Dusty Tutle: "As you found out, it can be hard to keep the loop ends on until there is enough tension on the string." I use a set of needle nose pliers to close the loop end so it is just a pressure fit over the pin; it doesn't come off while restringing, but the capo is another good idea.
I didn't think of this. I'm going to try it. I usually use Ken H's method, blue tape.
Hi Lisa, I'm up the road from you in Cary. We have a lot of dulcimer groups, workshops, and jams in NC. Welcome to the club. IMHO, a good cleaning and conditioning, and some new tuners and strings, and it looks to me like you got lucky at the thrift store!
And here it is! I love it. I don't wear t-shirts with designs on the front so it was wonderful that you made this into a poster. I haven't hung it yet. Looking for a special place.
Just received my poster from Dulcimuse. I can't wait to frame it! So much more vibrant than I expected. Thank you!
Shipwrecked and for all eternity are two separate things. If I have to pick one song for all eternity, I'll assume I traveled down and not up.
Ken, ditto here, hurricane Mathew. We mostly ate what we could, and brought the rest around to neighbors.
While at Ken Bloom's Bowed Dulcimer workshop in Pilot Mt. NC a couple of years ago, a talented young lady played a Carbony flute in the key of D. It was lovely. If I can ever scrape up a few hundred dollars I don't want to spend on dulcimers, or tools to work on dulcimers, I'll buy one!
Gosh Richard, I could have done this for you, and I am just up the road. Come on up to Chapel Hill tomorrow night, meet me, and if noter is your style, Ted will be there. He leads a local group. PM me for details, and hop on I40 and join the fun.
Gershwin's Summertime arranged by Larry Conger. Nice and slow, sweet tea with free refills. Bluesy like.
Rob, 4 strings with 6 notches makes a lot of sense to me.
Like Dusty I buy both locally and from JustStrings. Never had a problem with them in all the years I've ordered from them. Often they send little extras, like string cleaning cloths or flat picks. I usually get a dozen of each of my most common gauges (18, 14, 12).
Banjo, rather than Mandolin, strings are the most common "crossover instrument" strings. I believe Jean Ritchie talked about using banjo 2nd and 3rd on dulcimer.
Ken H, I'm about to buy bulk strings from JustStrings, and found you answered my question 2 yr's ago! I wasn't sure which instrument string length would be a crossover for the dulcimer, but Banjo it is.
Also, does it look like walnut wood? Thanks
So I'm guessing this is a one-off? It's kind of sweet; I think I am going to put UKE tuners on it, given the space available. Clean it up, and sell it. I need to clean up the mess at the end-pins, any advice? I just didn't want to mess with it before checking on historical value.
Looks to be all walnut construction. It has a 21" VSL, and a floating bridge. If you have any information about who might have made it, please chime in. There is no signature anywhere on or in the body.
I added a 1+ to my dulcimer last weekend, for two reasons. I really wanted to play Larry Conger's Summertime tab, but more importantly, it's trending in the three area groups I jam with. I'm getting used to it. If you go with muscle memory, you fingers know how to find the 2 fret without looking.
Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gum Tree!
I have made picks from credit cards (including the fake ones that come in the mail in ads) and stiff cardboard--but those get pretty flimsy really fast. One of my favorites was punched out of the pink vinyl cover of a spiral notebook (I have Dana McCall to thank for that one! 
)
Yes, I have a pick punch. No, I don't use it nearly as much as I thought I would. I still buy picks!
Jan, Have you ever trued making a pick out of an unplayable vinyl record with your pick punch?
I bet she has long telomeres! 
If you don't understand my comment, read The Telomere Effect by Nobel Prize winner Elizabeth Blackburn. In it she writes how uni-tasking helps us to live disease free in our senior years. Playing an instrument is uni-tasking, at least it is to me. 
Val, I thought it sounded like an Irish tune on the video... Very cool.
There is a link within Strumelia's original post link: Mummers Song by Simini - Newfoundland Original Uncut Version in case you missed it. Looks like so much fun. Makes me wish I was a Newfy.
Sng4prt, The tall leg is 29" long.
Sng4prt, I bought the stand online. I forget where, but it was one of the main suppliers... Then I removed the cloth that came with it and used it as a pattern and sewed up some leftover material I had made curtains from. It's nice and thick. I hope this helps
I enjoyed your soundtrack, Bob. Loved the pipes. Great job!
No tricks, it just takes lots of practice. The position of your fretting hand is more across the body and a bit more 'cramped' for lack of a better word. Just keep working at it slowly and you'll be fine.
I have small hands, so I use my thumb a lot to chord on the lower octave frets. When I get up into the "shiny" frets, I don't use my thumb so my wrist is at a better angle.
Thanks! Something fun to do while waiting for visits from goblins and gools. 
……when Junior counts to ten, 6 1/2 comes before 7
How to tell if you're a dulcimer fanatic
Lisa, It's me. I just haven't figured out ED completely yet. I've been an ED stalker for awhile now, but just joined. I'll go complete my profile. Thanks for looking out for me!
I'm the proud owner of Edd Presnell's #462 dulcimer built October 5th, 1966. It looks like it was hardly ever played. 29" vsl. Any recommendations for what key I should tune this to? C,c,c? I will post pic's soon.
Didn't get the Hicks, someone beat me to it.
Robin, Were you thinking Stanley Hicks on that other dulcimer?
Nice find! Interesting dulcimer stand. 
Robin, Good information. I couldn't have said it better. I heard your recording of 900 Miles on your jumbo Presnell, very nice indeed.
I wouldn't do that, Dan. I'd rather learn the 'curve'. It was a different situation with my BD, which was built in 2006. Ken Bloom installed them for me. (And I got to see his Workshop. Woo-hoo!) But I appreciate your advice.
Dan, only a bad experience (Bowed Dulcimer- upgraded to Perfection planetary pegs). You make a good point. Still, I am intrigued.
