Forum Activity for @john-petry

Does soundbox tension affect volume and tone

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

Having set up many violins & cellos etc over the years....You may want to explore using a sound post. Not really a "dulcimer" thing, but you're an outside the box kinda guy anyway. If you Google "adjustable soundposts" you will find much info good and bad about using them in so- called "real" instruments... Bottom line, is that moving the amount and location of tension to the vibrating surfaces [top and bottom] can and does change the tonal qualities. I suggest an adjustable only because there are no standard rules when it comes to dulcimers and the dimensions. Instead of having to re mount your strings, an adjustable may give you more room to play around, or just source some dowel rod and have at it..[or pencils, chopsticks,...] Changing the tensions to the body and try and find the "sweet" spot[s] if any? Then we'll have to find out if heart holes with pointy bottoms sound as good as rounded ones......

just the meanderings of a wandering mind......

Reasons NOT To Get a Chromatic

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

Sitting here looking at a dozen or so instruments...staples, frets, wound wire, straight wire, oak, maple, rosewood. No two are alike, yet I would call them ALL dulcimers. If I spoke in elizabethan english I may say "dulcimore", and if I was a kid in the mountains I might say "that stringy thang"... And guitars with hollow bodies, solid, whammy bars etc are ALL guitars...But as for men with only a mustache and no beard.....well...."technically".....

Looking For Tuner Recommendations

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

Years ago, a decent chromatic tuner would run $35 and up. Korg comes to mind.  Now there are loads of clip on type, that all perform OK, but my overall favorite is the Snark ST-2 model. Sells for about $13 on Amazon, What I like is that it is fully chromatic, so you are not tied to "presets" for different instruments, it has a nice bright easy to see display, and best of all it has the ability to use vibration or its own internal mic. [vibration mode helps in a noisy environment, as it's picking up your instrument, not everybody else]. It helps that it is built a little stronger on body than most other clip ons, and the clip has a good spring and grip. 

Although I don't have one of those newfangled cellular telephones,[I don't even have an oldfangled one].....I think you could probably find an "app" tuner if you looked.