Forum Activity for @john-c-knopf

Yes, indeed, Happy Thanksgiving to all of us here.  There is so much to be thankful for.  I think of the old hymn "We Gather Together" every Thanksgiving.  It's a good one to play on the dulcimer.

Hello, Jack!  Welcome to the party!

You could try looking up Ocooch Hardwoods for thin, very good quality wood.  They cater to laser engravers and scroll-sawers, but will cut to the sizes you want also.

CBGitty has many inexpensive parts to choose from.  They cater to cigar-box guitar builders, but us as well.

Have fun!

Have a look at my website if you need a historic reproduction of a dulcimer (or "dulcimore") made for your enjoyment.  These are noter-drone dulcimers, made just like the ones you read and hear about from time to time. www.knopfdulcimers.com

Alex, I think it was for family continuity and for entertainment in a time where computers, TVs and to some extent radio was non-existent.  Folks had to have entertainment of SOME kind, and this was an enjoyable way to spend some family time.

One thing I've noticed is how many of these songs dealt with disasters, death, sickness, loss of dear ones, etc.  Theirs was a hard existence in a hilly country that made farming and life in general very difficult.  The tunes often were in minor keys as well.

That's just what I was thinking!  One of those aggravating "OOPS!" situations that happen to a builder from time to time.   The solution is to play it up somehow, with some decoration or a nameplate or something!  Then tell folks "that's the way it's SUPPOSED TO look!"

JD, one of our members here, Ken Hulme, wrote a very helpful lesson on just such a situation. 

It's called "I Just Got A Dulcimer. Now What?"  He will no doubt be posting a message for you soon!

$300 sounds like a good, solid value to me.  It's a beauty!

Look up "Mark Blair Dulcimers" on Facebook.  There is a page there of photos of Mark's work.  He passed away several years ago according to the posts there.

Vicrich, you have a beautiful dulcimer there! 

I don't recognize it right off, either, but it seems to be well-designed and assembled by somebody.  The soundhole patterns intrigue me.  They remind me somewhat of Ben Seymour's hole patterns on his Galax dulcimers.

That's the only type of dulcimer I can think of that would need one of those --  a bowed dulcimer.

Not to mention a table saw, bandsaw, jointer/planer, drill press, belt/disc sander, etc., etc... And electricity, of course.

$500 seems reasonable for a Mize.  Bob was a master craftsman of dulcimers, so if it's in great shape, then that seems like a fair price to me.

Those prices seem fair.  McSpadden does excellent quality work, and their dulcimers hold their value pretty well.  I've owned a couple of all-walnut McSpaddens and have no complaints about any of them.

Hi, Alex!  Welcome to our happy little group of dulcimer fans.  Detroit weather now is overcast and pleasantly cool.  With occasional sprinkles. 

So, to answer your Question #2, I have been a leftie all my life (physically, not politically), and have always played dulcimer "right-handed", or the usual way folks play it.  I built a left-handed J. E. Thomas replica dulcimore for a guy, and found it to be an interesting experience.  He seemed happy with it-- I've heard no complaints as of yet. 

 As to Questions #1, #3 and #4, No, no and no.  Hope you have fun with our dulcimer gang!

Good going!  We're happy that you got a nice dulcimer at a nice price.  To me it sounds like you bought a McSpadden dulcimer kit that was assembled by Bob Thomason. 

McSpadden makes great kits. I've assembled several over the years, and in fact i have one now that I assembled, but swapped out the walnut top it came with for a custom buckeye one that looks like birch or spruce.  Looks and sounds great.

My friend Richard has given you some solid advice.  Check the tuning pegs as well, for smooth turning.  And listen for any buzzing sounds as you play it.  Hopefully there won't be any, but if so, they can be fixed pretty easily.  Sounds like you found a treasure!

Jon, I think that would be a good idea myself.  That way they won't stretch out unevenly over time.  Throwing some of those little dessicant packs in the case to keep down moisture might be a good idea as well.

Well, John and Lisa, I've been building dulcimers for over 50 years now, and I've already made tens of dollars...

Planetary pegs are probably the best type of tuning peg to use on a dulcimer.  They are also the most expensive, but consider how they're made:  There is a main shaft with a gear on it in the center of the peg's casing, with 3 planetary gears arranged around it that make the turning action smooth and accurate, and change the turns ratio from 1:1 to something like 4:1.

Very nice!  One suggestion springs to mind, seeing all of that face carving:  Ron Cook of Ron Cook Studios in California.  Ron built many, many instruments (including dulcimers) in the past, but is now retired. 

He is famous for putting intricate carvings of faces on his dulcimers, and although THESE faces look somewhat different than Ron's faces, it's a possibility.  (On the other hand, I think Ron put labels in all of his instruments, so there's that).

Good luck in finding out more of your dulcimer's history!

Depends on if you want it to sound like a mandolin or a "real" dulcimer.

It resmbles a McSpadden teardrop dulcimer, but the use of 5 pieces on the back sets it apart.  Also the red color is different, and the type of tuners. It may be a homemade copy of a McSpadden.

Dulcimore Dan is an I.D. Stamper fan!   I.D. used those long, jangly, low-pitched strings on his dulcimers.

Has the dulcimer playing of artists such as Brian Jones or Joni Mitchell or Cyndi Lauper or Dolly Parton made a measurable difference?  I don't know.

Maybe Ms. Swift should consider playing a dulcimer, if she could only sit down for two minutes in her concerts.  Attention would certainly be drawn to the dulcimer in such a situation.

Hello!  Welcome to this site!  We're happy to help you out with your questions about your McSpadden dulcimer.

Regarding the light scratches on your fretboard, you could use some liquid wax polish on the entire top surface, applied with some fine (000) steel wool, let dry then buff off the wax. This would also shine the frets at the same time!

The wood is black walnut, and everything but the top, bottom and sides should be solid wood all the way through. Light sanding should be OK.  McSpadden didn't stain any parts-- it's all clear lacquer finish on the walnut.

Adding strap buttons is as easy as you say. I would center the tail button under the endpins.  Drill a pilot hole for the screw in the tailblock, put a dab of soap or wax on the point of the screw, and attach the button. The top button can be attached to the heel of the peghead, either at the end or on the right side. This is a solid block of walnut.

These McSpadden dulcimers always had 4 strings. The six slots are there in the nut and bridge to allow for two different stringing configurations: In the equidistant string set-up, you set the first melody string in Slot 1, the bass string in Slot 6, and put the other two strings in Slots 3 and 5.  In the double-melody set-up, you put the first and second melody strings in Slots 1 and 2, the bass string in Slot 6, and the last string in Slot 4.  So you play the first 2 melody strings as one string.

Have fun!

That looks almost like a full-chromatic fret pattern.   It would be hard for me to play without the more familiar diatonic pattern.  Hope you can have some musical fun with it!

Maddie, Lisa is her real name.  It's OK!

And a Bonnie Annie to you as well, Strumelia!  Your old illustrations are wonderful!

You're entirely welcome, friends!   I'm glad to be able to contribute to a discussion now and then.

The reason I was so sure of the provenance of the dulcimer kit is that I used to study (and drool over) the brochures and catalogs that The Dulcimer Shoppe put out in the early 70s.  And I remembered the shape of that model dulcimer (T8-W), and the non-completed f-holes, which drove me nuts!  The builder had to complete the cutouts if  they wanted proper f-holes. 

I believe this dulcimer kit shares most of the parts of the M8-W kit that I bought as my FIRST dulcimer in 1974!  That's right-- I've built all shapes and sizes of these critters for 50 years now.

Marg, that is, for sure, an early teardrop kit from McSpadden, which was known as The Dulcimer Shoppe back then.  The shape of the scroll was called a leprechaun curl, and the other kits had them also until they switched to guitar-type pegheads.

I've used Franklin Titebond wood glue for years and am happy with it,  I can heat a bad joint and pop it open quite easily if needed.  And it's quite strong for my purposes.

I'd guess the McSpaddens used wood glue for assembly.  I don't think super glue was "a thing" way back then.

If the nut and bridge were glued in the traditional way, they'd only have a drop or two of glue holding them into their slots, making them easier to remove with a sideways tap of a hammer as mentioned below.  

You don't want to use a nut blank of different thickness than that of the original one.  You'd be asking for trouble.  See if a guitar shop like Guitar Center sells something you could use.  And mask-up if you cut bone, as it's nasty stuff to breathe!

Hello!  The generally-accepted spacing between melody strings is 1/8" or so.  It can be less, but there's a danger that the strings might touch each other when vibrating if they're tuned to a low note, and they get "floppy".  Professional guitar repairmen use a combination of (believe it or not) super glue and baking soda to repair or fill gaps in bone or plastic nuts. First the gap is slightly overfilled with a dab of baking soda, then a tiny amount of super glue is added to bind it all together.  The resulting material is very strong, and must be trimmed back with a file.  Setting time is nearly instantaneous!  Be careful!

You have an excellent quality dulcimer kit. Congratulations!  It should turn out wonderfully when assembled with care.

Thanks, Ken for the virtual tour.  It looks like a fascinating exhibit.  Reminds me of the Museum of Appalachia as well as the Ferrum College temporary exhibit that Ralph Lee Smith and Roddy Moore put together years ago.

Capewavedancer, on another note, it looks to me like you have happened upon an incredible Bob Mize dulcimer!  The top looks like wormy chestnut, which is rare and wonderful.  Get some new strings on it, and ENJOY!  Congratulations!

That's the way to prove your point, brother!  Sounds like an old Andy Griffith Show episode, don't it?

Yes, old dulcimers were quiet instruments, almost always played in the home.  No big concerts back then.  They were just meant to accompany singing, like Jean Ritchie demonstrated. 

Thanks for posting this, sir!