Forum Activity for @rob-n-lackey

My understanding of Heatherwood was that it was 2 people (maybe a couple) who had worked for the Ford's at Cripple Creek.  They left them and started Heatherwood.  I'm not sure if they died or just quit.  There were still some phone listings on-line for them a few years ago.  I like the gap between the end of the fingerboard and the bridge.  Nothing to get in the way if I use a pick or strum violently with my fingers.  I have kept it in DAd, but I'm thinking about making it my DAA instrument.  It needs restringing anyway so heavier strings might be in order.  However, that will be after my diatonic year with no extra frets.  ROFL

Nice. Marg.  I have a Heatherwood with the same appointments, schooner medallion, gull soundholes.  Mine is different wood tho'. I like the sound of it even tho' I don't play it a lot. It's got nothing in common with a banjo even tho' it's tone is a little higher than my Rockwell.  

Well, I finally dug out the Maxwell and looked at it.  Yes, it has 2 wound strings. I tuned it D D A AA and it sounds pretty durn good to me

Great sound.  Tignor's are very underrated.  Hope to take both of mine in the studio this year and record using them.

Beautiful teardrop Tignor.  I have 2 hourglass Tignors, one with the small body style and one with the later, larger body style.  I love them both, especially the larger one.  You need to post a sound or video file of you playing it.  I'd love to hear it sing.

I know what you mean.  There are still a lot of James's in Braxton County, WV, some of which live on the same road as Sylvan did.  I've thought about contacting them and asking about his string set up.  Wasn't Bill Taylor taught by Mize?  If so he might be able to help with what the setup was.

I received a 3 string Sylvan James instrument with 2 wound strings and one plain.  Whether that "right" or not, since they were new strings, I tuned them D-D-A.  I'll have to look at my 5 string Maxwell and see how it's set up. But I'd say the 2 wound strings to D and all the others to A.  Gives you some interesting chordal harmonies.

Short answer: as a Schatten Dualie user for 20 years now, both on guitar and dulcimer, it varies from instrument to instrument.  You have to do some experimentation.  

Where Ken suggests is a good place to start.  I usually place mine below the lower sound hole on the right side of the instrument as I'm facing it.  If the bridge isn't at the end of the body, usually sort of beside the bridge.   

It's the best stick-on pickup you can get.   I only wish I'd gotten another 15 years ago when the music store in Salisbury, MD, had them on close out.

I don't believe it's a Fred.  Fred told me he always used the "Egyptian" head on the peghead.  The pegs look very similar to Fred's tho'.  Fred also used a paper label inside the instrument; no "signature" on the back of the peghead.  I do not believe it's a Fred. That being said, I think it could be an Edsel.

I agree Sam; I'd love to hear her sing.

WOW!  That is great.  

I have a Fred Martin.  It was my first one. Intonation good up to about the 10th fret.  Mine's mahogany and sounds really good to my ears.  Hard to say the value. Just an observation based on stopping at Fred's for a few years.  Seems the better ones of his have 4 soundholes.  He had one wall full he wouldn't let me play because they were for those who really didn't want to play the dulcimer, just wanted to have one.

2 videos using the Fred.

Thanks for the link to that article.  The author sat in the room as I finished my workshop on "Playing in A" and interviewed Shelbi right after we finished.  Glad to see what he wrote was good and positive.

You're welcome, Bob.  I was asked about this tune today so I moved it up.  Glad you're going to try to play it.  It's  a nice little tune.

Joe Besse: here's a pef of the whole thing

JH.... Music helped me during a similar time of bereavement.  For a while the only thing my guitar could play was a lament or a blues, but I played it and playing helped the loss and loneliness I felt.  May God bless you and your family!

PS:  We've (at least me) learned a lot from you too.

Oliver was indeed a most interesting man.  I enjoyed our time together both in chat and in person.  I don't know whether to play "Black Mountain Rag" for his life or "Ashokan Farewell" (another of his favorites) for those of us who will miss him.  

John Henry and Paul,  Your loss is great.  My heartfelt sympathy and condolences.  I know she had to be a special lady to put up with you, JH, these many years.  And yes, Paul, I'm sure she was a wonderful mother as well.  Here's hoping you might be comforted and will try to pray to that end.  

Sorry for your loss,

Rob

It sure looks nice; I'd love to hear it.  Maybe Jerry Rockwell might know something about the maker?

I don't believe it is.  Never saw one of his like that.  If there's no label, I'd say it's not a Presnell, at least not an Edd Presnell.

Here's a link to some of their music and interviews, I thought it was really interesting.

I'm going to wait and see if Jeff has any cds at SE Ohio.  Save the shipping  lol.  Can't wait to meet him.  Love players who play like he does using no extra frets.  In fact, is that an old Capritaurus he's playing?  Scroll over a "flat head" was something they used wasn't it?

Coober Pedy?  I know names can change as they jump continents so is this any kin to Don Pedi?  Sometimes he looks as if he crawled out of a hole!  ROFL

When you get up to 20, call me and we'll talk.  I think I'm up to between 25 & 30 now.

I totally agree with Phil on the Schatten Dualie.  In fact, I did a demo video on it some time ago.  The Schatten folks are really nice, too.  I wrote them about what kind of double sided tape to use (mine is one of the 1st imported into the USA.)  They sent me the new putty at no charge.  I got it use on nylon string guitars so I could sound like Willie Nelson  ROFL.

Watch Richard Farina flip around the chop stick he's using as a noter at about 4:40 in this video.  Some days I think us "modern" players are just trying to get where Farina was back in the 60s.

Then check out the rest of the show with Richard & Mimi.

Excellent points, Lisa.  I see a lot of dulcimer players whose fingers are flat on the fingerboard.  Arched fingers when typing, arched fingers when playing a stringed instrument.  5 fingered fretting is also something that most dulcimists don't do.  I rarely use the thumb (unless I'm doing my Alan Freeman imitation) but I use the little finger a lot.  I assume that's from being a guitarist long before I had a dulcimer.  

Exercises: try to make a straight line with your thumb and little finger.  Then try to make a 90 degree angle between all your fingers.  To help with the arched fingers hold your hand out fingers extended then bend fingers at the middle knuckle holding them tightly then relaxing them.

DT, great points, as usual.  True, I don't want to compel but rather to lead, to let folks know they can do more than they originally thought they could.  In college I took jazz guitar lessons from a real Chicago jazzman.  For the 1st lesson he handed me a sheet of paper with about 18 or 20 finger-twisting chords.  He said, "2 beats each for next week."  I worked and worked on them all week.  When I returned for my 2nd lesson.  I played them for him and he said it was good.  Then I said something to the effect that boy they were really tough.  I've never forgotten what he said next.  "That's what I give an absolute beginner for their 1st lesson."  He read the incredulity in my face, laughed and said, "you see, you know they're hard.  A beginner doesn't know they're hard; a C chord is hard for them."  When you start out, beginners, don't limit yourself with what you think you can play.  You can do more than you think you can.

I believe "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing" was the COKE song, Ken.  Everyone loves a cok-ola now and then, right? 

John Ryan's Polka is a good one to add to your list.

You've gotten some good advice here.  I, like Ken L, have bought many an instrument sight unseen.  Most of the time I've been satisfied regardless of whether it's a "traditional" or a "modern" instrument.  I've been ripped off twice (my opinion, the sellers says they didn't.)  I've screwed up once.  So, that being said, you know you can't go wrong with a McSpadden or Folkcraft/Folkroots.  Even if you don't like the sound they will be fine quality instruments and (unless you really pay too much) you can probably get your money back.  There are some really great instruments out there by other makers and there are some old ones that may look good, but aren't.  I bought a really nice looking teardrop made in WV 40 years ago off ebay and it is unplayable. The woodworking is superb but the fret layout is crazy.  Fortunately it was only about 50 bucks.  If you see one you like ask on here. I'd bet someone has played one or knows someone who has.

My early dulcimer experience was the opposite of Dusty's.  My first dulcimer had 4 independent strings, no provision for doubling any strings.  Then I broke the plastic nut.  I called several people but it was Keith Young who replaced it for me.  He put on one of "his" nuts with provision for doubling not just the melody but also the middle string. (Of course he notched the bridge as well.)  Now I could do things with the strings I couldn't do before.

Fast forward several years to my getting my Heatherwood.  It has doubled melody with no provision for 4 independent.  I played with the outside string loosened until I discovered all the videos of Schnaufer.  I put that doubled string back on and worked at playing it that way.  Some folks whom I respect greatly advised me to stake one of them off, but I didn't.  

I do move the strings on my Rockwell, sometimes during a performance.  In fact, the engineer recording me wanted to know what I had done to get that "different" sound on the instrument.

Play it like you feel it, 3 or 4 strings; double melody or independent; play it!

David Schnaufer used a double melody for chording; Steve Seifert uses one as well.  Alan Freeman, tho' playing a different "style" and using a radically different tuning, does too.  I like being able to go from 4 independent strings to double melody for certain songs.  I haven't found it harder nor does it really give me more volume, just a little different sound.

I don't want to sound like a Luddite or curmudgeon but I wouldn't have any frets added to that beautiful instrument.    Since, as you said, your other dulcimers have the "extra" frets, maybe you could keep this one intact to play in a more traditional manner?  Were it a McSpadden or a Folkcraft I might not suggest this, but it's nice to an individual maker's work kept as he intended.

I believe, Ken, straight F would be on the 6 and F# on the 6+.  And you know, I'll bet "Which Side Are You On" would sound really good in that tuning.

Agree, Tessie, don't be afraid to re-tune or break a string. It'll happen soon enough.  It happened to me right before the last workshop I taught.  However, like a dummy, I didn't have any extra strings for that dulcimer.  Get a set; keep 'em in the case and laugh when it happens.  

Well, I guess I'll be bold and go first.  I don't dislike it, but I ain't crazy about it either.  Seems to leave out something, but I ain't sure what.  I'll think about it.

Not to beat a dead horse, but I found this online today and did a search for Barb and here's what came up:

http://digitalcollections.uark.edu/cdm/search/collection/OzarkFolkSong/searchterm/bar*%20*llen/order/title

 Lordy if'n I didn't find another one:

http://maxhunter.missouristate.edu/indexsongtitle.aspx?Letter=B

I gotta get off line

http://web.lyon.edu/wolfcollection/songs/songs.html#b

I will say on the last site the recording of Aunt Ollie Gilbert is her, but I had to download it to get it to play.  On the Univ of Ark. site a recording of a man came up under her name.

Well, that saddens me.  Always liked Ralph's and Ralph & Carter's music, even when they were doing more like acoustic country music rather than old time or bluegrass.  I got to meet him the last time he played up here.  He didn't remember our 10 or 15 minute conversation about 30 minutes after we had it.  He only did one song on the banjo and he forgot the words to one song.  It was one of those pleasurable yet sad moments of life.

RIP Dr. Ralph.

You're native because you were born here.  Yes, there are benefits from carrying the card.  Compromise, because a lot of pow wows are put on by those non-recognized groups that claim to be Indian.  Don't know if I could have associated with them very long.  I could have gotten away with most of the songs I would have wanted to play (I think.)

Keeping in mind that I exercised my hands a lot while I was studying classical guitar, 8 1/2 inches.  The length of my index finger is 2 7/8 measuring from the inside to the tip.  Dusty, I could barre an F.  Then the 1st real guitar teacher I ever had showed me the long A barre.  (Barring across we'll say 5, holding down all the strings with the 1st finger.  Then doing a barre across 3 4 2 with the 3rd finger at the 7th fret, lifting it a little to sound the 1st string, 5th fret.)  I came back the next week and wasn't making the chord that way.  He asked me why not?  I said, "I can't."  He replied, "Well, if you can't, don't bother to come back; you've gone as far as you can go."  I fussed, cussed, cried and worked, sweated and practiced and, by golly, I could make it. I was swelled with 11 (maybe 12) year old pride as I displayed my ability to play the chord.  Jack just grinned at me and said, "I knew you could do it; you just didn't want to have to work at it."  He was right.  I wanted to take the easy way out.

John Keane's insights on this topic should be considered thoughtfully by all.  Also, remember the "comfort zone" changes, What was a pain in the butt 2 weeks ago is probably not much trouble today.  All of us can echo Ken Hulme's thoughts as well. There's no "magical solution" other than practice: practicing things that you think are boring (they probably are;) practicing parts of songs that are giving you trouble; not playing but practice.  When you make a mistake in what you are practicing you start over and play more slowly/precisely, etc, until you get it right.  Then you play it again and again.  Dusty's on point as usual, too.  There are other things to consider than vsl.  I'd rather have a wider fretboard because I mostly fingerpick.  I'd rather have 4 independent strings that to have a 6 1/2 fret. To me, you can do more with tunings than with more frets. Like him, I want about as low an action as I can get, lower than I'd want on a guitar (except for a flamenco guitar.)  I'm glad y'all can't see me when I'm trying to work out a new tune; I can get pretty testy when the fingers don't move like I want.  But I know with practice they'll get there; the chords will ring out and the melodies will be clear, even if they are out of my comfort zone now.