What do the 2 jacks look like? A 1/4" phone jack is pretty much the standard for guitars, amps, mikes, etc.
Sometimes you run across a 1/8" phone jack, in which case you can get a little adapter to go from one to the other.
You need to figure out your intended clientele, I think. Give the customer what s/he is looking for, whatever it is. More frets, fewer frets.
There are so many configurations available now that it makes one's head spin. Many times a dulcimer is no longer just a dulcimer.
How about cutting some of all types, and using the desired one on a particular build.
There are photos of this dulcimer already on my FOTMD page (and a soundclip), and on my website, but new ones with the new owner will be great!
Robin, that's the one he's getting! I'll have to make another one for me...
I'm convinced that it's a McSpadden kit. The scroll and tuners as well as the walnut plywood are giveaways. My first kit looked like that exactly!
Here comes 2016 -- a brand new year, with no mistakes... yet!
Happy New Year to one and all.
Is it a painted finish? Or stain, or oxidation? Who was the builder?
George, you can't go wrong with a Warren May dulcimer. They are high-quality from a man who's made thousands of them now.
Yep, it was a fun time, and the weather was great. Lots of music, history, friends, and good times.
Things in Hindman seem to be progressing well now. And the new dulcimer museum is fantastic!
You can also try a nearby Guitar Center store. They sell strings separately by gauge at the parts counter.
If you don't need the brass "ball" on the end of some strings, you can carefully remove it by squeezing it sideways with large pliers. It will fracture and collapse into 2 or 3 pieces which can then be removed, leaving a plain loop at the end.
I wouldn't use nylon or gut strings on a modern dulcimer. They were made to use steel strings.
If a friction peg slips, the screw on the end needs to be tightened, that's all.
There are two flat fiber washers with each peg, which fit between the pegbox and the tuner halves. These are the friction parts, which will eventually wear out. No other material will work properly, as far as I know. The pegs work by squeezing the wood between the parts of the pegs.
Hello! Yes, there are several types of tuners out there, all of which serve to tighten a string to pitch. Some do it more effectively than others. The difference is in their price, style, materials used, and appearance.
You could use screw eyes as they used to put on Tennessee music boxes, or use so-called zither pins which have a fine thread that goes down into solid wood. These are more difficult to use than the others, and are not suited to constant re-tuning. Getting them to the exact spot you want is not easy! And zither pins require a separate key or wrench to adjust.
Violin pegs could be used, or Perfection pegs which are actually geared mechanical pegs made to look like wooden pegs. Both of these require fitting their tapers to reamed holes by a qualified luthier.
Planetary pegs, such as the ones made by Waverly, are large and expensive, but very smooth in operation.
Guitar machines range from the very cheap, open-geared type to smooth-working, sealed Grover or Gotoh types with beautiful finishes.
Friction pegs are made for banjos, but work well with dulcimers. They don't like the heavier-gauge strings, however, and have a hard time holding them up to pitch. The strength of grip is adjusted by means of a screw in the end of the knob.
You can usually replace one type of tuner with another, depending on how the holes in the pegbox are done. Holes that are too large can be plugged and redrilled, but it's a lot of work.
As far as my Number 1 choice goes, it depends on what dulcimer I'm working on. Historic reproductions get tuners that are appropriate to their style (usually handcarved wooden pegs). Modern dulcimers can be fitted with just about any of the types. If price (and space) were no object, I'd use the planetary tuners.
Another legendary builder has passed from our scene. May God comfort his family.
Tuner replacement is a pretty easy process, usually. Especially this kind, where you're not dealing with a violin taper in the holes. New tuners are inexpensive and quite simple to install if you're handy with tools. You could go with straight banjo pegs or right-angle guitar tuning pegs.
This is interesting.
I remember the sound of the dulcimer in the pilot episode, but I don't remember Judy Collins playing one in the other episode. Nor do I remember the wedding episode. Guess I'll look at them again on my DVD. Thanks for the link!
You can also check out bulk strings at www.cbgitty.com
I think all of them are the "ball-end" type with the brass rings, not the plain loops, but I use them here.
You're welcome, Lawrence.
I suggest you find other examples of dulcimers at a music store or at a festival, and compare them to yours.
The quality varies quite widely, from cheap cardboard kits to fabulous works of art such as Blue Lion dulcimers.
Some of us on this site recreate historically significant dulcimers of the past, so that today's enthusiasts can experience first-hand what it's like to play an old-fashioned instrument for a reasonable price.
Lawrence, I haven't seen this type of Hughes dulcimer before.
Most Hughes dulcimers I've seen are what I 'd consider low-grade instruments made of lauan (Philippine mahogany) plywood, and simply built.
From the photo, I'd say that you have a medium-quality dulcimer, however I can't play it or examine it from here.
It looks like a step or two up from their usual range of dulcimers.
Thanks, Rob! Brings back happy memories of that time.
You could also consider the "Sweet Song" kits from McSpadden. I've made several, and they all turned out very nicely.
As a luthier, I've run across several dulcimers that have needed major repairs done. Some of them were my own! I think of the time I sprayed finish on one and had it hanging upside down to dry. Only it didn't stay hanging -- it fell and busted its head on the floor! Fortunately I could piece the splintered wood back together again, and the repair is almost unnoticeable.
I'm sure some of you builders have "tales of woe and intrigue" regarding old or damaged dulcimers that have looked almost beyond hope of saving. How about sharing one or two?
Can't really remember that far back, when I'se a youngun, but it was probably "Amazing Grace". It was the mid-seventies, and dulcimers were beginning to get more popular, but were played mostly Jean Ritchie-style.
I'll guess a whopping 495, and I don't know why.
Hi, Babs!
The usual spacing between the 2 melody strings (in a course) is 1/8". I have seldom seen any variation in that. It seems to be a good spacing, and most builders use it. I think if the strings were set closer together, they might clash with one another in some situations. A little extra space would likely be OK, but you need to allow for it when playing.
This is just one of many "cans of worms" that may be opened when discussing the building of dulcimers!
Learn. Experiment. Have some fun! Sure, you'll make some mistakes along the way, but we all do.
You can make a simple dulcimer and have fun, or you can dig as deep into the technical aspects of design as you want.
There's room for all of it here.
I assume dulcimers to be female -- especially the hourglass dulcimers, for obvious reasons.
Mr. B. B. King named his guitar "Lucille", so why not name our dulcimers girl's names?
Anyway, there doesn't seem to be any hard and fast rule about it.
One could argue the case for Galax dulcimers being male by observing their pot-bellied appearance.
Kitty,
I've been naming my dulcimers for a couple years now. I think I first read of the idea from Clare Chu.
My dulcimers have names derived from the Bible (KJV), and are usually from the Psalms. I think of an appropriate word to use from a verse, then I cite the entire verse on an inside label. For example, my wormy chestnut dulcimer is named "Heritage" from the verse in Psalm 16:6: "The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places, yea, I have a goodly heritage." And I wanted the name to have a historic sound, since the chestnut wood I used to make it was over 100 years old, and the dulcimer design was, too.
To answer your question about possible woods used, I"d say mostly walnut, with some pretty figured (burl or crotch figure) bookmatched walnut on the back, and an unknown wood --possibly spruce or similar softwood--on the top. The tuning pegs look like Brazilian rosewood to me. It looks like the original fret spacing on the fretboardwas cut inaccurately, and an overlay was glued on and new fret slots cut in it. The nut and bridgelook to berecent replacements for what was originally a paired melody string setup. Note the grooves worn in the tailblock.
What surprises me is the different levels of finish and craftsmanship evident in this dulcimer. Somebody who takes the time and effort to carve a scroll, fit friction pegs to the holes and bookmatch beautiful figured wood on the back should show similar care in doing the tailpiece joinery. Maybe some of a fine dulcimer was rebuilt by an amateur?
Cindy,
Looking at the new photos of the side of the head and the knob glued on the end, I'd say it's very consistent with early Folkcraft dulcimer design. They've changed designs over the years. The tail end is different than what I'd expect, but the peghead looks very familiar to me.
Cindy, it could be a Folkcraft teardrop dulcimer kit.
What's your DULCIMER'S name?