Thank you for asking John,

1) the staples are set by hand so there will be a little variance, yes the proper VSL at that staple is what is important

2) the Thomas pieces had the hearts pointed that way as did most early pieces (Edd Presnell made reference to "hands and hearts to God" was the reason they pointed them that way)

3) there are a thousand YouTube videos about this...

• skim milk to white vinegar 8/1 let set in warm place over night (makes quark)
• rinse quark through cheese cloth three times to remove the acid
• slake hydrated lime and mix with quark about 4/1 quark/lime
• let this set in fridge over night
• warm to room temperature and add color pigment (depends on the color pigment?)
• I use an electric stirrer to keep the mix from settling

You don't have to let the mix set over night. Some folks mix it up and go with it right then but I like to give it time to wet out properly. Yes I have some guarded secrets in my mix and method beyond this recipe! 

Some folks take issue with the methods I use. I have electricity, they didn't. I take issue with folks who take liberty with modern materials and call it traditional. I have heat and air conditioning in the Dulcimore Den but the materials in my replications are authentic! I'm very proud of this...

Sound Clip Video

Thomas using traditional hide glue, galvanized wire and hand made milk paint.

 1.jpg - 278KB

Just liken it to a 12 string guitar vs. a six string. I will say different but not better.

Well done!

I have two pieces, the hourglass loosely based on the I.D. is a four string using .009, .009, .016 and a wound .022 long neck banjo strings. To get that unique tonal quality you slack the regular baritone ADD down about a full note and a half.  My other is a Virginia style three string using music wire @ .016, .016 and a .020 tuned around DAA. Sorry it took so long to respond, I kept forgetting to bring my dial calipers in from the wood shop.

If you tune a 26 inch and 29 inch Dulcimore the same, the longer scale will have more tension and usually have a little better "punch" to it. I also prefer the longer scales, 36 inch is my favorite!

Don't now how I missed this but, SWEET!!!

Welcome!

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Any of my traditional pieces. The old finishes are not in any way prone to cracking the way the lacquers can and so long as you are under 140 º and don't loosen the glue you should be O.K. Pegs are often not conducive to the changes in humidity but remember what Jean said, "spit on it".

...will be in a PBS program Tuesday night the 30th.

https://www.pbs.org/video/dule-meets-master-luthier-doug-naselroad-d6qxa3/

David Beede "de-coupled" tailpiece

Would doctors and educators be folks of low literacy? Why would they use the term "dulcimore"? 

I've had the opportunity to go through my records and can't find the reference of Uncle Ed using the term "dulcimer". Please share your reference?

I'd contact Warren May in Berea. His pegs are replicated from the Homer pegs and I know he has plenty of them on hand.

Warren May

What Ken said.

I play traditional, usually in Ionian and I tune do-so-so by ear. 

You might want to ask Sarah Kate, she is pretty knowledgeable about that sort of thing. 

We'll cross our fingers for ya!

Ready to go again!!!

Day one

Updated link

YouTube link

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Sorry, to answer the question, personal preference. If'in you like that sort of sound go for it!

The "36" inch is at least a fifth lower. I.D. slacked it a note or two below that so no issue with string tension. (Long neck banjo strings) And another tune on a "36" inch...

36 inch sound clip

Sticky Dots

I've used these for years...

Just a note, not "all" employees are recovering...

Yes those are wonderful pieces with a very "big" sound!

https://www.bearmeadow.com/about/history/sunhearth.html

I believe Bill retired in the late 80's. Not sure what the intonation was set to, I'd imagine the melody was an A vs. the contemporary d.

Not a Clemmer but a Bill Davis peg head. Bill taught Sam Carrell who in turn trained Mike Clemmer. Bill sold a lot of kits back in the day. His pieces where marked on the lower right back. (Early pieces had labels) They have a "big" sound!

 100_2144.jpg~original.jpg - 46KB

Sounds like a Bill Davis kit to me.....we need images!

I believe river cane makes the best noter. (Historically correct and indigenous)  Bamboo is very similar being high in silicon content that makes them last a very long time and slide quite nice..... 

Bravo @royb!!!

Well, maybe I could invest the tens of dollars I make with Dulcimore making and start me a button making empire? lol

You aint' got none posted for sale yet? I'll take one....

[quote="RoyB"]

[quote="ocean-daughter"]

I think some of the dulcimer renaissance pioneers developed their own ways of thinking and talking about theory and dulcimer playing.  For instance Force and d'Ossche playing the dulcimer with it "sideways" on a strap, though they still fretted and strummed "overhand" like lap players would.  And I've heard people refer to tunings as "AAD" or "CAD", treble to bass.

Thanks, I'm starting to figure that out, as I read more about the dulcimer, especially from older sources.  I did note that Jean Ritchie, for one, would indicate GGC, where today we'd say CGG.

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And Jeans daddy Balis, "you tune her like this: Bim - bim - BOM."

No there is no off the shelf peg for your dulcimer. Each maker had his own way of making pegs and the pegs were "fitted" to it's own hole. If you can find a local luthier learned in historical dulcimer making, they can "make" you a peg and "fit" it.

The Kentucky and North Carolina pieces were usually around 28 inch VSL.  (29 inch was common) The Virginia pieces were closer to 26 inch VSL. (Many shorter than that!) With that said, there were pieces in all regions that fell longer and shorter! Basically the Kentucky would have been a few inches longer than the Virginia in VSL...why? I have no idea. VSL is just one variation, the Virginians also pushed the nut farther up the staple board where as the Kentucky kept it agin the tail piece. Very different tonal qualities between the two methods, personal preference I suppose.