Forum Activity for @paula

Well, my turntable just started acting whackadoo (suddenly speeding up to 78rpm range)  so I can’t guarantee the whole album. On the first track it’s solo dulcimer accompanied by a mockingbird. I believe the rest of the album is solo dulcimer (no bowing). 

Is the music on the "Chet Hines – Fiddlin' With A Dulcimore" record, duets with a fiddle and dulcimore or a dulcimore played with a fiddle bow or something else?

The "Hollow Poplar" is an album of the 1974 Indiana Fiddler's Gathering performances. I have the vinyl album.
Chet did play the dulcimer on that album

Hollow Poplar - The second Battle Ground Fiddlers' Gathering 1974

A1    Artie P. Crowder, Harold Lamb (3)–    Cackling Hen
A2    Seamus Cooley–    Cooley's Favorite
A3    Chet Hines–    I Don't Love Nobody
A4    Mike Mumbler and the Stink Creek Stump Jumpers, Mark Gunther, Laura Gloger, John Gordley, Tim Wilson (29), John Lilly–    Over The Waterfall
A5    John McGreevy*–    Tom Fitzmaurice's Reel / Boys Of Ballinahinch
A6    Gene Moore (12), Ruby McDonald, Lyle Mayfield, Doris Mayfield, Mac Abell, Quentin McDonald– Bright In The Corner Where You Are
A7    Donald Duff, Gary Mantooth–    Fire On The Mountain
A8    Sean O'Dwyer (3)–    The Gold Ring
A9    Quentin McDonald–    Pan American Blues
A10    Francis Geels, Jim Mikels–    Twinkle Little Star
20:40
B1    Mark Gunther, John Gordley, Bill Foley (2), Tim Wilson (29)–    Staten Island Hornpipe
B2    Mrs. Dessie Brown, Jim Mikels–    Shout Lulu
B3    Mary Cooley–    May Morning Dew
B4    Lowell Keller, Jim Mikels–    Hollow Poplar
B5    John Lilly, Tim Wilson (29)–    Dallas Rag / Dill Pickle Rag
B6    Elizabeth Carroll (2)–    Melody: Fonn Gan Ainm (Airt Without A Name); Morning Dew; Merry Sisters; Tom Steele
B7    Jay Round, Jim Gage (2), Ruby McDonald, Quentin McDonald–    Eighth Of January
B8    Jim Gage (2), Walter Sikora, Miles Krassen–    The Soldier And The Lady
B9    Larry McCullough–    Maid Of Mayberry
B10    Ervie Burge, Laurence Pratt, Jim Gage (2), Walter Sikora–    Red Apple Rag

https://youtu.be/8DMet7ox45o?si=bdQj2zEVtYp98NYL

while the picture shows Chet playing a fiddle, the music appears to be just dulcimer. This is NOT on the album I have. 

paula

https://youtu.be/8DMet7ox45o?si=YcvQ-_nZoyaHVopA

This is from discogs.com

https://www.discogs.com/release/21054343-Chet-Hines-Fiddlin-With-A-Dulcimore

Chet Hines – Fiddlin' With A Dulcimore
Label:        Not On Label – none
Format:     Vinyl, 7", 33 ⅓ RPM, EP
Country:    US
Released: 1971
Genre:       Folk, World, & Country
Style:         Country, Bluegrass

A1        Mockin' Bird
A2        Old Joe Clark
A3        Soldier's Joy
A4        Chet's Sawyer
B1        Silver Bells
B2        Flop-Eared Mule
B3        Wildwood Flower
B4        John Henry
Pressed By – Rite Record Productions, Inc. – 27679
Pressed By – Rite Record Productions, Inc. – 27680

Matrix / Runout (A-side Label): 27679
Matrix / Runout (B-side Label): 27680

Rite Record Productions, Inc.
Profile:
Record pressing plant in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; owned and operated by Carl Burkhardt. Rite Record Productions, Inc. offered custom pressing services from 1955 until 1985.
Contact Info:
[obsolete]
9745 Lockland Road,
Cincinnati 15,
Ohio 45215

I also own a copy of this “not quite an LP”. Would there be any copyright issues posting it? I don’t have any recording equipment but could probably find a way to upload a rough recording from my iPhone. 

here is the track listing 

side one

1. Mockin’ Bird

2. Old Joe Clark

3. Soldier’s Joy

4. Chet’s Sawyer

side two

5. Silver Bells

6. Flop-eared Mule

7. Wildwood Flower

8. John Henry

It certainly would be nice to be able to download a copy of Chet Hines recording. There seems to be several of us interested in hearing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

@steve-c , It's nice to know there's one still around. I contacted a dulcimer luthier who knew Chet personally. He has one, too. So, hopefully he will digitize it and make the tracks available. If not, let me know if you ever dig it out of storage. Thanks.

@john-petry - The link you provided is a performance Chet did at the second Battle Ground Fiddlers' Gathering in 1974 in Battleground, Indiana. But thanks.

I own this one but all my equipment is stored for now.

 IMG_0796.jpeg - 149KB

Not sure if this helps?.....the quest continues....

https://youtu.be/8DMet7ox45o?si=nbhCjF1Fj521Loyu

Dan,

On YouTube what did you search for to find one track from "Chet Hines - Fiddlin' With a Dulcimore"? Or can you click "Share" on the YouTube post and paste it in a reply?

Thanks, Tom

I found one trac on YouTube if you want to look there...

I saw an Ebay vinyl LP entitled, "Chet Hines - Fiddlin' With a Dulcimore". It had already sold. If anyone has one, I'd sure like a digital copy of it. I hook my turntable to a Zoom microphone and capture the LP to WAV files. I'd probably drive a long way to get a copy. I have an original copy of his book.

 Fiddlin'-With-A-Dulcimores-l500.jpg - 55KB

A piece from my new album with vocalist Victoria Vargas.  Amy Levy Songs of Love and Loss:

Hi All,

I hope everyone is enjoying their respective holidays.

I was fortunate to receive the gift of two new reviews of my latest album, with vocalist Victoria Vargas,  Amy Levy:  Songs of Love and Loss :

https://www.jwvibe.com/single-post/alex-lubet-featuring-victoria-vargas-amy-levy-songs-of-love-and-loss

https://wruv.wordpress.com/2025/12/23/alex-lubet-amy-levy-songs-of-love-and-loss/

Please consider checking them out, along with the album.  Much of my music (much of it for duclimer) streams on all the usual sources:  YouTube, Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora.

Thanks and Happy New Year,

Merry Christmas to everyone on FOTMD!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our mountain dulcimer friends.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Merry Christmas to one and all and a Happy New year. Blessings

I LOOOOOOVE YOUUUUU, STRUMELIA!!  Thank you.  💚

You are amazing, Ken!!  Thank you.  

I don't think it's a citera (Hungarian).  Citeras always have a horse motif, especially old one's like this.  I think it's Austrian.  There are plenty of Austrian Alpine zithers (as opposed to concert) which have similar stepped drones.  

"HO, HO, HO!!!   MERR-R-R-R-R-Y CHRIST-MAS-S-S-S-S-S!!!"

You are welcome, Sandi. Let me know how it works out. If you need any help along the way I can give you my phone # or we could Zoom.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

THANK YOU, ROBIN!!

KEN!!  YOU ARE AMAZING!!  That was super clear instruction, and I a think I can do it.  I am so grateful for you and all of the dulcimer community, even though I have not keeping up so well.  No better people on all the planet, surely!  THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!  💚💚💚

Hi Sandi, it's great to see you stop by!  

Sandi, yes you can fix it yourself. You will need to replace the nut (correct name, it is not a bridge). You will need a piece of hardwood the same length, height, and thickness as the broken nut. You will then need to cut slots in the nut for the string. If I were closer, I'd do it for you. You could remove the old nut and send it to me and I could make a new one and send it back to you. It might take a couple of weeks to work it out sending between VA and PA. If you tackle it yourself, first take the old nut off of the instrument. Hold on to it as it will serve as guide for where you should cut the slots for the strings. You will need a way to cut a piece of hardwood to the size of the old nut. You might be able to take it in to a guitar store and see if they have a nut blank of the same dimensions. If the old nut is glued in you may need to knock it out. A sharp rap with a hammer may dislodge it. If that doesn't do it, try a little heat directed on the nut with a hair dryer. That may help soften the glue. Once it is out you will need to clean the slot of any glue residue using a file, chisel, or sandpaper. The next step is fitting the new nut. Then hold the nut up to the new one and mark the spaces for the string slots. Use a narrow blade saw or v shaped needle file to make the slots. Don't cut too deep or the strings will buzz from touching the frets. Put the nut back in the slot and restring the dulcimer. I don't know how clear these instructions will be to you. It is easier for me to tell it someone than it is to write it out. Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you are able to get the dulcimer into playing shape.

Oh, and I forgot to say that I think it is worth giving to someone to start learning to play mountain dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Sandi, I have no advice on how to work on the instrument yet hope some knowledgable person chimes in!  

*MERRY CHRISTMAS!*  🎁🎄🎁 

Someone in our neighborhood's Buy Nothing group asked for a mountain dulcimer!!  And I have a beat-up First Act.  It needs new strings, and the top bridge is broken.  Is this something I might can fix up myself that will be a worthy instrument?  I sadly don't have any resources to pour into this but so desperately want to meet this request.  TIA for any advice!!

Just the two, my Hickory Ridge & my McSpadden.   SO FAR I've managed to avoid the temptation of gingers and bass dulcimers ... but I GOTTA QUIT LOOKING AT THE PRETTY PICTURES!!! lol

There's a Mountain Dulcimer facebook page, several of you may be on it, but I've been directing friends from that to here, as some are new/beginners to dulcimer. 
Then I found this, from a completely different page, with a neat summary of Jean Ritchie...
If I may... 

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17YFkX9t4n/

Wow! Bingo! Thanks! I'm finding many references to the Hungarian zither, a direct family resemblance to the instrument I've been restoring.

Much obliged, Luigi

I use the Peterson tuner and have one upstairs and one downstairs.  :) 

John, the Peterson clip-on is indeed a great tuner.  I just watched the NPR Little Desk concert with Billy Strings and his band, and they all had Peterson clip-ons on their instruments (well, except for the double bass player).

You don't have to set it up at all.  It is called a chromatic tuner because it can detect every note, not because you can only use it with a chromatic dulcimer.  Turn it on and pluck a string and it will detect the nearest note and tell you whether you are sharp or flat.  It may take a few minutes to figure out how to read the strobe, but rest assured you'll get it.

Word on the street is that the Peterson is the most accurate tuner on the market.  You made a good choice. 

Howdy kids first I just wanted to say I hope everybody has or we'll have a good holiday day.

 I have a question about my new tuner its a Peterson clip-on. First, it's a super cool tuner. I highly recommend it. My question is how to set it up. One preset option is to set it up for standard tuning. It says standard tuning is for chromatic I know we have diatonic does it really matter as far as tuning goes. The other tuning set up that makes sense is the D.A.D Acoustic guitar mode D.A.D.G.A.D tuning with optimized fifths 

Anyone out there have one of these tuners and what is your suggestion 

It could also be a Hungarian zither. They don't usually have a bottom, though.

A client recently brought an antique musical instrument in terrible shape, asking me to refurbish it. I think it's a variant of the epinette des vosges. I saw one with some of its features long ago on the internet, but did not capture it and cannot find it again. It is very heavily built, with top, bottom and sides about 3/8" thick. The top and back have major cracks, probably from wood drying (cannot be drawn together).

Cannot find anything like it in L. Allen Smith's "A Catalog of Pre-Revival Dulcimers."

The VSLs are:

• Fretted course (5 strings): 30.625"
• Sympathetic courses:
  • a (2 strings): 30.5"
  • b (1 string): 30.857"
  • c (2 strings): 22.5"
  • d (2 strings): 16.875"
  • e (2 strings): 11.0"

I've completed refurbishing (somewhere between curating, re-fitting and some repairs and hardware replacement) and looking for an insurance value for shipping purposes.

 Epinette in Case.jpg - 42KB

Merry Christmas and may everyone find time to spend more quality time with their dulcimer(s) more in the new year!