Nickle's worth of distance from fret wire to the string.
I read this over and over, I sure hope this is clear. Please anyone help correct me if this doen't make sense. I've loved it when I've made fixed bridges on repair dulcimers become floating bridges. I "think" I hear the dulcimer say, "whew, finally I'm in tune!!" The dulcimer surely has a sweet tone when they are IN TUNE!! aloha, irene
Hi, Dusty - I just checked into the FOMD site for the first time in a long time and came across your request for the Randy Wilkinson Elizabethan Music for Dulcimer book. I have a book by Wilkinson entitled "Randy Wilkinson Elizabethan Dulcimer." published in 1982 by Kicking Mule. It says it goes with the album KM226. I would be happy to give it to you. However, I live in Australia and would have to post it from there, so I will need your postal address, and perhaps you real name, unless you regularly get mail addressed to Dusty Turtle and your mailman doesn't get hostile about it.
Cheers, Maddie Myers in Western Australia
