New video inside Troublesome Creek Guitar Factory........worse than you can imagine. Video was posted by the Development director of the Artisan center.
www.facebook.com/AACHindman/videos/3247264138892023
Thanks for that update on Sarah!!!
Tragic news from Kentucky where a flood in Hindman has virtually destroyed the Dulcimer museum and Artisan School. Loss of life and great sorrow. Things can be replaced but lives tragically ended............great sorrow there. News reports say this may be the most devastating flood in Kentucky history. David Bennett has posted photo's on the TTAD site of some of the destruction..........
Steven......I've read some of these posts and I'll share what Kerry Coates told me before she passed on (Such a gracious soul and sorely missed). She built my first dulcimer years ago and told me to get Larkin Bryant's book which I did. (Sadly, Larkin has gone on too and another great loss). Anyway, after working with that book and ending up in a bit of a dither Kerry said, "Look, just play the darn thing". So I tuned it up to DAA and made all sorts of noise.
She was exactly right! After a week or two you'll get the hang of it and like she said, "tunes will come to you and you won't feel all flustered."
Now books, and there are tons of them, can help you learn all sorts of stuff. Some will make you crazy at first but sooner or later you'll find one or parts of many that will ring your bell and your journey is off and running.
I remember all the silly stuff I did when I first took a stab at playing this thing. I'd buy new strings, (OK, I broke few trying to figure out the difference between G and g; DAA, DAD, CGG and all that.........then I figured well it must be the instrument or the pick or the noter, maybe the tuner; all that sort of stuff. Don't fall into that that trap if you can help it. (I'll bet I'm not the only one who has done that and I believe that Dulcimer Acquisition Disease may be rooted here). I don't know much about modes. (The only mode I care about at this point is "a la mode", preferably apple and vanilla.)
The truth of the matter is that playing a dulcimer is for enjoyment. I'll never be a great player like those I see on youtube or other video platforms, but it's fun and the bottom line for me is........."who cares what folks think." One you reach that level of comfort, you can sing along and you might be surprised at how small or large your audience will be.........in my case it's just the old hound dog......the cats scram and flee to the great outdoors. (My wife just puts on headphones and listen to whatever).
Now ya'll don't get me wrong, what I'm saying is this, "Just go slow and as one feller out here in the woods one remarked, "a good outhouse ain't built in a day".
Don't get discouraged...just have fun!! And by the way........welcome to this great group, "wheez glad yer here"!!!
BTW.....
For those who have asked, that old hound is still getting over the nasty Rattlesnake bite and the University of Florida Vet Hospital is pleased that I've paid their light bill for the month. The good news is that will end in another few weeks.
I'm with you on that one Ken. After working through all the posts, re-reading Ralph L. Smith and the history of Scotch Irish Music there are so many contributors that it really boggles the mind, let alone giving consideration to different types of Mountain dulcimer fret patterns, and unique tunings popular in different parts of the country. The idea of setting aside a day to honor all the musicians and the instruments they played is great and will certainly not take away from Jean, who I believe was the most important of many players. She pretty much kept the mountain ballads in the forefront. I especially remember her songs mourning the devastation of the mountain tops and the beauty that was lost to some types of mining. So I think that a day to honor the "American Dulcimer" and as she might have put it, "The Sweet Sound in the Wind" could be all encompassing. Heaven knows we don't want to get into all that stuff about Noter and drone vs. Chording or whatever....amplified or electronically modified etc., it's all part of the instruments history and there is place for it all.
Let's not forget Loraine Wyman who is considered by some to be the first one to start the Urban Folk music revival after collecting Kentucky and vicinity mountain music. There is a photo on Wiki showing her on the cover of Vogue Magazine holding a Thomas Dulcimer in 1917.
A few........
3 Warren May's in Walnut
Cherry Ray Epler
Gila Mountain by Kerry Coates
Cherry Folkcraft
Walnut and Spruce Folkcraft Baritone
Deluxe German Scheitholt by Carl Goetzmer
Cherry McSpaden Baritone
Pritchard Reproduction by Kevin Messenger
6 String by JR Beale
Homer Ledford
Large Irish by Carl Goetzmer in Mahogany
Bobby Ratliff Virginian
I got a quick note from Jessica Comeau who endured the storm without having serious damage to her home.
While Pensacola took a major hit, our friend seems to have weathered the brunt of it. Any others of our community who were affected let us know if we can provide some emotional support and encouragement.
"Southwind", and I'll bet Duane Porterfield is the musician.
Larry Conger did an arrangement of "Unchained Melody" that the Righteous Brothers did in the 60's. Simple tune, good lyrics, and easy play with 158. Check it out on youtube, you might like it.
"Where are you Tonight" with Archie Campbell. (you tube/with Johnny Cash etc.)
Yup, check the hex nut directly under the string too if you have not........my McSpadden is a bit touchy and I can make it buzz if I use pick and hit the string too low. Good luck with it all!
Update: I just checked mine and two of those hex nuts were a bit loose...you could actually turn one with just two fingers.
JUst as an experiment, check the nut below the bass string tuning peg and see if it is tight as compared to the others. I have a walnut/redwood McSpadden and for whatever reason the bass string peg will loosen itself there as well as the knob on it. Perhaps the buzz is in the peg since it seems that you have tried just about every string adjustment you can think of. Likewise check the screw underneath the peg and see if it could be loose.
I had the same issue with one of mine many moons ago. It just about drove me nuts because for awhile everything was fine and then the buzz thing would crank up. I finally figured it out when like Ken points out, it was me catching the string on the strum and pulling it up a bit. I also put a bit of a heavier string on the bass then I found was included in the string sets you buy. As I recall I went from a 24 or so to a 28. (I think the Strother string calculator is a bit light.) That helped a great deal but it still happened. Steve Siefert once mentioned that a heavier string could correct some problems like this when using a 155 tuning.
The next time it happened I froze on the chord and it dawned on me that my bass string was not being held with the same amount of pressure as the others allowing it to buzz......
I am not saying that your issue is the same, but in my case it was due to several different things.......too light a string, a weak ring finger and an inconsistent pick angle. I also switched to a lighter gauge pick too. That made it harder to lift the bass string.
As suggestion, if you have not tried this, tune it up a to maybe EBE and see if the higher tension makes it stop.
All in all, Ken's comment fit my predicament and was right on the money.
If I read your post correctly, you are the original registered owner of this instrument and as such that dulcimer has a lifetime guarantee. I think I would consider sending Jim Woods the pics you posted and inquire as to what he thinks should be done to correct the issue. It maybe that that separation around the knot may just require a bit of finish or something of that nature to secure what may simply be due to the wood aging a bit.
I understand the tone issue you mentioned too as I have redwood/cherry and it is really outstanding and is just as balanced and bright as some that cost considerably more.
Anyhow, what have you got to lose?
Jim Stewart's original here:
I'll venture to guess that this is a variation of Jim Stewart's, "Lament for Owen Christy" which is in Anna Barry's book Soundings whose contents can be found in the Western North Carolina Library Network by searching for her name.
You can do a number of things that should help....I've used some of these methods when getting bad smells out of antique furniture we were restoring for some high end shops years ago.....you haven't got anything to lose so here are a few things that might help:
1. Lemon Oil furniture polish.........I like Howard's products...........wipe it down and let it set, wipe it off and repeat it a few times.
2. Put it in a sealed box on top of a layer of plain old baking soda and let it sit overnight; replace the baking soda and do it again. I'd use a layer about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Wrap it up in plain old newspaper..use a fair amount of paper and put it in a plastic bag or sealed box........newspaper will absorb some of that smell. (you can buy some shredded newspaper cat litter and probably pack it around it in a box instead.)
4. We also used fresh ground coffee, the cheap stuff you can buy just about anywhere......again, put the coffee in filters, close 'em up with a rubber band or string........put the gizmo in a box and seal it up, let it sit for a good day or two and throw the coffee out and see if that helps. Use a number of them little pouches. We used to put coffee on paper plates in furniture drawers.
5. I once had a dresser with draws that had a horrible odor of some sort. My work partner used cedar shavings he got from a pet store and covered the bottom of those draws with that stuff and in a day or two the musty/smokey smell was gone. Just make sure that those shavings have not been dyed..........I would think that un-dyed eucalyptus or cedar mulch might work too......
Good luck and let us know how it goes. There used to be an aerosol product that companies used to rid houses of smoke odor after a fire.........one of those companies that do remediation work may sell you some or tell you what it is..........I can't remember the name of it but we used it in Military housing to get rid of smoke odors in quarters and also reeked of who knows what.................
Well, honesty demands that I while remember Rubenstein's concert quite well I really remember Jose Greco's show. Not because of him though, but rather the woman with the Castentettes in a Black Lace outfit moving around like a Mink............an impressionable young feller like me got "scar'd" half to death. As I recall after the show it seems like some of our crowd got hammered drinking what were called "Schooners" of cheap Beer at a Lum's Restaurant and started doing that dance with Ketchup bottle tops stuck on "their" fingers.....I'll guarantee that one dignified Professor would absolutely deny under oath that she did that nearly 50 years ago.
I really didn't think too much of it at the time since I was usually a "Go-Fer" and jack of all trades sort. I did layouts on an old fashioned contraption called a Vari-type machine, cut copy and hauled stuff around in an old VW I bought for a few hundred bucks. ( My best buddy there was drafted and during the war and killed in a training accident during basic training... we both had VW bugs and shared all sorts of "Go-fer" jobs". He was one of the staff photographers as well and that enabled me get to see and greet some of those characters.)
* A funny story about Rubenstein....the afternoon before his concert a monster of a Steinway Piano was placed on the stage where he was to perform. (You could see and hear everything going on in that auditorium since our workspace/offices were above the stage and at the back of the seating area.) The tuners worked on that Piano for a long time with all sorts of racket being made. When Rubenstein came to check the piano we watched as he played up and down the key board and picked out 2 or 3 keys that needed to be tuned some more........that's how good an ear he had.
You know, I really can't remember if I heard him when he was with the Nashville Jug Band or before that time. For some reason I think he was at a folk festival in NC about 1970 or 71. There were lots of folks there performing that weekend. I remember Doc Watson being there and doing a couple of shows and I'm pretty sure Homer Ledford dulcimers were being sold that weekend as well. I'll have to check my old ECU yearbook if I can find it and see who was the woman singing with Doc Watson that day. (Those were interesting days, since I had a job with the College paper and got to see and very briefly greet many of the performers at various concerts..........anyone remember Jose Greco or Arthur Rubenstein? A long time ago for sure!)
It has only been a few years since I really found out what a gifted writer he was. I never really paid to much attention to who wrote the music for many of the people I used to hear on radio or on albums I had.........I think it was EmmyLou Harris' performance of his song "Jerusalem Tomorrow", that got me interested in his work.
Please tell Lynn to give me a call, there are a fair number around that can be bought for really good prices if you are patient. I just bought an almost new, rarely played 25 year old McSpadden for $150.00. and that included case, noters, strings, picks and all sorts of stuff.
So far as the crack is concerned I wouldn't worry too much about it right now if it is holding. , though folk like KenH and KenL can tell you more than I. Anyway, tell Lynn to give me a call before he decides to buy one any time soon. If its a local deal, I'll check it out with or for you if you wish.
Can you post a picture of it?
One of the greatest Americana singer-songwriters died during a concert at Santa Rosa Beach, Florida. There is no question that his loss will be mourned by any Folk Musician who appreciates incredible talent and skill as well as a host of professional entertainers..............such a sad loss.
Go to rock-tips.com and buy a bottle, it works. Check it out.
John Calkin has a facebook page noted as JohnCalkin.92. The guitars that Huss & Dalton build cost about 4 grand, so I would venture to say that John is a top notch builder of acoustic instruments. Drop him a note on facebook if you wish.....
I have three Warren May's. Two have wooden peg tuners and one has mechanical tuners. All have adjustable bridges. What I have found is that the moveable bridges need to be angled a bit to compensate for the slightly flat string. On one I simply made a new bridge out of a piece of chopstick and built one side up just a tad and it was spot on or at least pretty close. I have never had much luck with Snark type tuners. I'm sure they are fine if used properly and I'm just to numb to do it right. You might try slipping a flat toothpick under the nut closest to the melody string as that sometimes help fine tune the contraption.
On another old dulcimer that I have I noticed that when I play the melody string I can overcome the flat by moving my finger closer to the middle of the fret spacing. I guess each of the builder's dulcimers have their own individual quirks.
Yup, that's what I found out last night, so your way ahead of me. You might Private Message Guy Babusek whose a member here and see if he has any other contact info. I'll keep digging through some old stuff I have around here and see what I can do to help. Guy uses those dulcimers on many of his video's. I think you can catch up with guy at voice-lessons.com.
You have tried the phone numbers and email on his website I presume.
Yes.............top of the line......you have one?
Times like this, I'm glad to be a Luddite. I have a perfectly good flip phone to make calls with (and that's all); a superior digital camera to take photos with; and a laptop and tablet for accessing the Internet. I have no real desire to have everything crammed into one shell with a too-small screen to be comfortably read by my not-getting-any-younger eyes.
Wow Ken!.........I thought for sure being a Scott you would be a Presbyterian.
Good to know you folks are still playing!! I have lot's of flutes, Native American by Michael Allen, a High Spirits, Ken Light's and Charlie Mont, Blue Bears. My Bansuri's and Shakuhachi's etc. have been boxed for a good while now, since I wrecked a Trigeminal Nerve and playing them can set it off. I really miss it, especially the Anasazi's and Japanese and Arabian flutes. But, Lord willing this thing will pass.......I still have a box of 10 I got from Erik the Flute Maker when he was helping a little girl from Nicarauga pay for some of her care while getting surgery done at Baptist Hospital in Miami.
Since I love that music and you folk are into it, can I get you to do some audio. In the mean time, dulcimer tunes it is for me.
More than likely it is a floating bridge and that is, in my opinion a good thing because you can adjust it for some subtle tuning, not much but some anyway. If you are going to tune it DAA and replace the strings I would use 12-14-22 or so and see if you like that feel........I dislike having floppy strings when using DAA, which is a really good tuning, as is CGG. I have plenty of strings so don't worry about finding any in Palatka. I do have an extra tuner that you can have to start with, though if you are going to play by yourself you can learn to tune that old rascal just fine without one.
So far as your pegs slipping, that can probably be remedied easy enough. Warren May uses plain old chalk on his pegs to cut down on that issue. Just remember that you really have to turn the peg and push in on it until it grabs. Anyway, if you wish I'll do what I can to get you up and running ......I sent you a private message with a phone number, call when you will and I can meet you at Ollie's or somewhere like that and check that Lucky out.
In fact, I just got back from the teeming Palatka metropolis a bit ago.
You do.........click on your name upper right corner............private messages, create new message , enter salt springs for recipient and then the text..............check and see if the one I just sent got to you by clicking on your name.
If you want to meet up in Palatka One Day or even Salt Springs send me a private message...........strings are not a problem and I doubt the pegs are going to be much of an issue either. Most of mine have wooden pegs and they can be a bit tricky to get used to tuning. A Lucky Diamond Dulcimer is a nice gift. If you want include some contact info in your message and I'll drive over to Palatka and take a gander at it. I can probably find a tune for you and if it needs new strings get those to you, I'll just have to check and see what the distance is between the nut and bridge. In the mean time, you might just pull one of the tuners out a bit and put some chalk on it and see if that helps it hold. Measure the distance between the nut and bridge and I'll check and see what I have for strings in my box of goodies. Feel free to get in touch with me, I go to Palatka about 3 times a week anyway.
I would keep them in a cabinet with a couple of guitar humidifiers that you can buy online or in a music store. Or, if you wish you could send them to me and I'll be glad to keep them here in high humidity Florida.
They should be playable, but I would be cautious about using too high a string tension on the oldest of them. Post some pic's if you have a chance.............you have a treasure trove to enjoy. Drop Dulcimore Dan a note if he doesn't reply in short order as I am sure he can help you out with any questions you might have so far as cleaning etc.
