Forum Activity for @nate

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Sorry to hear that, i have noticed that sometimes having a "false bottom/galax board" or a built in "possum board" can dampen my sound. After several experiments I think a very rigid and thin "false bottom" is best for tone and sustain. I also think that the inside face of the "false bottom" should be coated in something that is "sonically reflective." A hard layer of shellac, polyurethane, or anything else that is super rigid.

Id love to see more pictures, the instrument looks awesome 

Nate

updated by @nate: 10/22/24 06:32:51PM

Differences between two dulcimers

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

 
It's often thick sheets of really stiff paperboard, but some are actual corrugated cardboard. Because the board is very stiff and lightweight, the instruments are shockingly loud and punchy, especially for their price. The box itself will not be durable if you're not careful, but the fingerboard will be good quality, and as Ken mentioned you can simply remove the fingerboard and glue it onto a different box later.
I've seen them in kits that you assemble yourself for as little as 45$, but for under 100, you can find some that look and sound pretty nice.

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Wow, that's pretty cool Chris. What material is the dulcimer made from? Also, do you mean that it has an additional sound board on the inside of the instrument?

Differences between two dulcimers

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

It seems to me that since both options are good quality, and you cant actually play or hear either one before buying, it might be best to pick whichever one you like better aesthetically. If you like to look at it, youll like to have it out, and you'll want to play it more often 😁 

How Many Dulcimers Do You Own?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thats a pretty cool instrument. I like the tin at the end and the bridge setup is clever. Thanks for sharing

How Many Dulcimers Do You Own?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Very cool @dulcillini

I love the pattern of the one on the left and the shape of the one on the right 👍🏽 

How Many Dulcimers Do You Own?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

That is awesome @overdrive

Id love to see a photo of the dulcimer that has served you all this time

Nate

How do I put a new posting in "The :Positive Thread?"

Site QUESTIONS ? How do I...?

Thank you for sharing this story. As a child, something like a cane can instantly make one feel like a sophisticated adult. I remember how much joy I got strutting around with my grandfather's canes when i was little. it's so great to have sentimental things like that, which can still find use all this time later.

1977 Robert Mize

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

 
I believe that the pamphlet is intending that you tune your instrument to Daaa, and is suggesting that you use the G string from a guitar for the D, and three high E strings from a guitar for the As. Geee is not a tuning that is used on dulcimer.
Nate

Angry internet people, so hateful that it's funny to me

OFF TOPIC discussions

WOW, that's all really terrible to hear. Really glad to hear that you persevered and kept a good spirit. Internet trolls definitely pale in comparison to the kind of real hate that exists out there. If weird comments that have nothing to do with me are the worst it gets, I think I'm getting off pretty lucky as far as internet hate goes.

Angry internet people, so hateful that it's funny to me

OFF TOPIC discussions

 
I am guessing that's probably an understatement LOL. I have to assume that when he looked up "nate dulcimer" my account happened to come up, and I cant even imagine why he is so mad at the life choices of some hammered dulcimer player in the first place...

Angry internet people, so hateful that it's funny to me

OFF TOPIC discussions

More than anything, I find it really funny that someone clicked on a bunch of my videos, and after seeing me a dozen times, still thought I was Nate Pultorak, the middle aged, white, bearded hammered dulcimer player. I guess they were so angry they didn't even glance at the videos?

updated by @nate: 08/31/24 09:49:17AM

Angry internet people, so hateful that it's funny to me

OFF TOPIC discussions

Agreed, Strumelia! When I see someone that angry and vitriolic I have a lot of pity for them. I'm sorry to hear that someone was that vile to you. Luckily for me this person is just unwell and most of their comments made absolutely no sense, so it doesn't affect me that much. He was saying such extremely specific things that I had to google it to find out who he thought I was.

updated by @nate: 08/31/24 09:32:30AM

Angry internet people, so hateful that it's funny to me

OFF TOPIC discussions

Thank you for your kind words Robin. I honestly have never received a mean comment on a video, so I was very shocked to see that someone had gone through my videos to leave a mean comment on each one, and I was totally blown away when I realized that this person is very specifically angry at some other dulcimer player named Nate.  

Angry internet people, so hateful that it's funny to me

OFF TOPIC discussions

I really hope the guy who typed all these messages finds the Lord, and finds peace in their heart. However I couldn't help but to laugh at seeing that someone left really mean comments on a dozen of my videos, and they apparently are mad at someone else. The internet is a funny place.

updated by @nate: 08/31/24 07:27:18AM

Angry internet people, so hateful that it's funny to me

OFF TOPIC discussions

A very angry guy left a bunch of mean comments on tons of my YouTube videos, and after reading several, I realized that this disturbed man thought I was the esteemed hammered dulcimer player named Nate Pultorak.

Some folks are too angry too see straight

updated by @nate: 08/31/24 07:31:25AM

Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic

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

 
A mere by any other name would sound as dulce." -Grant Shakespeare

History of mountain dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

 
I know only a little about dulcimer history, and even less about the history of southern churches, but with smaller churches it makes a lot of sense to me that musicians would be invited to play small intimate performances in front of their congregation. Most church people that I've met love musicians bringing their instruments and performing a piece of worship music, since church is fundamentally about community. I guess i had assumed that any instruments which weren't considered "of the devil" would end up getting played in churches. I really hope it wasn't that different in 'puritanical' times in Appalachia...
updated by @nate: 08/30/24 06:31:24AM

Play Music On The Porch Day 2019

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

 
Glad you brought it up! This year is slipping by far too fast I almost let it blow past me!

How Many Dulcimers Do You Own?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

 
Right? One thing I've been meaning to try per the advice of some folks on here is getting a spool of string, which seems to be WAY cheaper.

String Action

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I am not sure about the "one size" anecdote, but dramatically changing string size will dramatically change intonation. In the past, when I have already installed a fixed bridge, and it is only off by a couple cents, I will sometimes file a slot or two slightly deeper to adjust it. Not my favorite solution, but it shouldn't affect playability very much. For that reason, I recommend taking a tuner and fretting each note to see if the instrument is well intonated. If all the notes are in tune, I'd say leave it alone. If they're not, then it may be fair to assume that the strings are at different heights due to imprecision.
Nate

String Action

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I would recommend checking the frets with a tuner before making any alterations. It may be the case that the strings are set at different heights to accommodate their location on an installed bridge. There may be very small variations in the bridge that are actually adjustments made for intonation.
Nate

updated by @nate: 08/20/24 05:54:33AM

Choosing for bad weather..?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

 

Choosing for bad weather..?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

A lot of my dulcimers are plywood, and I very often use a few layers of polyurethane on them. (for solid wood dulcimers i much prefer oil) 
I am aware that conventional knowledge suggests allowing wood to breathe, but in rough weather or high humidity, I wonder if it's better to have an instrument that can "hold it's breath"
I have made two with no soundholes and with a heavy coating of polyurethane on the entire outside, including the fingerboard. They are essentially waterproof, and have traveled back and forth between inland and the coast multiple times with no noticeable warping. I left one of them on a back porch and it got rained on all night, and I just wiped all the water off, put new strings on it, and it was totally unaffected.
Probably not applicable for most people, but I definitely appreciate having a dulcimer that is specifically more weather resistant than the rest.

updated by @nate: 08/08/24 09:36:32PM

A fun story with a satisfying ending

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

The dulcimer 

A fun story with a satisfying ending

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I gave away one of the first bundt pan dulcimers that I built to an older gentleman who is homeless and had a precarious lifestyle. Shortly thereafter he got ripped off and it was stolen from him and my dulcimer, that meant a lot to me, was suddenly being passed around amongst strangers. Eventually it was gifted to someone who gifted it to a very nice man, and by pure luck i met that man's wife, and the two of them gladly returned my dulcimer to me, that i may return it to its original recipient. Talk about a feel good ending!

Nate

Nut & saddle Material

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

In my opinion, any stiff and dense material transmits the energy well. Metal, plastic, bone, dense hardwoods, etc. Each will slightly alter the tone of the instrument, but only very slightly. I often use hardwoods out of convenience, or a metal zero fret for consistency of tone, but bone is my preference because it transmits super well, and I like the look of bone best. I'm not a big fan of the premade plastic ones because they are harder to alter, but they sound just as good.

updated by @nate: 08/03/24 11:33:24PM

squeakless nylon strings?

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

Those string lubricant products are very strange. The feel is totally different. I think a lot of them are mainly just mineral oil. Personally, I like it, but can't be bothered to apply a product to my strings before playing. Heck, I can barely even be bothered to tune up xD
Sounds like a thicker unwound string is the way to go. I will have to check out that brand as well.

3-String Teardrop Sunhearth Dulcimer - 1974

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

This is all fascinating! The fact that it's number 99, when he started recording them at 100 is such a neat coincidence. And also the fact that it's unfinished! The reputation of that luthier precedes him, so it seems to me that you have a very awesome opportunity to finish building a dulcimer that was done up most of the way by a master.

Thank you to Dwain for providing all the awesome context

What's your current fave GO-TO instrument these days?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

updated by @nate: 07/25/24 11:23:31PM

What's your current fave GO-TO instrument these days?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Sadly, I've been spreading myself too thin lately and I haven't been getting as much practice as I like to on a few different instruments. I have a Magnus accordion sitting on my couch that I like to play while I'm unwinding when I get off work. It's basically a vintage plastic children's toy accordion with way fewer buttons than a real one. It's a lot of fun to mess around with.

violin uke

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Sounds interesting id love to see a photo

Hanging some dulcimers as a wall display

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Very interested to hear what others with actual knowledge do for this. Personally, I have mounted dulcimers on the wall by securing them with picture frame mounting hooks, and hanging them by a piece of twine that is tied to the scroll and tailpiece. Because the twine puts a lot of friction on the hook, it will stay at whatever angle you position it. I am sure there are more simple and elegant solutions so I'm looking forward to hearing from others.

updated by @nate: 07/08/24 05:31:37PM

Mutual acknowledgement

Site QUESTIONS ? How do I...?

The dulcimer community has been the most positive, helpful and encouraging out of any instrument I've played, by a lot.

Travel Dulcimer string angle issues

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

It looks to me like the spacer is not only meant to keep the strings at their correct distance, but also is meant to pull them down over the zero fret. That is why the strings are going through holes, and not just resting over the top like an actual nut.

Travel Dulcimer string angle issues

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

My mistake I thought the nails were screws. Are the nails loose? It visually looks like the spacer is meant to be flush with the edge of the fingerboard, but has been pulled out of place and tipped over by the force of the strings.

Travel Dulcimer string angle issues

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

if you were to tighten those screws, would the nut be upright and flush with the end of the fingerboard? It seems to be leaning pretty dramatically toward the zero fret and the screws look pretty loose. Maybe is just needs to be re-secured

Travel Dulcimer string angle issues

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

Is that "nut" screwed into the fretboard?? Thats a.....creative.....solution..... 

I think it would be simpler to replace the string spacer bar than to replace the tuners. Theoretically, if the spacer bar is lower than the 0 fret, it shouldn't matter that the tuners are higher than the spacer. The only challenge is anchoring the spacer to the headstock well enough that force from the strings doesnt lift the spacer up.

Lots of options for that, good luck!

Nate

John (Jolm?) Dubroff dulcimer

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That's really cool. That would be a really useful thing for me to do on dulcimers I make with eye bolts for tuners, since theyre super finicky to fine tune

John (Jolm?) Dubroff dulcimer

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

I am curious about how that affects the break angle of the string. Is the bead difficult to move, due to the pressure on it, or does it slide easily?