Forum Activity for @mick-mclaughlin

Any body have an idea what this is ?

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Hi Nate, appreciate your comments about my oddball find. Yes I do still play dulcimer. Never been a good player but like the nice feeling it's sound gives. Still have my Romanian dulcimer made by Hora. Also have a Red Kite made by the Hagan family in Missouri. Also have a 1970's Homer Ledford instrument, which is a dream.

Though I have to confess I haven't been playing them much lately as I have been putting some time into learning 5 string banjo old style. I have a great instrument from ODE in Boulder Colorado . But I still love the dulcimer and played it at Melton Christmas Folk Festival in the UK where I had several requests to explain ' what's that you're playing, sounds sweet ! '

updated by @mick-mclaughlin: 01/11/25 07:12:41AM

Any body have an idea what this is ?

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Hi @jim-yates thanks for post. I puzzled for quite a time over that instrument. Finally I concluded that it was definitely homemade despite some fine detailing and I was never convinced about any heritage as a mountain dulcimer. I believe to was better related to some of the dulcimers European cousins such as Epinette des Vosges or Hummels

It had a slight curvature to the very thin fretboard  which made it quite difficult to set up. But it was great for playing the blues !!

In the end I sold it on eBay and doubled my money I got no complaints from the purchaser which I took to mean he is a better musician than me.

Locating a Bridge on a new dulcimer

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

Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone. Ken, Skip, Bill, Matt you are treasures. I've yet to fit the gear tuners having decided not to use friction pegs, but I shall try to locate the best spot for the saddle using my electronic tuner. But thanks to you guys I know where to start and what I'm trying to achieve and why.

The nice looking long friction pegs that came with the dulcimer, but have not been dressed, I shall use as noters.

Locating a Bridge on a new dulcimer

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

Hi

I wonder if anyone can help with a query. I have been given a dulcimer that has not been completely finished. One of the tasks is to fit a bridge. The frets have been put in place and I understand the bridge is supposed to be located somewhere around twice the length of the nut to 7th fret. But is that an exact location ?

Blue Lion website says the twice rule will give the VSL ,but "The actual distance from the nut to the saddle is normally slightly longer for proper intonation." I've no idea what that means !  

Then I see Dusty has dulcimers with "floating bridges". So I'm a little confused, can anyone help me out.

Thanks

Any body have an idea what this is ?

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Hi Ken

Thanks for all the helpful information. The pictures you posted do look remarkably similar to my device. The only difference is the bridge arrangement.

Thanks to you and everyone for your replies. I think judging from the amount of dust I extracted from the sound box Lisa is right about the vintage !!

Any body have an idea what this is ?

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Thanks Strumela for the comment. Well I never thought I'd find a used Appalachian dulcimer on my doorstop. Only cost a few pounds as well.

Appreciate the insights

Regards

Mick

Any body have an idea what this is ?

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Hi Josh

Thanks for the link. I had wondered about those as well, but so difficult to be certain.

Regards

Mick

Any body have an idea what this is ?

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Hi Ken

Thank you so much for the comment. I am surprised , but I'm old enough to appreciate experience. Thats wonderful and I'll tidy it up and restring it. I may even try to record it and see what you think.

Regards

Mick

Any body have an idea what this is ?

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Hi Ken ,Thanks for prompt response, but I perhaps should add a bit more info as my picture doesn't show the full story. I should have noticed that before. There are a further 2 tuning pegs on the other side of the headstock. So its 5 strings. The fretboard doesn't go the full length of the body. The total length is 29 inches and the depth of the fretboard is a quarter of an inch.

The body is slightly triangular in shape. Nut to bridge is 23 inches.

I'm too new to be categoric but I don't think its an Appalachian dulcimer. Maybe I should add I'm in the UK so it might be European.

Regards

Mick

Any body have an idea what this is ?

Adventures with 'other' instruments...

  I have attached a photo which I hope illustrates an instrument I picked up in a local secondhand shop. As you can see the fretboard is in the centre. It has 19 frets with a single string in the middle with pairs spaced away from it on either side. One string in the right hand pair is wound the rest are single steel wires.

I will give you the note readings on the middle string which I tuned to an open D.

So at first fret E then F, F#,G,G#,A,B,C,C#,D,E,F#,G,G#,A,B,C#,D,E The bridge sits a little high so the strings slope over the fret board rather than parallel, but I assume this was not intended. 

Does anyone know what it is ? I thought it could be an Epinette or Scheitholt but it doesn't seem to fall into what I would expect

Any guesses would help !!!

Thanks

Mick

Groups - Quiet or am I missing the obvious?

Site QUESTIONS ? How do I...?

Haven't been a member long enough to answer your question, but I like reading back over posts and usually discover a bit that I missed the last time.Are you thinking there is not enough posting going on ? Or just not enough chat about other stuff.