Forum Activity for @john-c-knopf

Congratulations, Aditi!  You have some nice instruments there. 

As for deodorizing, I'd suggest exposing them to sunshine as much as possible-- wind and sun deodorize to some extent.  Or there's Febreze spray, which has helped me in situations over the years. And in extreme situations, there are disaster-relief places like Belfor that can treat them with ozone or some such substance.  After a devastating fire at a place where I worked, they took our furniture and document files and treated them so that they didn't smell like smoke anymore.  Hope this helps!

The dulcimer in the video is NOT a Troublesome Creek dulcimer.  It has a guitar-style head, whereas the Troublesome Creek dulcimers have the short scroll head, with violin-type tuning pegs. 

I'm sure you'll do FINE, Jer!  It's not like rocket surgery or anything...

All of these strings may be old or rusty.  If they aren't new, consider replacing them with the same types.

She was a truly UNIQUE woman, full of extraordinary talent, drive and love.  And she played dulcimers!

And that shape is "a little sexier" than the other ones!  Ooh-la-la!

Wally, I don't know about Prichard's sales methods, but I haven't heard of him using a push-cart like Ed Thomas did. 

I thought Prichard used "sales reps" for his sales?

Tony, I use two .012" plain steel strings and one .022" wound steel string on my Thomas models.  The tuning is either CGG or DAA, and used only for noter/drone style of playing.  I have used 8-gauge and 4-gauge music wire before to make strings, and these are very close to those other diameters.

I can build you an Uncle Ed Thomas dulcimer to order anytime you'd like.  Walnut or painted poplar.

Tony, did you see anything that you like yet?  

Tony, that is what I specialize in!  I make reproductions of several types of historic dulcimores from over 100 years ago.

You can see my website for info and video/sound clips.  I think I can help you.  www.knopfdulcimers.com

The problem is indeed fixable, if not by you, then by an instrument repair technician. 

I would recommend removing this bridge, and replacing it with a new bridge with the exact specifications of this one.

Best wishes on a successful repair!

Thanks, Lisa!  I'm all about traditional looks and sound here.  As you know, these critters are available through my website:   www.knopfdulcimers.com

Old-time enthusiasts are just a click away from owning a re-created piece of dulcimer history!  This is my 16th year of making these exciting old dulcimer designs.  I never thought they'd take off like they did a few years ago.

Go to  www.knopfdulcimers.com  to see more items!

Try it again, Robin.  All of this newfangled technology sometimes frustrates me!

OK, here it is (I think):

"Eagle 250" Singleton dulcimore

Robin, I recorded a brief video this morning, but I don't yet know how to post it here.  I'll keep trying.

Thank you folks for the compliments!  A buyer "might" be looking at this post even now. 

If there are more fans of Uncle Will Singleton's work out there, I might be able to accommodate them, in time!

I've been working on a special dulcimer for the United States' 250th birthday.  It's name is "Eagle 250" and it's a copy of Uncle Will Singleton's design from Viper, KY.  It's poplar with cherry inlays and walnut pegs.  Strictly noter/drone, as all of Will's were back then.

 Eagle 250-1.JPG - 172KB

That's a darlin', Richard!  Begs to be played and enjoyed!

Wondeful news about your husband, Lisa!  I had that surgery and it was ver helpful to me too.

I'm thankful for all the reports from pleasantly-surprised European soccer fans on Facebook.  They are shocked at how PLEASANT we Americans are, and how friendly and helpful, and what a paradise we live in compared to their home countries.  It makes Americans appreciate their 250-year-old republic that much more.

Shopdad, the wood is 3/8" plywood on top, back and sides, and laminated poplar everywhere else.

Here's a better photo taken in Richmond, KY on my tour of the south.

 Eddie at Collier's Music.jpg - 150KB

Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote "America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great."  Seems to me that this might come true, as we celebrate our 250th birthday as a country.

I know all about 6'+ VSLs, having made "Uncle Eddie", the 8' long dulcimer!  When you go THAT long, string THICKNESS becomes an issue as well!  I bought the music wire rolls at W.W. Grainger for that dulcimer.

For temporary use, one could probably throw a few "Desi-Paks" in the instrument case, such as can be seen when electronic items are first unpacked.  Just a thought.

"Blott En Dag!"  Beautiful!  Such a comprehensive overview of the psalmodikon and its construction.  Thank you for this, Alex.

What a tragedy.  I never met Wayne, but have heard his name in dulcimer circles.  Prayers for his wife's recovery and his family's grief.

Sorry, I never heard of, or have I seen, such an object!  I think I would have remembered something like that!

No forum or group like that here, that I know of.  I think it's up to individuals to rescue such dulcimers.

The wrench (probably 10mm or so) is to tighten the bushing thingy to the inside of the dulcimer peghead.  You'll see how to do it when you remove the offending tuner.  Easy-peasy!

A trip to that dulcimer shop in Mountain View is a wonderful thing.  I was able to meet Lynn McSpadden there once, many years ago, and brought my McSpadden dulcimer for him to see.  He could tell how I played it by the condition of the frets.  Lynn was a talented man.

Yes, call the McSpadden folks about this issue, by all means.  And you could try replacing that tuning peg with what we call a "known good peg" to see if the swap improves anything for you.

You're very welcome!  Sam tested one of my creations and give valuable feedback on performance and suggestions on how to improve my design.

You should contact Sam Edelston, a member here.  He plays electric dulcimers of all kinds, and has a large set-up of effects.

John (good name), you have many options from which to choose. 

The most popular option with my customers is to replace the wooden tuners with either "Perfection pegs" by Knilling or Pegheds, which are a similar product.  Both of these mimic ebony violin pegs, but have secret mechanical guts in them which allow for very smooth and very accurate tuning.  They can seem expensive at first, but I hear that they save a LOT of tuning headaches for regular players.  Those with arthritis and other hand issues LOVE them!  And they look like wood pegs.

Machine tuners work well, but I think they are a "visual jar" to the smooth historic lines of a fine dulcimer.

I agree completely with Ken. When I build a modern dulcimer, I tend to use spray semi-gloss clear lacquer such as Deft. It's fast-drying, smooth-coating, and looks fine to me once it's knocked down with steel wool, waxed and buffed.

For historical reproductions, which I'm known for now, I try to replicate the finish that was used by the original builder.  This would include (amber) shellac, flat black milk paint, oil or whatever else I can determine that they used back then.

Great question!

What an excellent update on the work going on in Hindman!  Now folks everywhere can see what's really happening in the factory with these workers in recovery.  Doug has started a meaningful enterprise, with world-class musical instruments being made and lives being changed.

Take a look!

This is indeed sad news.  I visited John at his home many years ago when I started building Thomas dulcimores.  He showed me his shop and his drawings of the Thomas he had measured.  He had a lot of stories to tell, all interesting.

There is an article by him in Foxfire 12.