Forum Activity for @lilley-pad

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 - 168KB

 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?