Forum Activity for @joseph-besse

I think Burt Kahn who is a contributor of dulcimer songs on dulcimertab.com has a number of Jewish songs available.  I think he lives South Florida.

Joe Besse

What happened to the dulcimer clubs in the Pineville/Alexandria area? A small group meets in Lafayette on 1st and 3rd Saturday at 10AM at Jean Lafitte National Park and at the visitor's center on I-49 in Opelousas on Wednesdays at 10AM. Y'all come. 

Joe Besse

Check out YouTube.

I think Terry's Capo is the best out there.  I have the Ron Ewing and the original Dudley and like Terry's the best.

Joe Besse

I downloaded the articles on a thumb drive, just in case . It did not take long.

Joe

How can I download all of the tabs and articles to a flash drive? I do not know how to clone the site as Brian G. did.  I have a MacBook Air with 128 gig.

Joe

Thanks for the info Skip. I will forward your instructions to my friend so she can get started.

I use the iPad Pro tablet now with unrealBook as the app.  I formerly used an android tablet with MobileSheets to load my PDF songs, but I forgot exactly how to use it. One of my dulcimer friends bought an android tablet and wants to use the MobileSheets program and I forgot all the details of loading songs onto the tablet. Can somebody refresh my memory so I can help out my friend. Thanks a lot.

Joe Besse

I don't know if I explained myself correctly. I recently bought a small 1 watt amplifier that does not have a volume control button. It is small, about the size of a pack of cigarettes. What I need is a stick-on type transducer that has a volume control button that I can insert into my amp. I have looked at the Shadow stuff online, but their prices are more than double what I paid for the small amp. Someone also sent me a link to company that makes what I am looking for, except it has to be installed into the dulcimer. I need a stick-on type. Thanks for any info on such an accessory, if one exists.

Joe

Thanks for the PDF Rob. Will check it out. I was a featured extra in a film last year called "Dirt Road to Lafayette". It was filmed in Lafayette, LA and they played this song throughout most of the scenes. Actually the song played was "MacPherson's Lament".  The film should be out soon I hope. It was directed by a Scotish man and most of the main actors were from Scotland. One of them had a staring roll in "Braveheart" a few years ago with Mel Gibson.

I would like to learn the song, Oh, My Little Darling.  I have the mountain dulcimer tab for it, but would like to hear what it sounds like being played. The YouTube songs I have been able to listen to are Blue Grass and played very fast. Any help on this would be appreciated.

joebesse@aol.com

I could not find where you moved the discussion. It is not in my General Music section. Anyway, I would like those guys to try to print their PDF files the way they stated. All of my MobileSheets are in PDF form and I have not figured out anyway to print them.

joebesse@aol.com

Does anyone know how to print tabs from the original MobileSheets app? The Pro version lets you do this with Dropbox, but this is "Xed" out on the original app version. Thanks for any help given. You may email me with your suggestion: joebesse   @   aol.com

I made a capo for a small dulcimer I have, but it also works on the travel dulcimer I have which was built by a lady who used to work for Folkcraft and is identical. Richard Ash just came out with the new capo for this dulcimer which should work fine.

I just scan the songs I want into the MobileSheets program from my Join the Jam books

Joe 

I forgot to mention that if you still have trouble dropping the pick you might try some "gorilla snot" sold at some music stores. Also, your local bowling alley might have some resin like stuff they use to keep from dropping a bowling ball and comes in a small bottle. You rub it on the fingers you use to hold your pick.  I have used both over the years when I had slippery fingers.

Herdim makes the 3 numbered pick that several dulcimer builders furnish with their dulcimer.  I use a herdim too, but a longer one that they make. Some vendors have this longer version available in different thicknesses, but you might have to order it from an online vendor. I like Herdim, because they are made out of nylon and last for years.  The one I use has been with me for over 6 or 7 years and I carry it in my small change purse all the time, along with a couple of extra picks, just in case.

Check out the EverythingDulcimer.com website and also Dogwood Dulcimer in Pensacola.

joebesse@aol.com

Hi Strumelia, you have created a great new site. I love it. Glad you got rid of the "typewriter" photos for new members. Wish everyone would post something original, rather than the standard stock dulcimer photo you are using for most members. I sent my photo to some online guy and got him to draw a caracature of me holding my dulcimer and it came out fairly well. My kids say it is ugly, but at least it is original, LOL!!!!  Thanks again for a great site.

joebesse@aol.com

Has anyone used the tool explained on the website "Dulcimer Simplified" for barre chords and other chords on the mountain dulcimer? I would like to get feedbck on this item, so that I might use it to teach beginner dulcimer players in my club. Thanks for any help given on this.

joebesse@aol.com

Hi Gladys,

Glad you took over the jam in Pineville. I played with y'all several times and missed the group. Still playing the 2nd Saturday of the month at Jean Lafitte National Park in Lafayette. Come pass a good time with us and please keep me up to date on your Pineville group. joebesse@aol.com

Hi Kristi,

Welcome to the FOTMD. I play with the Cajun Dulcimer Society in Lafayette and Lagniappe Dulcimer Society and Red Stick Strummers in Baton Rouge. Hope we can get together sometime. Club info listed on the EverythingDulcimer website. Come pass a good time with us, LOL!!!!

Looking for following tabs: "When I Die" and "MacPherson's Farewell". Please respond to: joebesse@aol.com

Thanks.

I use a box type cart with an extendable handle which I bought at Office Depot for about $15 or $20, depending if they are on sale or not. It folds up flat for storage and holds a lot of stuff. It also comes with a cover for the box, but I do not use this at all. Several people in my dulcimer group use this same type cart. We love it.

They used to be $65.00. Everything keeps going up. Try a wooden fan blade with 2 dowels spaced out and a couple pieces of the rubber stuff you put in the bottom of kitchen cabinets. The stuff sells for about a $1.00/roll at your dollar store.

Personally, I don't think a possum board adds that much volume to a standard dulcimer. I have McSpadden possum boards on my standard dulcimer and my Ginger, but I don't think adding an extra $100 or more to a dulcimer to have a built in possum board is worth it. I have a couple of amps that I use occasionally, but my favorite is the little Honeytone amp, which sells for about $25 or $30 on the web or Amazon. It connects easily to a flat head dulcimer. Do not use with a scroll head. I use this small amp for small groups. Hope this info helps. BTW, you can also buid yourself a cheap possum board with a wooden fan blade from one of the big box hardware stores and a couple of dowels to hold the dulcimer up.

There are Beaucoup free tuners available. Best one though is ClearTune for about $1.99. In App section.

Joe Besse

Thanks for the advice Matt, but alas, I have already bought and cut the 3/4 pipe and in process of putting the pipe together. Will let you know how it works out. I already have a sturdy wooden dulcimer playing stand which I leave set up in my studio and I was just building this one for use at gigs. I made several dulcimer stands out of 1/2" tubing and they work great for propping up your dulcimers. Take care and thanks again for your help.

Matt Berg said:

I do not think 3/4 pvc is a good idea. The biggest problem with pvc is that it bends, thicker pipe less, thinner pipe more. If you want to stay with 3/4, I strongly suggest building a "walker" type stand. The type I built relies on a single upright which would be wobbly if 3/4".

I leave an instrument on my stand as the stand is very steady. Besides, neither of my cats is big enough to knock it over.

Joseph Besse said:

Thanks for the PDF list Matt. I decided to use all 3/4" tubing and stick to a sit-down stand. Hope this works OK. BTW, I assume you do not leave the stand un-attended for fear of someone knocking it down when not playing.

Thanks for the PDF list Matt. I decided to use all 3/4" tubing and stick to a sit-down stand. Hope this works OK. BTW, I assume you do not leave the stand un-attended for fear of someone knocking it down when not playing.

Now I see how you did it. I think I will make one just to use while sitting only. Can you tell me what size PVC you used? Looks like 3/4" for bottom part and maybe some dimensions. Thanks a lot for your help on this project. That stand is a neat one and I am sure there will start to be many around at local jams.

Hi Matt, wondering how you got the legs to extend with the clamps. I replied to you in the For Sale section also.

Matt Berg said:

Gail,

I was laid up this summer with a very broken ankle and spent most of my time in a wheelchair. I just posted in the for sale forum the stand that came out of that situation. It works very well while sitting and reasonably well while standing (though you might not use that for a little bit.) I have attached a picture.

If you know someone reasonably handy, they could probably make you one based on my pictures. If you want to purchase mine, great! Please, measure the width of the wheelchair or other chair you will use. This stand accommodates up to 27 1/2 inches. If you will need something wider, let me know and I will make a new one.

If someone chooses to make one for you and that person has questions, feel free to have the contact me.

Matt Berg

If a walker does not work for you try fashioning one from PVC pipe.

That's right. I sold the Eede Beede to someone else, I think in Canada. I have sold the Folkroots Travel dulcimer to one of the students in my local group. She loves it. Thanks again for the comment.

Thanks for the note Dusty. I believe you are the man I sold my "eede beede" octave dulcimer to, right? I might leave mine like it is for now.

I have a dulcimette with an 18" long fretboard. The strings are regular metal, #10 for bass and #8 for the middle and melody strings. I was wondering if I could add a wound string, instead of the #10 regular string for the bass. I used to have one of the octave dulcimers built by Beebe in Florida and it used a wound string on the bass, but I do not know what size was used. The guy that built the dulcimette does not build them anymore and he did not think it would tune right with a wound string. Any comments or suggestions would be appreciated.

I have a couple of rather expensive guitar pickups that I use occasionally. I also made my own with Radio Shack parts for less than $5.00 each. You need the Piezo Transducer Part # 273-0073 and attach it to a 1/4" Stereo in-line jack Part # 274-0141. These are easy to put together and I stick them on with a small drop of hot glue. Just play around with the best place to attach them for the best pickup sound. Enjoy.

I use the same stuff that Garey McAnally uses (Plastitac, Blutack) and it works well. Easy to remove from the instrument after using.

I have McSpadden's banjomer and it works for me. Easy to play and has a good sound and is reasonably priced. I use it mostly for Civil War tunes and Stephen Foster tunes and a few blue grass types. I have it set up just like the one David Schnaufer used from McSpadden, with a cloth inserted in the hole on the bottom.

Check with David Lynch in Missouri. He makes them. Google him for his website. I think he is also a FOTMD member.

Here it is Pop,