Okay, I'm gonna revive this thread because I want to know the best way to use my little amp with my dulcimers who aren't fortunate enough to have an internal pickup. I have a little mic I can clip onto a plastic thumb pick that is wedged into a sound hole, but that doesn't work my small blue lion holes. Any other suggestions? Yall are using a lot of terms I don't understand. :)
I have three stands from Lee in Ohio, but I need two more quickly. Can anyone point me to a stand I can buy quickly, even a guitar stand off of amazon? If this isn't allowed on here, please PM me. I need something quickly. Thank you!
Jan, if you don't have Anne Lough's Celtic Treasures or Joe Collin's Simply Celtic, and you love Celtic, then yes, by all means, get those books! They are both fantastic!!
Julie! I am in Larry's book RIGHT this second, haha! Have you played Bridget Cruise. I'm getting obsessed with this tune. I'll look into Bill 's book too!
Ken, haha, maybe one day! I am amazed at folks who can play by ear and memorize so well. Waaay out of my league! I have Sue's book but haven't gotten much into it YET. It looks amazing.
I'm finding I just can't seem to put down Joe Collin's Simply Celtic book and Anne Lough's Celtic Treasures. They stay out and I'll stop what I'm doing to go over and just play one song...or two...or three...or ...
What tab books are your most tattered from use? It's always good to hear about some wonderful books!
And speaking of snipping off the extra string length:
From 'In Search of the Wild Dulcimer' by Robert Force & Albert d'Ossche ..can someone please do this, please, pretty please, then post a picture...Dusty?
"There is really only one truly efficient technique for putting strings on an instrument; however, there are at least three schools of thought on this matter. Some people are aghast at the thought of cutting off a string's excess length. They wind the string onto the tuning peg in a way that allows the excess length to dangle hither and yon, thereby preserving, as it were, the string's 'soul' - while providing a convenient place to jam their filter cigarettes while playing. We call this the 'Rock 'n' Roll String Syndrome'. (bolding my choice to highlight this awesome and hilarious visual)
Hmmmm....well this just isn't working out at all. I have several traditional string that come with the tiny metal nut with the loop wrapped around. The luthier showed me how to twist that loop a few times to release that nut. Easier said than done! I've twisted and twisted and used two needle nose pliers and taint happening. The wire finally broke. (and yes I was twisting in the correct direction, LOL) Any idea how to do this since I need the loop and not the nut? I only have access to these types of strings in my area, none with just the loop.
You are my hero, haha! I'm kinda kidding but I do hate to do it. My ducilmer has the scroll head and it very much reminds me of the game Operation! where I'm digging around with needle nose pliers. My next dulcimer will for sure have a flat head! (first timer mistake 'oooh the scroll is so pretty!"
I'm planning on 'going in' today and getting the strings on. Pray for me. 
Thank you both!
Just this past weekend, I was retuning from CGC back to DAD and was all puffed up and patting myself on the back from my tuning confidence, my sheer bravery as I tightened the tuner. In fact, IN FACT, I would dare say I was almost cocky as I came to the melody string, amazed that me and both dogs were not only still alive, but the birds were still singing and all. was. right. with. the. world.
It was that last tiny turn towards the straight upright D that did it. That string broke with the ferocity of a precision-guided munition system, and flew over ten feet, seeking eyeballs or wet noses on its trajectory path. Both dogs had to leap out of the way and barely got away with their fuzzy lives.
And there it sits. My cherry Mcspadden. Nary a word and shamefully wearing only two strings.
If anyone is in the Atlanta area, I'll be happy to meet you for a coffee and some restringing fun. :) :) (just kidding. Not really..no, just kidding. Sorta...)
*happily accepting names of counselors dealing with restringing-phobia* :)
This weekend I was out and about in the mountains and went by a music shop I needed some strings. The shop I visited had a huge selection of just about every other stringed instrument's strings but not for dulcimer.
A very well known luthier told me once that dulcimer strings were just guitar strings without the little nut at the end.
So my question is...is there anything special about packaged dulcimer strings? I'm wanting to experiment with different gauges but I have RestringingPhobia. :) I'm all squinting and leaning away, just waiting for the string to break PIIIIINNNG!! and attack me like a death missile.
What are your favorite gauges for a standard vsl when typically using DAD, CGC, DAA?
My friend says I have DAS. Dulcimer Acquisition Syndrome.
I am playing two now, have a third that is falling off my fav list and a fourth that has been delegated to the guest room. I would like to find a shorter vsl. In watching goodwill, ebay, this site and others, I sometimes see a piece that catches my eye.
But not playing said instrument...that's a risk for sure. I'm curious if yall have any tales, tall or not, about buying a dulcimer sight unseen and how it ended up. 
Ken, thank you SO MUCH for that link! That's what I bought and I love how it feels. And now all my mistakes can be heard all the more better, haha! Thanks for everyone's advice!
Sorry, I forgot I posted this! So it looks like the pickup is a 1/4 inch female end piece. What kind of cord do I order (through amazon most likely) to attach to my little amp?
I would appreciate any specifics here (insert clueless smilie face) :)
I. am. dying. Celtic diet, ohmygosh, hahahaha!!!
Yes, I would agree with what you say there. My purchase was a knee jerk reaction to finding out there were dulcimer lessons in my area and I took a little homemade teardrop, had one lesson and it was love at first sight.
I was so excited I could not wait to get in the car and find a dulcimer for sale. I was actually heading to Mike Clemmer's shop, when I found one closer. The person who helped me is widely known for stringed instruments but more of the violin type and he didn't walk me through the fine details like I know Mike would have.
And I'd like to add one more rookie mistake that I am currently trying to correct and that would be not inviting my pinky to play. My pinky is weak and tiny and hardly any help when it comes to holding down a string but I'm learning!
Well for the benefit of those who haven't been around the block, can you start a discussion on that? Thank you!
Haha, all good ones!
I would also add 'Not realizing how many accessories one could acquire so quickly and feel they are all needed!"
Stands, books, strings, carrying case, duel carrying case, tuners, pick case, large notebooks for sheet music, more notebooks, even MORE notebooks, plastic sheet covers, music holding stand and on and on and on till the cows come home. Who KNEW!
I'm 15 months into my love affair with my dulcimers and that is juuuust long enough for me to recognize some mistakes I made prior to having some dulcimer education. PLEASE add your own rookie mistakes!
A. Buying a dulcimer with a scroll head instead of a flat head. A flat head makes changing strings SO much easier, but alas, I thought the scroll head was PRETTY and hey, that was all that mattered at the time.
Every time I'm changing a string, I feel like I'm nine years old playing 'OPERATION!' on that naked board game man.
B. Going to the music store and buying a bunch of picks, based on how they looked. "oooOh, this one looks like a pearl! It's so pretty!"
NO notion of the importance of thickness or feel. 'What's that flicky sound I hear??"
C. Buying a dulcimer I had never played before. I just heard the brand name was good. No knowledge of mellow, twang, bright, vsl differences, anything. (I lucked out that the brand happened to be McSpadden!)
"Walnut? Cherry? Which do I want? Hmmm....which is prettiest?" I literally had NO idea about how different woods sang out with a unique voice.
D. Buying a used dulcimer with no knowledge of 'vetting the dulcimer', looking for cracks, warps, action issues, worn frets etc.
Now, granted...the used dulcimer was a Gallier Starsong and it's in good shape, but it never occurred to check for any issues.
E. Having no idea the dulcimer would begin to 1. take up room all over the house, 2. take up time all over my week 3. distract me during the most serious times when I'm suppose to be paying attention instead of practicing hammer ons and pull offs on my leg
Looking back I would go with a shorter VSL, go with the warmer wood, a flat head, thinner picks, and allot a whole category to my budget!
Thanks Rob. I love my big ol' Fender pick when I play on the Gallier.
One year in and my fingers are chording, dancing, flying all over the fretboard and my joy is complete!
However, there is one caveat.
I have some arthritis in my right index finger, first joint and the finger joint is swollen, painful and is beginning to turn out and a nerve-rubbing bone spur in my thumb knuckle. 
Just got a 2nd opinion today from an older very wise ortho doc and he thinks fusing that first joint could stop any more disfiguring and, he can also get rid of the bone spur on my thumb. There would be 4-6 weeks of resting for my pick holding finger. 
Have any of you dear people ever had a finger joint fused? As it is, I think I could get used to typing and playing. I just wanted to know how you fared.
Thoughts?
Dusty, you're such an amazing player, anything you choose will be a gift to the audience. As for your questions, my answer would still be Lee's Waltz. It's what makes my heart happy and I played it a gazillion times just to smile so naturally it stays in my fingertips.
When I hear songs that I play or those which I'm familiar with the tune, I still thoroughly enjoy hearing the player's take on the song. Bing Futch playing Rosin the Bow isn't the same as another's and so on. I actually really like hearing various ways to showcase a tune so if you played Lee's waltz and I heard it, I'd be listening (and picturing tab in my head) to each familiar note, listening for any nuances that made it your own. Then I'd go home and try to copy you. :-)
Let us know what you ended up choosing and if there's a video, then that too!
This has been a very educating thread for me. I'm still learning all the particulars! Dusty, you make a point I had not thought about.
So my Gallier is 28", my McSpadden is 28.5" and my FolkRoots is 29". I got to play a hickory Folk Craft yesterday with a 27" scale length. When I see the words Scale and vibrating string length, I'm wondering how these differ...or are they the same?
The Folk Craft did seem shorter than what I'm used to and I have to admit I liked...no, I LOVED the ease of the shorter scale/vsl (?). Again, not sure which is the correct term.
I'm wondering if I should trade in my standard McSpadden for one of their 26" scale models. Can someone school me on these terms and how they interchange. And I'm curious if anyone here started with a standard 28"+ and move down an inch or two after some time.
Thank you, as always, for your insights and input!
What a great thread topic! My pocket tune is most definitely Lee's Waltz. I was blessed to finally meet Lee at Unicoi this year. She was a dear! I shared how much I love 'her' song.
The one other song I can play without half a thought is Nothing but the Blood.
I want to learn many more but I find memorization a challenge. Right now working on Celtic Air.
I'm cutting back on all sweets and watching portions. Trying to eat super nutritious things that fill me up. For breakfast, after my coffee of course, I had a whey protein smoothie made with plain greek yogurt, frozen banana, raw cocoa, almond milk and powdered peanut butter.
I used to lift weights every other day but once that habit stops, it's SO hard to get it back. I loved having firmer arms and all so I need to do it. Going 3x per week is fantastic Strumelia!
My first love was a little kit purchased from a man at a Georgia arts and crafts festival back in 1984-87ish. I never played it. It doesn't have too good of a tone but it was good enough it got my interest some years later and I took it to a group and learned to play. Never looked back.
My first love was a little kit purchased from a man at a Georgia arts and crafts festival back in 1984-87ish. I never played it. It doesn't have too good of a tone but it was good enough it got my interest some years later and I took it to a group and learned to play. Never looked back.
My 1978 Folkroots dulcimer has a fretboard about half as thick as the McSpadden
.My capo just isn't working. I've seen folks talking about a Folkroots 'travel' dulcimer and there was a capo built for that, but I don't think that is what I have. Mine looks just like a normal dulcimer.
At first I was thinking my capo was having a 'fail' but then realized we were dealing with a size issue. Anyone found a capo to get around this? Thank you!
Can someone include a link to the type of gun case you are referring to? thank you!
I think I'd like to switch from my cushy padded case to a hard case. I've seen some on ebay and they tend to be 38 inches long. Any thoughts of what I should look for (or avoid) in choosing a hard case? I have a FolkRoots and McSpadden, both at 36" and a Gallier at 42". Thanks for your insight and input!
I got a super fun little amp from Mike Clemmer and while I hope to use it playing at the nursing home, right now I like to use it to better hear my finger picking. I got a Gallier and it has a pick up but I don't know what type of cord I would use to put the two together. Any advice? Thanks!
I have not heard your podcast but I am very intrigued! I'll have a listen with my Sunday afternoon nap and tea. I DO need to have that 6.5 fret added. It threw me for a loop when I tried to play some familiar songs. Thanks for the suggestion. I'll put out a call for a luthier in my area right away!
Hi Patricia! I have a Ruggs & Jackel 1978 Folk Roots. It caught my Mama's eye at a Georgia garage sale and she paid less than $20. She gave it to a musician friend who had never played a dulcimer, and he then later gave it to me. At the first strum, I sat up a little straighter, shocked at the volume and attention getting tone. I have a McSpadden, a homemade kit, a Gallier and honestly, the Folk Root has its own little place in my heart. I'm a newish player and do miss having a 6.5 fret though, with my fingers get discombobulated at times, but we're getting to know one another despite that little bump. I love that it's a part of dulcimer history and I dare say, it looks proud over there in the corner next to the Gallier, like it knows that it's special :)
Robin,
I'll have to watch. I'm figuring it's from sliding. I love to use my thumb on a slide. :)
Also, I think my fingers and/or thumb are shorter and I have to do some odd hand/finger configurations to reach chords. My thumb has been invaluable for this! :)
