Forum Activity for @lilley-pad

No that " groovy Strumelia". SMILE

Hi kids for anyone that's interested and hasn't seen it you may want to check out a DVD from your library called Hearts of the Dulcimer. a documentary basically of the dulcimer movement in California. I had no idea there was such a following in the Santa Cruz mountains at that time. It is a very interesting DVD. I had no idea that it took place in my backyard. Of course back then in the late sixties and early seventies the only time we ever went to Santa Cruz was to go surfing and hang out at the boardwalk, hoping to meet women. Up here in the San Francisco Bay Area at that time period the folk music scene was kind of being phased out, it was still a little bit popular but for the most part was moving into rock. 

We were more interested in going to the Fillmore West sitting in the back on the couch smoking a joint and listening to Fleetwood Mac and Jethro Tull. Driving home across the bay bridge in the rain in a car with no windshield wipers we would have a string tied to the wiper arm and the driver would pull in One Direction and the passenger would pull in the other direction. Okay I'm rambling on again sorry about that.  Anyhow check out the video If you haven't seen it yet you may find it interesting. You should be able to get it from your local library 

Looks like I pasted the wrong link SORRY but still some interesting info. about Vince Farsetta & David Schnaufer.

Well kids I hope everybody's doing well just thought I'd pass along this link For those who are interested  https://dulcinews.com/profile-vincent-farsetta/

Well it looks like I was a little premature in posting my question a friend of mine just informed me that Yamaha now makes a CD player with a integrated USB port and it will also work with my "Teac amplifier" for those who remember the 1980s, Oh happy happy joy joy Sorry for wasting everybody's time reading this post. I'm trying to keep up with technology, sometimes it can be frustrating 

General Music Discussion i quess

Well it looks like I'm being slowly pushed into the present and that's where I am having a problem. Can everybody's out there help. I enjoy sitting in the front room sipping a cup of coffee and listening to Music on my CD player through my stereo receiver. And here's where the problem lies: it looks like more and more artists are no longer selling their music on CDs and forcing you to download their files. The problem is I'm not really big on listening to music on my laptop. Laptops no longer have CD players so you can't even burn a CD anymore.  and I do prefer to listen to the music through my stereo receiver. I can always put the files on a thumb drive USB but then the only way I know would be able to play the music is through my Blu-ray player through the television which means the TV is on all the time and the quality of the stereo is not as good as going through my  stereo receiver. Any ideas out there how to solve this problem I also must say that my receiver does have the old RC jacks on it. and yes I finally did get rid of my rotary telephone smile. oh for those who are not familiar with that type of phone you'll need to Google it, we used to use those back when there were typewriters smile Any suggestions out there on how to solve this problem 

"OOPS"  I will look in to

Thanks again Dusty after I posted this questing I found this web sit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykL2JYGP3CM 

Have not explore this site but at this point I do like that it gives you the Key and Tempo. I look in to Bings sit as well. 

Thank again Mr. Dusty :o)

First I just want to say I hope everybody's happy and healthy well at least happy

 anyone out there have any resources, know where to find backing tracks preferably for free.

For practicing, playing along with?

Hi kids, just me Jon here again have a question. Not another one, yes it is true, hoping to get some kind of feedback. I have just found a bluegrass group that tries to get together once a month to jam. My question has to do with trying to play along with a  group since the dulcimer is not very loud. Is it better to just jam with other dulcimers and not in a bluegrass situation where you're trying to play with louder instruments. I hope I'm making some kind of sense anyhow. Your feedback would be much appreciated. Take care everybody, keep those fingers limber and thanks again for your opinions. 

Bing Futch 342

I happened to be surfing the internet Looking for the tab for Black Mountain rag. And came across this video. what I find really interesting about it is that the way the camera is set up and the lighting you can actually see the bass string vibrating amazing just thought I'd post the link in case somebody was interested in seeing how much the bass string actually vibrates 

Tuners Hi kids, I hope everybody is doing well and had a good Christmas. I have a question about tuners and what your experience is with the one that you have, or the one that you can recommend. I have the Snark tuner, mainly because I don't know any better. It seems to work okay I guess.  But If I compare it to the one I downloaded on my phone the phone app says that I'm a little flat compared to the Snark. I have heard that the Peterson strobe Is a better unit what is your opinion out there. THANKS

Howdy kids, just Jon Lilley here again. I have a question. I'm starting to play around with a four string equally spaced setup. My question has to do with how do you do chords with that setup. Any feedback would be appreciated. I have noticed that there are many good books online about using chords, but in the book description it doesn't have four strings equally spaced. as far as I can tell without buying the book. So how do you play chords with equally spaced strings 

Just stumbled across this web site.  I thought it may be of some interest to some of you out there.

The Musical Instrument Makers Forum   mimf.com

Thanks Butch looks like a good resource (Dulcimer players news) I just downloaded the article. OR did I uploaded It, never could figure if I'm downloading or uploading SMILE

Just thought someone may find this interesting.  History and tradition of the mountain dulcimer.  By Robin Clark

Thanks everybody I think you're right I should just leave well enough alone if the instrument plays fine, I have no issues with the way it sounds at all, And it sounds really good. I think I'm just getting caught up in all this technical stuff, one of the drawbacks to YouTube I guess. Thanks Nate and Ken

Hey thanks Nate. It does have a fixed bridge. Is that why I have heard that one should only go up or down one size string size

once you sent the action?

Thanks for getting back to me I was just curious.  About a year ago well not quite a year ago I bought a folk roots instrument from Folkcraft. My friend just loaned me his StewMac digital string gauge that he had and I decided to check the action on the instrument that I got from  folkcraft Just out of curiosity not knowing any difference whether it was right or wrong looks like the melody string was set at .028, The middle string was set at 0.31, And the base string was set at .016. Since they Folkcraft are professionals I was curious was that a correct setting or should they all be set at one uniformed distance. so I'm guessing they're setting was way off thanks for all the feedback. Guess I'll try the Nickel Dime trick 

Hi kids just a question about string action I noticed there was something about action in The Forum but I didn't see anything addressing my question of uninformative for lack of a better

Word.  Also I know that it's all a matter of personal taste. Some people like white wine, some people like red wine. Hopefully this makes some sense. Let us say hypothetically at the 1st fret you set the action of the bottom of the melody string at let's say .020 now. Should you also set the middle string and the bass string at .020  as well ? So the action is uniformed across all three strings at the first fret.

Just found this on that wonderful invention YouTube. a tapping techique on a dulcimer. Not really sure how to use it in a tune. but that what improvisation is for. Have fun Kids

Hi kids hoping to pick everybody's brain. has to do with nut and saddle Material 

I know folk craft uses (plastic) nuts and bridges, Micarta, Delrin.  My question has to do with the material, are These materials better than bone? or is bone a much better material ? Okay that's it kids thanks again for all the good information.  So what do you think 

Here's a link of a close up of his finger work. I hope someday I can get my fingers to work like that.  

Oh yes thanks Dusty for the Info

Hello again kids, how's everybody out there in cyberspace? I hope everybody has survived. all of those fireworks. My dog went completely nuts. But that's not why I'm writing, I just stumbled across the song Deireadn Fomhair that I love. I'm not quite ready for finger picking and I don't know if there's any dulcimer tablatures out there for this song; it's composed for a guitar. looks like you need pretty Nimble fingers maybe down the road. the name of the song is Deireadh Fomhair played by Stephen Wake tuned to DADGAD. Do you think that there are any dulcimer tab. Out there

sorry looks like it didn't work :0(

Hope this brings a few smiles. From Jon Lilley

 FOTMD-1.jpg - 202KB

 I hope I'm not repeating a previous post but I could not find anything under search so here goes. It's just a general question about pickups wanted to get feedback. K&K pickup versus LR Baggs under saddle pickup. the little that I've been reading on the internet suggests that the K&K gives you a more realistic Acoustic sound. Do you guys find that to be true or what's your opinion in general? Thanks again, I hope everybody's doing well. A few months ago they operated on my left hand so now I'm doing finger exercises. I was getting what they call Dupuytren’s, contracture. I guess I'm just getting old. The good news is that everybody else is getting old with me. smile 

Hi kids. I hope I'm not repeating a previous post but I could not find anything under search so here goes. It's just a general question about pickups wanted to get feedback. K&K pickup versus LR baggs under saddle pickup. the little that I've been reading on the internet suggests that the K&K gives you a more realistic Acoustic sound. Do you guys find that to be true or what's your opinion in general? Thanks again, I hope everybody's doing well. A few months ago they operated on my left hand so now I'm doing finger exercises. I was getting what they call dupuytren’s contracture. I guess I'm just getting old. The good news is that everybody else is getting old with me. smile 

Hi Beth loved your exclamation about the D.A.A. disorder. I had a slight out break myself here. I almost bought a beautiful Used Blue Lion Dulcimer.  But after adding up the cost of the instrument having it shipped back to Blue Lion to have a pickup installed and retrofit the fretboard with the one and a half  fret and having no idea what it sound like, the cost reality hit me. There's an old saying with people with a custom car, paint and Chrome won't get you home. I guess what I'm trying to say is the aesthetic of the instrument got the better of me, then the practicality sunk in. I'll just stick with my FolkRoots and just accept the reality I can only play one instrument at a time. I'm much better now and have managed to shake off the disorder for now. ;o)

I was cruising YouTube for some tab for the Dulcimer when I stumbled across this instrument called a Chapman stick played by a couple Mark White and Stefanie WOW what a beautiful sound,  just thought I would share. never heard of the instrument before.

"NONESUCH"

Hi kids any idea where to get the tab sheet music for a dulcimer song nonesuch?

It looks like folkcraft is making a new dulcimer. To me it looks like a variation on the theme of a Gary Gallier design.  With the tapered fretboard, the bridge is floating for lack of a better word more like a guitar setup, and a wider body. Looks like they have omitted that little jog that Gary has on his instruments reminiscent of a violin. The few pictures that I've seen of Gary  playing his dulcimer for what I can tell  looks like Gary is  using that area for support.   His knee upper leg is wedged in there. Okay that's it from my end time to do the laundry 

Hi all. does anyone know if Gary Gallier still alive? OK just teasing but really I have emailed him a few times and I get no response.  Has he gone into hiding or something.

Thanks you guys are the best. I'll keep my eyes open for Bing's episode.  The beauty of YouTube is that one can slow it down.

Just got a real instrument a Folk roots. My first one was a cheap import, waste of money oh well live and learn. Thanks again all for the good input. stay dry.😁

Hi sorry I don't know where to post this question. Any idea where to get the dulcimer tablature for a song Shaving a Dead Man? Thanks Kids

Any one tried a Stephens Lutherie dulcimer? he has a floating fret-board design for lack of a better word?

I think I’m catching that disease that seems to run through the musical community.  Which explains why so many people have multiple instruments.  Not just dulcimer players but everyone in general.  They are all looking for the Holy Grail that one instrument out there somewhere, which has everything all in one instrument. Is beautiful, and has that perfect volume, sustain, balance, tone and range.  SMILE 

Hope this the right place to post a general question.

Anyhow I emailed Gary at his web page to see if he is still making Dulcimers but I'm not getting any response.  Is he still alive?  And if so is he still making instruments?  Have a good holiday all ;o)

Just Jon here.  Don't know if this is the right forum site.  But here goes first Howdy all.  Any one have experience with a McCafferty dulcimer I know that they're beautiful and I like his adjustable nut design very innovative. But what about tone play ability sound?

Don't know if this is the right forum site.  But here goes first Howdy all.  Any one have experience with a McCafferty dulcimer I know that they're beautiful and I like his adjustable nut design very innovative. But what about tone play ability sound?