Tell us about your VERY FIRST dulcimer
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Jethro's son was named Morris Jethro Amburgey so the "M.J. Amburgey" signature on this dulcimer is most likely that of Jethro's son.
Forum Activity for @greg-gunner
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
June Apple Dulcimer tone/sound
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Here's a link to June Apple Dulcimer. The smaller model is the June Apple Model. The larger model is the Poplar Hill Model.
https://www.juneappledulcimers.com/collections/mountain-dulcimers
June Apple Dulcimer tone/sound
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I have a June Apple dulcimer. It doesn't have the light silvery sound of the J.E. Thomas reproductions that I own. Nor does it have the resonant sound of the larger bodied dulcimers. The sound falls somewhere in between. You could probably describe it as a balance between the two. Keep in mind that Carl and his staff at June Apple Dulcimers manufacture several different models of dulcimers and dulcimer ancestors. The June Apple model has a somewhat smaller size than other models made by June Apple, so it's not surprising that the sound is somewhat closer to traditional than it is to guitar-like. June Apple also makes a larger-bodied dulcimer. I don't have personal experience with the larger model, but I would assume that its sound is more resonant and similar to other dulcimers with wider, deeper soundboxes. In short, the difference in sound is more a combination of volume and resonance. Everything else being equal, smaller-bodied dulcimers have less volume and less resonance. Larger-bodied dulcimers have more volume and more resonance. Other factors to consider are the type of wood used, particularly the soundboard (top), and the thickness of the top, back, and sides. I'm not a builder. A builder would be more qualified than I to describe the various factors affecting the sound of any given dulcimer.
Almeda Riddle
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Here’s what I could find on the internet with a quick search. The links below all seem to point to the same Starr Mitchell you see on the Almeda Riddle You-Tube Video. You may have to copy and paste these links into your browser to get them to work.
A1997 letter to the editor of Dulcimer Players Newsletter :
https://issuu.com/dulcimerplayersnewsinc/docs/120823175704-df406671dca8494abca0a058a469091b/4
A 2001 CD titled Arkansas Original , Tune # 6 “Lark in the Morning” with Starr Mitchell Playing Hammered dulcimer
https://www.discogs.com/Various-Arkansas-Original/release/1943150
Starr Mitchell’s Linked-In Page. She’s the Education Director of the Historic Arkansas Museum.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/starr-mitchell-43baa124/
Starr Mitchell’s Facebook Page.
https://www.facebook.com/starr.mitchell.1
updated by @greg-gunner: 06/21/17 09:20:39PM
Noter/drone duet books?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
There's no reason one player couldn't use a noter and play the melody only (no drones) while the second player accompanied them with chords. I used to do this with a friend. He would play the melody only and I would accompany with chords, sometimes strumming across all strings for the full chord sound and sometimes breaking the chord up into an arpeggio (finger-picking single strings while holding the full chord). This worked really well with dulcimer and banjammer playing together. If you try this, have one player play their part higher up the neck and the other player play their part lower on the neck. The individual parts will resonate clearer this way. In case you're interested, my playing partner knew very little about chord playing. He was a self-taught single-string melody player. When his melody playing was harmonized with my chords, we both noticed an improvement in our music.
A separate book or tab was not needed, because most tab includes chord names above the tablature these days.
updated by @greg-gunner: 04/12/17 04:52:18PM
Capo positions, tunings, chords and other wonderful things
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Bing Futch also has a short you-tube video on using a capo to change keys.
Capo positions, tunings, chords and other wonderful things
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Let me try that again with the link.
Capo positions, tunings, chords and other wonderful things
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Joe Collins has the following handout available for free online. It may help you in understanding which keys are available with a capo. I hope it is helpful.
Three or Doubled Melody Dulcimer?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
I agree with Lisa with one exception. If you are playing a dulcimer that has staple-style frets, you will want to keep the string that is most centered over the frets. These partial frets have a tendency to let the string slide right off the fret. Not a problem with full-width frets, but annoying when playing over partial frets. That being said, most reproductions utilizing staple-style frets or partial frets are built with only three strings, so what to do with the extra melody string is not an issue.
updated by @greg-gunner: 04/04/17 01:18:40PM
Tell us about your VERY FIRST dulcimer
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
My first dulcimer was an hourglass Folk Roots dulcimer purchased in about 1985 or 1986 from Elderly Instruments. While visiting one of the Toledo Metroparks I stopped to listen to a lady playing a dulcimer at a very small gathering organized by one of the park rangers. I ordered my first dulcimer from Elderly Instruments shortly thereafter. About three or four years later I organized a dulcimer club for students at the local elementary school. By then I owned three or four dulcimers, so I sold my Folk Roots model to one of the students at a fraction of its value to help them obtain their own instrument.
Fine Tuner Beads -- a Primer Needed!
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
I don't have any experience with round beads, but I would assume they would not work as well because only a small amount of the underside of the bead would be in contact with the fretboard, so the bead would be more likely to slip. As far as the length of the string between bridge and tailpiece, one-inch seems kind of short for effective use of tuning-beads. The only way to know for sure is to give it a try. Round and oval beads are inexpensive and you are not making any irreversible changes to your dulcimer by trying. Try it on one string to see what happens. If the bead holds and it can be wedged toward the tailpiece to make small changes in tuning, that's all you need.
Fine Tuner Beads -- a Primer Needed!
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Actually, most fine-tuning beads are simply very small blocks of wood with a hole drilled through the center. They are placed on the string between the bridge and the tailpiece and require a string that angles downward slightly from the bridge to the tailpiece. The tuning bead slides up and down the string. The main idea is to wedge the tuning bead between the string and the fretboard as the angle of the string takes it closer to the fretboard. As the tuning bridge is wedged between string and fretboard it increases the tension on the string slightly allowing one to fine-tune the string. Tuning beads are normally associated with instruments utilizing wooden friction pegs, which can be difficult for beginners to tune. Guitar-style geared tuning pegs and planetary pegs do not need tuning beads. If you want to see examples of wooden tuning beads, try googling an image of a Keith young dulcimer. Tuning beads were a standard feature of Keith's mountain dulcimers.
Tips sought for dulcimer and (clawhammer) banjo together
Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!
I'd begin by finding a Key that fits both instruments well. The banjo is frequently played in the Key of G (Open G Tuning), so a good tuning for a dulcimer playing with clawhammer banjo would be Reverse Ionian Tuning D-G-D, which has the G major scale beginning at the 3rd fret. The dulcimer player could play background chords to accompany the banjo's melody line. or the dulcimer player could play the melody line accompanied by the banjo's rhythmic playing of chords. To hear both instruments distinctly, the two instruments can play an octave apart.
Two dulcimers playing together can utilize the same techniques as suggested above, one playing melody and the other playing chords. In a local dulcimer club, I used to use a "banjimer" (dulcimer with a banjo head) to back up a friend playing the melody line on the melody string. He flatpicked the melody strings avoiding the drone strings, and I added rhythm and chords with the "banjimer". It was simple yet very effective due to the percussive nature of the "banjimer".
The banjo or banjimer can be overwhelming and drown out the melody, so care must be taken to allow both instruments to be heard.
Of course, the two instruments can also alternate parts with one taking the lead while the other accompanies. Then switching parts the second or third time through the song.
You have the option of not playing the drone strings when playing with an accompanying musician. Let your partner carry the rhythm and harmony while you focus on the melody line.
Finally, listen to Don Pedi. He has several recordings where he plays with fiddlers and banjo players. David Schnauffer also had a recording where he played dulcimer accompanied by mandolin. I think Butch Baldasarri (sp?) was the mandolin player.
June Apple Dulcimers - Carl Gotzmer
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
I got the urge to buy a new mountain dulcimer three or four weeks ago. After scouring the internet, I decided on one of Carl Gotzmer’s June Apple Dulcimers. Carl has a website through which he sells several models of dulcimers and dulcimer antecedents. I settled on the June Apple Model, which has a base price of $295.00. The following options were added: heart-shaped soundholes, a wenge fretboard overlay, additional frets at 1 ½ and 8 ½, a single melody string, abalone position dots, an upgrade to planetary tuners, and a padded case. With all the options I added, the June Apple dulcimer was still priced at just $425.00. At this point, you might be thinking “But what about quality? How does a June Apple dulcimer compare to Brand X or Brand Y? Surely, a June Apple can’t be of the same quality as a mountain dulcimer selling for two or three times as much?”
I have owned mountain dulcimers made by many of today’s finest mountain dulcimer builders. My June Apple Model dulcimer compares very favorably with the best of them. From physical beauty to ear-pleasing tone, the June Apple is a top-notch instrument. Carl book-matches both the top and bottom of his instruments. The grain of the western red cedar top is beautiful to behold. However, it is equaled or exceed by the beauty of the book-matched walnut back. The wenge fretboard overlay has subtle streaks of brown which bring out the beauty of the wenge. I originally asked Carl for an ebony overlay, but he said he no longer uses ebony because the quality of available ebony has deteriorated, and it is hard to find ebony that has been properly aged so that it won’t crack. Now that I can see the finished instrument, I am glad I went with the wenge. The physical beauty of the finished instrument is equaled by the tone. Initially, the dulcimer was strung with heavier gauge strings than I am used to using, so I replaced the original strings with slightly lighter gauge strings to get the same flexibility I am used to when fingering the melody string. The result was a pure, sweet, mellow tone with just the right amount of sustain. It is perfect for both finger-picking and strumming.
So how does the June Apple dulcimer compare to the more expensive popular dulcimers? I compared it to Brand X and Brand Y, two of the most popular dulcimer brands.
Price – June Apple Base Price = $295.00
Appearance – June Apple = A+, Brand X = A+, Brand Y = B
Tone – June Apple = A+, Brand X = A+, Brand Y = A+
Willingness to Customize – June Apple = A+, Brand X = A+, Brand Y = C
While any of the three dulcimers above would be an excellent choice, the June Apple is the real bargain. It compares favorably with Brand X, one of the most well-respected dulcimer makers in the country at less than half the cost. It also compares favorably with Brand Y, which is less willing to customize changes from their basic design.
Should you be considering the purchase of a mountain dulcimer, I would like to highly recommend one of Carl Gotzmer’s June Apple dulcimers. Carl offers quality at a fair price. By the way, I have no financial interests in Carl's business. I'm just a satisfied customer.
updated by @greg-gunner: 08/01/23 02:06:36AM
Wormy Chestnut for dulcimers - Clifford Glenn
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
In my experience, wormy chestnut has more often been used for the top or soundboard of the dulcimer. Less frequently it is used for the entire dulcimer. Like someone else has already said, it is frerquently used as a top on a walnut body and gives a very mellow sound, much like an all-walnut dulcimer.
I own an hourglass-shaped,walnut dulcimer with a wormy chestnut top. It was made by Clifford Glenn on September 20, 2001. Sweet sounding 3-string dulcimer. The melody rings out, while the middle and bass drones are a little more subdued. Perfect balance between melody and drones.
I also own an Echo Hollow Tennessee Music Box made by Jared Weaver. Once again a wormy chestnut top on an all-walnut body. This one has 4 strings and mechanical tuners. The larger soundbox creates a loud booming sound that tends to drowned out the melody if played on a single string, so I usually play double melody string on this one using a noter. It was made in November 2008.
Walnut and wormy chestnut are a beautiful combination of woods.
Greg
Just curious Aabout what you think of contests?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Personally, I've never competed in a contest and never will. Not that interested in making music into a competitive sport. However, I do not mind watching others compete in a contest. It would make a nice addition to a weekend festival. I prefer the festivals with workshops, vendors, jamming, and concerts by the professional musicians. A contest could easily be added to these festivals, perhaps free admission in exchange for entering a contest. Concerts and contests probably have a greater appeal to the non-dulcimer players attending a dulcimer festival. It would certainly give dulcimer spouses something to do while their spouse attends workshops, looks at the instruments being offered for sale, or jams over in the corner.
Greg
Anybody know this builder? John Maxwell
Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions
Linda,You may want to refer your friend to the following website. It has some background information on John Maxwell, including an estimate of the current value of one of his dulcimers. http://www.planetdulcimer.com/vintage/john_maxwell.html Greg
Everything else being equal, a skin head will have a mellower, plunkier sound than a plastic head. In between the frosted, plastic head (brightest sound) and skin head (mellowest sound), you will find the Fyberskin head and the Renassaince head.Within limits you can also adjust the tension on the head by tightening or loosening the hook/nuts on the side of the banjo pot. A tighter head will have a brighter sound. A looser head will have a plunkier sound.Greg
updated by @greg-gunner: 02/12/16 06:10:29PM
the Queen family of Jackson Co NC
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Although I do not know the Queen family personally, I do have a DVD copy of the PBS program. Like other mountain families, their music has been passed down from generation to generation. Henry Queen has a website where you can purchase a copy of the DVD or one of their CD's. The matriarch of the family is Mary Jane Queen, who has a CD out on which she sings mostly old Appalachian ballads similar to what Cecil Sharp was collecting in the early 1900's. Henry Queen's music falls somewhere between old-time and bluegrass.Greg "Banjimer"
I suspect that frets were originally intended to make noting more precise without having to actually place your finger in exactly the same spot every time. For example, placement of your fretting finger between two frets in a space of roughly an inch or more will push the string down against the desired fret. The vibration of the string is also less muffled with the fret than it is without.On a fretless instrument (fretless banjo) or an instrument inwhich the frets may be serving as position markers only (dobro or slide guitar), one often hears the sliding sound of a finger or slide as it glides from a lower or higher pitch ending on the desired pitch. This is a different, yet very pleasing sound in its own right. But it is a little less precise especially for someone starting out on the instrument. Frets make the instrument a little easier to play in the beginning stages.Luthiers once and still do make fretless instruments with frets in-laid flush with the fingerboard to assist with finger placement. Although this becomes unnecessary with more experience, it can be very beneficial to someone in the early stages of learning to play a fretless instrument. The frets are simply an aid in getting your fingers in the right location. I suspect someone probably started by making marks on the fretboard of some ancient instrument at some point to help with finger location and this evolved into the frets as we know them today.Greg
Any banjo players out there?
Adventures with 'other' instruments...
I, too, play a little clawhammer banjo although I've sold off most of my banjos. I've still got a Clifford Glenn fretless banjo and will probably buy another fretless banjo this year, most likely a Bart Reiter or Mike Ramsey fretless. I'm also looking at the mountain-style fretless banjos made by John Huron based on those of Stanley Hicks. My inspirations include Dwight Diller, Frank Proffitt, Sr., and Frank Proffitt, Jr.Greg