Forum Activity for @wmacky

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Yeah the fretboard would have to be replaced or planed down. I'm too OCD to live with empty fret slots. I'm sure it's not worth doing on a $700 Dulcimer, and I don't have the skills to do that myself,  This may be destined for the trash bin. I hope I can save the other one

Such a shame.  This has wonderful flamed maple on the back and sides

updated by @wmacky: 12/16/22 01:02:57PM

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Hi, Strumelia

It's the same dulcimer and the same picture, just zoomed in?

About fret naming  - yeah sorry, I'm not used to the strange dulcimer fret naming thing.  Skipping the .5's when counting got me when I counted. 

However, just looking at the pick you can visually see there is a spacing issue around the .5 frets

updated by @wmacky: 12/16/22 09:01:17AM

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

The builder builds higher end dulcimers as well as guitars. I see this same fret issue on some other dulcimers he has built but not all of them?  How could a experienced builder make the same mistake over and over?

I'll pretty OCD about such things and that feeling of frustration I had before is returning.  I may have revert back to closet storage.  It's a shame as I was originally pretty excited about learning it.

Thanks for the help confirming

updated by @wmacky: 12/16/22 07:16:26AM

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Thanks for the responses -  Just trying to learn

Let me try to answer you -

The whole dulcimer project was put on hold as my wife sadly passed away unexpectedly  at a young age. As you can imagine I lost interest.The luthier seemed super defensive and I just couldn't deal with all that at the time. It's been over a year and I'm ready to deal with this again

The issue with dulcimer number 2 is that it frets out on all 4 strings on the first 4 frets. I fear the neck has a back bow, but I need to find a proper length straight edge to check it. If I can determine the neck isn't back bowed I'll attempt a fret leveling ( I have the tools)

About the fret spacing on dulcimer 1 -

Yes I'm new to Dulcimers but have had guitars for years. My understanding with guitars is that the fret spacing gets closer per half step as you get closer to the bridge. There are frets on that dulcimer were this is not true.

Look at the pic again.

For example fret space 13/ 14 is smaller than fret 15/16. Shouldn't the opposite be true?  Also look at fret space 6/7. the spacing is smaller than 7/8?  I believe those fret are 1/2 step apart right? Shouldn't  the frets that are a 1/2 step apart be getting closer as you approach the bridge?

 Am I not understanding something? This is why I wanted to ask the experts here.To learn if I'm in error

This spacing is different than on dulcimer 2 which seem more correct. 

updated by @wmacky: 12/15/22 07:15:20PM

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I did call the builder last year, and asked about the issue. He became very  defensive and didn't seem to want to discuss it.  When I asked if he used Just intonation, he had never heard of that!!! :-o   It was a bad situation as at the time I had already commissioned a custom built Dulcimer by him which was almost complete. I didn't want bad blood as I awaited the second dulcimer. That dulcimer ended up having different issues, making it unplayable... I needed up storing both and never playing them.  a $1800 loss....

The good news is that while I had the dulcimer out last night taking the pics, , I learned and played my first song.  Time after time. It sounded pretty good!

updated by @wmacky: 12/15/22 08:42:00AM

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I was counting the wrong frets I guess.   Compare distance between frets 13/ 14 and then 14/15. The gap gets larger going towards the bridge.

Getting unstable readings from my Korg OT 20 tuner but some frets seem several cents off

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Ok, I'm seeing more fret issues.  Look at the frets just before the 7th, and just before the 14th.

updated by @wmacky: 12/14/22 07:07:59PM

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

yes,  the 13 + fret      It appears to be at least 50% closer to the 14th rather than slightly past halfway

I   I I

updated by @wmacky: 12/14/22 01:33:22PM

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Yes, I'm at work now but will post a pic tonight

Misplaced fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I purchased a rather expensive dulcimer a while ago and feel one of the frets is misplaced.  It is visually apparent!.  Looking at photos from the Luthier I see most of his instruments have the fret placed correctly, but some have the same odd positioned fret as mine?  With Just intonation/ Even tmp,  Various scales, and added frets it can get confusing, but this just looks wrong?  It's the 6 1/2 fret in the second octave

updated by @wmacky: 12/15/22 08:03:43PM

Ducimer comission

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Ken, I sure will. Susie, it's being made by Richard Beard.  He offered a lot of custom options for much less than some of the other  larger companies.

Here's some of my choices:    All Santos rosewood, with tight grained spruce top, and ebony fret board. +1 and +6 frets. flamed maple edge binding, and ebony edge purfling on the top. Nitro lacquer polished finish. The tuners will look like ebony pegs, but are really planetary mechanical look alikes.

 

Here's the back board glued up with a maple center stripe.

Ducimer comission

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I have recently commissioned a custom dulcimer build. Has anyone else? I'm very excited. Here's the wood we have decided the back, sides, scroll head, finger board, and end block will be made from.

 

Santos Rosewood

 

 

 

 

updated by @wmacky: 10/27/19 12:02:25PM

New player / New purchase / Wellborn dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hi Ken,

A couple posts back I stated that I had  purchased a second dulcimer. The maple backed pictures were posted at the beginning of this thread. I did notice that if your looking at pictures and start scrolling them, the forum will show all attached pictures from the entire thread. I thought that might be confusing!

updated by @wmacky: 03/18/19 10:11:58AM

New player / New purchase / Wellborn dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Even better is that although it's 10 years old, he sold it as new / unplayed.  Never left it's case.......

 

Looks like it's maple top. sides, and fretboard, walnut back and scroll?

 

Look like this is missing the 6 1/2 fret, so now I have one of each fret layout.

updated by @wmacky: 03/17/19 11:09:30PM

New player / New purchase / Wellborn dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

It's official. I'm out of control!  My first purchase won't arrive until tomorrow, and I have made my second purchase moments ago. I truly was in no rush, but then saw a nice special looking MD on eBay that looked like it was going to go cheap. It did! I'm no Dulcimer expert being a beginner, but I think I stole it  I hope no one here was bidding on it too?

Not much info on the "deceased" builder, but can tell from the construction that he must have been great.  Fred T Wellborn?

Paid $161 with a hard case.  Here's a quick peek! And yesy, more flamed maple.

 

 

 

updated by @wmacky: 03/17/19 09:33:11PM

New player / New purchase / Wellborn dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks so much for the warm welcome everyone. That's a breath of fresh air compared to some of the hobby forums I visit.  I have not received the dulcimer yet but the anticipation is great. I've been intriuged since first seeing one about 45 years ago on a episode of "The Walton's". My God, has it been 45 years?

 

Any way, thanks for not scolding. I know as a beginner, that was not the standard path. However I do appreciate finely crafted pieces using choice woods. I just had to have it. I made a offer that brought the price down to almost what a standard McSpadden goes for, and he accepted, so I jumped. I'm already thinking about another. I came here as a so so struggling guitar player. So I'm familiar with strumming. fretting, and musical concepts, but of coarse, know little about the dulcimer.

 

Ken, I'm going to read that article right now!   Do some of you that know of Richard, ever heard his dulcimers? Just curious which way the sound leans. Modern / traditional.... It doesn't much matter to me as which ever way it goes, I'll compliment it with another that leans the other way!

updated by @wmacky: 03/15/19 10:23:21PM

New player / New purchase / Wellborn dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Haha  Yes Beard!

 

Here are some pics.

 

 

New player / New purchase / Wellborn dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Well I did it. I purchased a new Dulcimer and will learn to play it! I looked at the usual big production units, and thought I had decided, but then found a small production dulcimer from a individual Luthier. The Luithier does not seem to be well known to the dulcimer community, (Richard Bread?). Research shows he make excellent guitars, and Mandolins with Very glowing reviews. I guess the negative would be resell value compared to better know instruments? The positive seemed to be a lot of deluxe features and upgrades for the same price as a "regular" upper end standard Mcspadden.

 

This one comes with a red cedar top, highly flamed Maple sides and book-matched back. Walnut scroll , end block, and fingerboard, ebony fret-board, ebony tipped Grover tuning keys, and a high gloss polished lacquer finish. It's quite striking! :-) This was a internet purchase but with a 14 day return period.

updated by @wmacky: 03/15/19 10:44:20AM