I've Just Bought a BANJO !!!!
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
Congratulations Robin, that sounds amazing for a couple of weeks study.
Had a guy at the club who went from concertina to banjo in 3 months flat, and good too.
john p
Forum Activity for @john-p
Dusty Turtle said:
There is a group here at FOTMD entitled "I have extra frets," which sounds like the opening line of a 12-step group: "Hello, my name is Dulci and I have extra frets.I knew I had a serious problem when after getting a 1-1/2 fret one day I was banging on my luthier's door at 4:00
AMbegging
for more."
I got a good laugh out of thatjohn p
These extra frets have been added to increase the flexability of the instrument when it's in the hands of more modern players.
The pure diatonic scale is a bit restrictive if you play outside of the older traditional style, but that's not to say you can't play in the traditional manner if they have been fitted.
Most common is the 6+ fret, one of it's immediate effects is to allow you to play the Major scale starting at the open string as well as the more normal 3rd fret you would be restricted to on a pure diatonic instument.
In fact many makers now add the 6+ as a matter of course, and only supply a pure diaonic scale to order, used to be the other way about.
The other common extra is the 1+, used by blues players I believe.
After that I think most players would go to a fully chromatic fretboard.
john p
What kinds of tunes do you most like to play on your mtn dulcimer?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Favourite would be folk ballads I guess, anything that tells a story.
I like a good dance tune as well but my playing style is not always up to speed on some of them.
I often have current favourites too, something I've just discovered and can't leave alone for a while.
Or I'll get into a particular mode and find a few favourites that get played to death until I retune. I'm on Aeolian at the moment and playing 'Son Ar Chistr' a lot(Breton cider drinking song), also part of some Spanish tune that's really well known but can't remember the name of.
john p
John Henry..thought I'd share
OFF TOPIC discussions
Easier to smuggle in some wire and string up the bedpan :)
john p
John Henry..thought I'd share
OFF TOPIC discussions
Thanks Rod, I was thinking of giving him a bell earlier today.
Let's hope he'll be back with us soon enough.
john p
Show us your sound holes!
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Even the classic 4 of hearts holds up well.
I'd always got the impression that asking beginners to remove one of the melody strings was to do with helping them get started without having to worry about the double course spreading or pinching under their fingers, or otherwise becoming derailed.
[Additional] DAD as a standard tuning really only applies to chord or multi string playing because of the notes available on the other strings. The 6+ fret giving an extra mode applies just as well to any tuning really if you stick to melody style.john p
How many dulcimers do you own... lets see the lists..
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I know it's Utile for sure, I carved it myself
The more unusual wood there is the steamed beech. We used to use it for high quality storage cases as it's pollutant free. Ideal for fretboaards though because of it's resistence to abrasion.Don't ever mention the word Meranti again. I've taken more splinters off of that damn stuff than all the other woods put together.john p
How many dulcimers do you own... lets see the lists..
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Spruce and African mahog.Bob ChristianNorth DevonDecember 75New head in utile, new fretboard in steamed beech, various splits mended etc.By far my favourite.Big old curly maple and spruce 6 1/2 fret.#8 February 1975AberdeenMichael MacGowan(Label not too clear).John Pearse model, out on loanCheap Romanian teardrop, out on loanSpruce and walnut, pin tunerscirca 1980-90 bought in YorkRecently aquired and in need of a set up.Another John Pearse.Couple of newly mades, neither set up to my liking yet.john p
Not to keen on the loop through method, though I've used it often enough, it's seems to create a weak point where the string often breaks.The ferrule is invariable made of brass and will crack up and drop out if you squeeze it with a pair of pliers.Be careful doing this that you don't put any pressure on the string itself or scratch it with the jaws of the pliers. I use flat jawed pliers(rather than the more usual serrated ones) so that tape trick would be a good idea.john p
A W Jeffreys Jr.
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Had a chance to play the Bond that Geoff has and it was certainly not what I was expecting.
The only other Frank Bond I've ever seen was more than 30 years ago, so my memory of it is very sketchy. As I remember it was a typical slim hourglass style, spruce top, mahogany? body, fiddle edges, fiddle pegs, rusty strings. Far more silvery sound than to the one I had at the time(still have).
john p
A W Jeffreys Jr.
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Hi Geoff, there's a wonderful photo of Frank Bond in 'The Dulcimer Book' (John Pearse), using his boot as a 'third hand', fag in his mouth ... typical British workman.
He's wearing a tradesman's apron as well, something rarely seen these days. I used to wear one when I was frame making, but went for the more sporting look with the tummy hitch to raise the hem above the knee 
john p