Forum Activity for @richard-streib

I recently found on ebay a "used" Mountain Valley Dulcimer Smokey River model. I prefer to call it "second hand" rather than used. This dulcimer came in a hard side case (chipboard) and appears to have been unplayed. I'm guessing someone purchased this intending to learn to play and then it was set aside.

There is not a mark on it. No indications the strings have ever been pressed down to the frets. No pick marks. It's made of beautifully grained book-matched walnut. I'll change out the friction tuners for some planetary tuners I have on hand harvested from another dulcimer. The real plus for me is that this '91 modern era dulcimer has a nice, clear, bright sound, which is what I prefer. I can see it becoming the dulcimer I use when playing with the dulcimer club where they like to use capos and other more modern playing styles.

My very first mountain dulcimer was a Mountain Valley Wildwood Mountain model, so this is a nice find for me.

 Walnut Valley Smokey River top.jpg - 90KB

Dulciana, I agree that price seems a bit high. I did buy one made in '91 from an auction locally that was like new. The pick and noter were still sealed in a little kraft paper envelope. It appeared to have been purchased and never played. If you find one like that,  the $300.00 would make a good starting point to bargain for a selling price. Another concern to consider is if someone stored an unused instrument in a not so instrument friendly environment; such as a hot attic, a damp basement, or a non climate controlled rental storage unit. As for the plywood back, the quality of the plywood which McSpadden used was the very best and very stable over time. I would not allow that fact alone to cause much hesitation.

I would think a price $225.00 price range would be more reasonable.

Fortunately for those of us who look at used dulcimers, many were purchased and left largely unplayed. Sometimes someone picks one up at a yard or estate sale or a family member disposes of the estate without knowing a lot about a dulcimer. They can be real treasures when we find one.

Perhaps the concern is more about letting the dulcimer community know and hoping it understands than anything internal to their production practices.

For many years McSpadden's policy was to set up all standard dulcimers in DAA,  with setup in DAd available on request. That has now changed. Below is an excerpt from an email I received from Jim Woods at McSpadden.

"...we have just this month changed that policy.  Now well over 90% of our standard dulcimer are sold in DAD tuning so we have yielded to the pressure and made that the default setup.  I’m still working on getting that news out to the dulcimer community.  Trying to implement a change like that in a policy that has been in place for 56 years doesn’t go smoothly."

The student dulcimer has found a home. Thanks everyone.

The dulcimer produces such sweet music and it is versatile enough to be played in different ways.

I "amen" the appeal to respect others of our forum no matter their choice of playing style, use of TAB or SNM or memory.  Let's just all have fun and enjoy the dulcimer in the way that appeals to us and allow others the same without disrespect related to their playing method or style.

The widow of my best friend has asked me to help dispose of her late husband's student dulcimer. It will be a gift to someone (child or adult) who wants to learn to play but who does not have and cannot afford a dulcimer to start out on. The dulcimer has been played very little and looks new. It comes with a padded soft case and I will cover shipping cost for a needy learner within the 48 continental states. It is an Apple Creek ACD100 tear drop shaped model with 24.25", VSL just right for a smaller handed person or one whose hand has limited mobility.

I would like to suggest that the recipient learn to play the dulcimer and when they no longer need this instrument that they would consider passing it on to another needy learner.

Thanks for reading this.

Mine would be Amazing Grace.  I can never get over how amazing God's grace is.

For years I did not name mine but have been more recently.

That is a nice looking dulcimer. How does it sound?

The dreaded malady DAD is currently in remission. So glad my bank account was not quarantined. I have recently come into possession of June Apple model dulcimer from June Apple Dulcimers. This model is copied from the shape and size of the Huntington dulcimers. It sports book-matched walnut back with decorative stripe, walnut sides, book-matched top of Western Red Cedar, Wenge fretboard overlay. It has snowflake design sound holes as well as snowflake position dots. As @banjimer notes in his post the sound is not as silvery as the Thomas reproductions but it is not as resonant and mellow as the larger bodied modern dulcimers. The tone is in a word "sweet". It is not an overly loud instrument with its tone quite well balanced across the spectrum. Craftsmanship is superb. I have it strung with 3 strings since I prefer a single melody for noter style playing. It has notches for double melody and for 4 equidistant. Fretboard is taller for noter playing.  It sounds so good I can't imagine a lot of change after it "plays in" some more.

 June Apple Winter Beauty.jpg - 58KB

So, David, Sally Ann is a cat. If she is like our cat, she IS the boss. Tis the nature of house cats.

I really like bamboo for a noter. A very nice thing is that one can get the diameter desired without any woodworking other than cutting to length and sanding or filing away any tiny splinters where it is cut.

Some dulcimers' fretboards are too low for me as I hold my noter underhand and drag my knuckles on the top of the dulcimer. So do I restrict myself to custom-made dulcimers (I wish) with a taller fretboard or do I improvise?

The dulcimer budget runs thin after a while so I improvised. I made what I call a stacked noter of bamboo. It works for me on the lower fretboards and is considerably cheaper than a custom-made dulcimer.

 Custom Stacked Noter.jpg - 32KB

I have not used them on a dulcimer. On paper they stay on well so long as the page is not handled multiple times per day. On the dulcimer I would not think there would be any kind of consistent "trauma" to them to dislodge them. When the time comes to remove them permanently some lemon oil will remove the vestiges of the sticky glue.

Avery Dennison, the label company, makes some removeable labels. You could get some and cut whatever shape you want. If you want circles use a hole punch, then use the "waste" dots for your markers.

Sandi,

Our tastes change and methods may change over time. Sometimes we add something different. Sometimes we change to a different way of playing. How wonderful the versatility of this special instrument which we all love.

Sandi,

That little Wren sounds might good. Liked your playing

Glad you got the noters and like them. One of the members here turned me on to using bamboo or river cane as some call it.

Do you like your Feather dulcimer? Thinking about Jay model from Peter. It will fit in my motorcycle trike trunk.

I concur with Ken and Kusani. The sound and feel of every dulcimer can be very personal and fit one player better than another. It would be best to try the one you wish to purchase before spending the money. That is not always as practical as one would wish. Even 2 identical custom-made instruments by the same builder can sound a bit different played side by side.

I have owned/played McSpadden and Blue Lion. They are both excellent and sound great. But they are worlds apart in sound, not at all in a negative way: just different.  I like the sound of Warren May's dulcimers but have only strummed one in his store in Berea, never owned one.

Blue Lion sometimes has a vendor space at some festivals and sometimes there are McSpadden resellers/dealers at some festivals so that may be an option for trying each of those. I do not know if Warren sells at festivals or not. I know the last festival I attended had a couple of people come by just to shop the vendors though they did not register for the festival.

Deciding on another dulcimer is always a process and the careful buyer weighs lots of factors over time to make the best decision. If only one could buy all three and then decide and send the others back.

Best wishes on making your decision.

I have access to bamboo and will be glad to send you some noters if you like. Send me your address etc.

That's one beautiful cat. I know you will enjoy her. Thanks for adopting a rescue.

I have difficulty playing in a group, our club, jams etc. It seems there is too much auditory input and I lose my concentration or place in the music. Songs I can play passably well at home in practice fall to pieces in a group. Is this common?

ShowtimeGary's is an Amburgy from 1976. Signature in the strum hollow is seen on one of his images. I'm jealous.

Showtimegary--that is an awesome instrument you have. Enjoy it.

Thanks for the link, Dusty.

So sad. That like this site has been a breath of fresh air for those who love the dulcimer. Will sure miss the tabbed music.

Starting out it is best to follow manufacturer recommendations. As you discover the sound you prefer there is nothing wrong with experimenting and strings are inexpensive enough before telling the spouse you need another dulcimer to get the sound you prefer.

Nickel vs bronze vs phosphor bronze wound. So many decisions about strings. There is some difference. Many consider the nickel wound to be somewhat brighter. With aged ears and hearing loss I doubt I could hear much difference. Some folks use plain steel rather than wound for the bass string. Ken H. on this site is one who does that.

Juststrings.com offers single strings in loop end or ball end. Their website is very complete and it may take some exploring to find what you need. They are very helpful by phone or email if you have questions. I tend to purchase all ball end.  A couple of snips with wire nippers on the ball will break the soft material and then you have a loop end.

Keep asking questions. That is the way to learn.

notsothoreau

Congratulations on your first dulcimer. I know you are excited. Best wishes on your dulcimer journey.

By the way, the DAD (dulcimer acquisition disorder) may strike at any moment. The cure is easy. Get another dulcimer. Trouble is the malady has a way of recurring at intervals.  I have found that certain instruments sound better on some tunes than others and some dulcimers seem to "prefer" one mode or tuning. Explore and have fun.

Ken,

How about a 5 gallon bucket full of sponges?

Thanks. Looking forward to it.

So sad that it is canceled. Driven as everything nowadays by the bottom line.

I am certainly open to coming. What kind of structure is anyone thinking of?

I don't do well jamming for hours on end. I never have been able to play well in a group. Too much auditory input drives my meager mind crazy somehow. I am probably not skilled enough to teach anyone anything so I'd be soaking up info from others. Sure would like to meet some of the folks from FOTMD.

Susie,

Length overall      36"
Width lower bout  7"
Width upper bout   5.5"
VSL   28.75"
Depth of body including top and back     1.75"
Width of fretboard    1.5"

Hope that helps. Perhaps you'll get a response for a newer instrument in case the measurements have changed in the intervening years.

I have no experience with the micarta overlay.

Richard

So well said, Strumelia. Great thinking, understanding and putting it into words.

Sounds exciting. Let us know what kind of response you get.

I agree Strumelia. So glad for all the responses. They reinforce what I had thought was correct. What a versatile instrument we all love.

1-5-5 tuning can be DAA or CGG or others where the middle and melody strings are a fifth above the bass string.

Glad to hear it John. Look forward to meeting you.

Wow. I thank all of you for your comments. I guess I wasn't confused after all. While I have not done as much research as many of you have done, it did seem odd that this gentleman insisted that DAdd was the "traditional" and only tuning for the dulcimer.

What a great community we have here on this forum.

I prefer noter drone style of play and have thought for several years that the "most traditional" sound would be produced in 1-5-5 tuning. However in discussing this with a person who has played and built dulcimers for more than 30 years, I have been told that the most "traditional" sound has to come from DAdd tuning.

Also somewhere recently I have read that DAA is really a mixolydian tuning not ionian.  So I feel confused. Can one of the members here with more experience and knowledge help me understand this?

Thanks.

Looking forward to meeting all of the FOTMD family who can attend. Should be great fun.

Thanks Ken and Dan. Just wanted to know. I am planning to attend if all goes well.