Forum Activity for @guy-babusek

How is the action? I tend to like instruments with a fairly low action.

I have ebony on my Aeolus dulcimers, and I agree it makes a superior fretboard. But then again, Dale has a large amount of high quality ebony that he has been aging and storing properly for a great many years. I'm not so sure about the ebony that is currently on the market. It's becoming threatened due to unsustainable harvesting practices.

Rosewood and wenge are nice alternatives to Ebony.

Ahhh, Tuning pegs! I didn't think of that! I've been clipping my little contact tuner on any piece of real estate that would hold it, and all the time the pegs were right there!
Thanks, Guy.

I have only just realised in this year that the worst piece of musical misinformation EVER given to me in my teens was from the school music teacher. When I auditioned to join the school choir she told me I had a low pitched voice and that I should always since alto parts. (It was an all girls school and the choir usually sang 3 part arrangements for soprano, mezzo soprano and alto). She also told girls who appeared to naturally have a wide vocal range that they would damage their voices if they continued to do so and that they should choose the range they sang best and stick to that.

So I always considered myself to have a lower vocal range and never ventured further up the scales. Then when my OH started to have singing lessons a couple of years ago, we also bought a voice training package on line (Brett Manning - a bit cheesy but good sound exercises and info). Doing the exercises made me realise that I do have a clear upper register too. I will never sing with a crystal clear soprano, but now have a 3 octave range and can cover a much more versatile collection of styles too, whilst still sounding like ME rather than some "X Factor wannabe". I think that is a result!

I have several friends who were told as children that they "could not sing" and it has taken years to take the risk and overcome that big psychological hurdle to sing in public. My OH is one of them. Now when we sing in public he is overwhelmed by the warmth of response he receives (and flattered to be told he does Johnny Cash numbers really well because of his fine baritone voice!)

So if you think you can't sing, think again about where you got that message.

I love all styles on the dulcimer. I love the drone styles - I love the flat picking fast tunes (John Henry), but I also do a lot of finger picking too. Some BEAUTIFUL songs can be played using a finger picking style. Music is music - that's why there are so many styles - you don't worry about what others say - you play what is in your heart and what sounds good to you. That's my take anyway.
I am going to add an MP 3 here for you of me finger picking a song I wrote - I think it sounds fine. I love to play the dulcimer - and while there is a soft spot in my heart for Jean Ritchie and her drone style - I can sit and listen to Bing Futch crank out some jazzy tune at the same time. I love them all.

If you don't mind, and done such that we avoid any potentially actionable comments, might you list maybe the top of the "wow, you have a xxxx" and the bottom of the "hope you didn't pay much for that xxxx maker"Of course understanding that there are tons and tons of makers in the "Some Guy in Texas" category (I own a couple of those) that may be outstanding or may not. I think many of us newbies are looking at instruments from quantity builders and not "Bob's garage".[SNIP]

Fascinating discussion. I find that I'm drawn to the more trebly brighter sounds of the traditional dulcimers, a more plaintive sound that makes me picture a lonely mountain cabin next to a creek. But then again, I'm a violin player and sometime mandolin player so I tend to like trebly sounds.
I noticed that other folks like the walnut with western red cedar topped dulcimers that are mellower sounding and emphasize the bass string more. This seems to be more prevalent in California, maybe because of the guitar background?