Forum Activity for @lisa-golladay

It determines where McSpadden glues the bridge. Read this page:  https://www.mcspaddendulcimers.com/kb_results.asp?ID=6

As a practical matter, compensation is more of a concern when:

1.  You have a short-scaled instrument (like a 23" Ginger)

2.  You are playing higher up the fretboard (in the second octave)

3.  You are fretting more than one string (noter/drone don't care unless the intonation is way off)

4.  You have a sensitive ear and notice when strings aren't quite in tune with each other

FWIW, my Ginger was compensated for GDG.  When I string her DAD the intonation's OK for me in the first octave but I notice it's off in the 2nd octave.  I know someone who tunes his Ginger DAA but had her compensated for that.

If you're ordering a standard 28" McSpadden and you retune between DAD and DAA often, I wouldn't worry about it.  If you tend to play drones in DAA and chords in DAD, then compensate for DAD.

I've heard enough arguments about "bridge" vs "saddle" to leave me totally confused.  According to Frets.com, no wonder: http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/Guitar/Setup/Saddle/saddle01.html

No, I am sorry except to say he liked me sending your info. on the hammered dulcimer to him.

So why would they be at 9 & 11, that doesn't make sense OR would that be for something in a higher scale?

 fret markings.jpg - 43KB

(the saddle is angled so that the distance from nut to saddle (bridge) is greater for the thicker strings.)

Is that what this angled is?

 Compensation.jpg - 103KB

Thanks joe, 

Interesting using only hand tools, I hope the one I am looking at is this Bob

Thanks ken

they were well made however they were made the old way using hand tools.  his main job was demonstrating how it was.

Ken, just because YOU can't hear the difference doesn't mean the rest of us can't.   Your responses to too many questions are that no one will hear the difference.    The idea is to continue improving the dulcimer.  If you have given up on improving the instrument, I am sorry for you.

Before responding, try stringing a compensated instrument DAA with the same gauge strings.

EVER is such a very long time...  For all intents and purposes no, you do not have to worry about warping; and if the luthier is at all competent you should have no worries about "how they are placed on".

IMHO most people can't hear the difference between compensated and un-compensated dulcimers, making MacSpadden's claim more marketing hype than functional difference.  If you have perfect pitch or are anal retentive, then perhaps compensation matters. 

What Matt said -- there is no standard arrangement of dots; I put them at

3 to mark the start of the Ionian scale,

4 to mark the start of the Dorian scale and to  indicate where to fret the bass string to tune the middle drone,

7 to mark the end of the Mixolydian scale and

10 to mark the end of the Ionian scale

Fret markers go where they are of most use to the musician.  3-5-7-10 tend to be positions frequently used by many musicians.

When building chromatic dulcimers, I will sometimes use guitar marking, the same 3-5-7-10, but that would be a 2-3-4-6 on a diatonic dulcimer.

In other words, whatever works for you.

Well, first, it shows that McSpadden does not understand the art of lutherie.  The bridge is not compensated, the saddle is compensated,..., and no, it doesn't change just because you are making a dulcimer.

That aside, because of the difference in gauge of strings, thicker strings tend to become sharp as you play higher and higher frets.  To adjust for this, the saddle is angled so that the distance from nut to saddle (bridge) is greater for the thicker strings.  Longer distances tend to produce lower notes.  This keeps the thicker strings from becoming sharp as you play up the scale.

In the guitar world, a compensated saddle will not only be angled, but frequently has recesses carved into the saddle itself.

A compensated saddle does not prevent a musician from playing DAA.  Simply string the instrument with a thinner melody string, maybe a nine, and a thicker middle string, maybe a 12 or 14.  Works just fine.

What is a  bridge compensation or what does it mean?

McSpadden listed below post if you wanted to play in DAd

" If you expect to play only in D-A-dd, we recommend ordering the bridge compensation option to optimize playability in that tuning."

With scalloped fretboards do you ever need to worry about warping or how they are placed on? 

 Screen Shot 2017-07-24 at 12.15.49 AM copy.jpg - 57KB

Most fret markers I see are place at the 3, 5, 7, 10 etc. 

    Why would one be place on the 9 & 11?

Is their a reason for putting them at certain frets, is 9 & 11 where someone wanted them or someone just didn't know where they should go? Or is it just me not knowing where they go?

joe,

Do you remember what you thought of his dulcimers, if they were made well? Strange someone can make something for some years, yet google the name & nothing. 

i remember the dulcimer builder that i knew as bob around that time.  i'm sure his instruments were for sale.  he

built dulcimers on special order.  he once gave me the most beautiful piece of butternut i've ever seen

The answers to your questions are 

Maybe

Probably

Has anyone ever hear of Robert LeFever? He made dulcimers for the Ozark Folk Center back in the 90's. No one there knows anything before 2000, they carried McSpaddens till 2006 but do not carry any dulcimers now. LeFever was also a member of the Ark. Graft Guild.

Questions:

If Robert sold his dulcimers out of the Folk Center, would his dulcimer quality be as we would expect?

If Robert was a member of the Graft Guild wouldn't his instruments be well made?

Any thoughts?

No photos at this point

You don't need "saw slots" like those already in place.  You can use a triangular needle file to make "slots" just a bit deeper than the diameter of the strings.

Sweet brother, nice dulcimer

Thanks, Ken. Never considered a non-equidistant string arrangement for noters. Yes, new slots are in my future, but in the meantime, I'll have to break out my noter.

Action height is an easy fix -- a nickel, a dime and sandpaper will do the trick.

Never see string spacing quite like that...  Almost a 4 string with doubled bass and melody courses.  If you are a chord-melody style player you may want to re-cut some slots to get a spacing that will work for you.  As a noter-drone players, I would shift everything except the melody couplet as far out as it will go, so there is room for my noter.

My brother purchased this dulcimer online. The gentleman who sold it said it was his son's mother-in-law's who had recently passed, but it had hung on the wall and nobody ever saw her play it. He also has a sitar of hers that was in terrible shape. :-) My brother knew I liked dulcimers and thought the instrument was in good shape and the soundboard was attractive. Also, it was built the same year as my daughter was born, so having an instrument as old his niece was fun. It had one string. So I added three more strings, but the slots on the bridge and nut were not where I would expect. I was expecting a slot in the center in the fretboard for the middle string. Any ideas on the slot configurations? Also, the action is a bit high up the fret board. I do like it's sound.

When I opened the case it still had the original pamphlet. I've attached some pictures. Anyway, my brother is really cool and I can't wait to get the modifications made. If anybody has any additions insights to this dulcimer maker or his instruments, please share.

Thank you,

Tom

 IMG_4983.jpg - 73KB

Hey, that is really cool!  Enjoy your Ledford!  

I agree with Dusty.  Good ideas!  We started our group in Gold Canyon AZ using 4 core players who met at a LaCrosee WI workshop.  We posted a notice in our RV park in AZ and got a couple of others.  We circulated at the New Mexico dulcimer festival and picked a couple of others.  Very usefully, we posted our group on Everyhing Dulcimer and we got several members that way.  We still get regular inquiries from that posting.

We meet every week in our RV Park facilities for two hours.  As Dusty said it is vital to play music at both beginner and advanced levels.  My wife and I will often show up early to provide instructions for beginners.  We play a set of core tunes that we all know but we often introduce at least one new tune.  Members are prompted to bring in new material and teach it over several sessions until most members are comfortable playing it.  If most of us  really like a new tune it gets added to the core set.  So the meetings usually include both a sort of jam and a sort of workshop.

The hardest part is keeping the early beginners and the very advanced players both interested.  Too hard and the beginners stop coming and too easy and the really good players stop coming.  We have had both happen to us so you need to keep trying to reach a good balance of stuff.

You also need a reasonably sized group.  Our core group is 8 to 10 with as many as 16.  My ideal group would be 12 to 16 or so players. It's also nice to have another instrument or two.  We have a hammered dulcimer player who comes regularly.  She is a good player and has good timing.  Her instrument sounds enough different from the mountain dulcimers that beginners can use her to keep on beat.  We also have an occasional guitar player but they seem to get tired of playing in D.  

We do play music in other keys, with and without capos, which is great for learning stuff you can play with other instruments and expanding repertoire.

Hope this helps.

Your "chessmen" are Floating Bridges...

The dulcimer group I play with has someone who has been playing the hammered dulcimer for years, I forwarded your info to him. It is a beautiful instrument, I like the way the peg strings can be closed off.

Good luck

Hey @mascis, if you can drive to Blue Lion, you can drive to the Redwood Dulcimer Day in Santa Cruz in August. Perhaps I'll see you and your Ledford there!  I'd love to see this special dulcimer.

@mascis If you'd like to post the video here, that'd be cool!  

Thanks for the pointers, Dusty.  I'm getting together with a couple group leaders and getting their input as well.  Then I'll contact a couple possible location sites and take it from there.  You are always so helpful.  Thanks again, Dulcinina

I think uke is a perfect 2nd instrument for MD players.  Most of us start MD playing melody on traditional modal tunes.  While a uke is just begging you to strum chords and sing Leon Redbone songs.  Or maybe that's just me.  Anyway, uke makes us approach music from a new perspective.  That can't help but make us smarter all around. 

I used to worry about balancing time between instruments, but I finally realized they do not care (unlike my family, friends, coworkers and cats).  So I play what I'm in the mood to play. 

Colleen, my Fluke has friction tuners and they give me no problems.  Have you taken a screwdriver to the screws at the ends of the tuning pegs?  Mine need adjusting once or twice a year.  Righty-tighty, lefty-loosey.  It does take patience to get used to the tiny movements (like a few ticks of a clock) necessary to get friction pegs in tune.  OTOH, when you change strings it's a whole lot faster!  Magic Fluke sells Peghead geared tuners, but they are not cheap.  Some people attach ordinary cheap geared tuners, but those are heavy and put the uke out of balance IMHO.  Search the Ukulele Underground forums and you'll find lots of tips for modifying Flukes. 

(Public Service Announcement: Do NOT look at the Ukulele Marketplace forum.) 

If you put a strap button on the bottom, the Fluke will no longer be able to stand up by itself.  Magic Fluke sells a velcro strap; I haven't tried it but I assume it works.  Try fluorocarbon strings on the Fluke.  I'm currently in love with a set of Oasis Warm strings, but if you like the bright ring of a spruce top then you might prefer Oasis Bright or Martin M600. 

Speaking of cats (I was a minute ago, wasn't I?) my avatar Nick was born in the household of someone I met at uke club.  As far as Nick knows, all human females play ukulele.  I would hate for him to learn otherwise.

Colleen, I understand how you feel about friction tuners. My Gretsch banjolele came with them. My fondness for the instrument (it was so darn cute!) made me play it a lot and I got used to the tuners. Now they are still not my first choice but I am OK with them. 

If you think ukes are fun, banjoleles are even better. The folks I jam with like having another instrument voice. Like all banjos, they are finicky little instruments so if you don't like to fiddle with your instruments, banjoleles are not for you. I also recommend getting a good set up initially.  

My favorite is my Kala ST-G spruce top tenor.  Found it used at a local guitar store.  I keep my original Kala concert in my office to strum on for a few minutes at lunch time.  There's a Kala soprano that I have my eye on too...And...my third is a concert Fluke that I got on Craigslist. Unfortunately, I have barely touched that one.  I'm thinking of finding someone to add geared tuners and a button strap.  Not fond of the friction tuners, but should probably give them another chance.  Lisa Golladay, does your Fluke have geared tuners?  I'm happy with my mid-range ukes right now as I don't play well enough to justify purchasing a higher end one.  If I progress well enough, I might start looking at banjoleles, but that is a ways down the line.

 I actually have learned more about music since I've had this. (sorry, don't know quote function)  Much to the no doubt despair of my uke teacher, I still haven't picked up any music theory.  I know that there is tons online about ukes, but I'm going for in-person lessons for now.

The downside is that the new instrument is exciting and my interest in practicing the dulcimer has dropped off quite a bit--it's like trying to divide your attention between two kids...

July... it's mid blueberry time in our garden!  Also now the first year we're getting substantial raspberries.  I've been picking string beans and making big bowls of green beans vinaigrette (adding varying other ingredients like black beans, corn, red peppers etc).  I gave the first big head of cabbage to my daughter when she visited, but now it's time to cut one for us and make nice coooool cole slaw!

I've been able to keep up with my new modest fitness walking goal-  twice a week doing a brisk 2.5 miles in the village fairgrounds, which has lots of nice paths with no car traffic.  Sometimes Brian comes with me which is nice.

I'd love to visit Blue Lion!  And you've got a treasure in that Ledford! 

Well I made the plunge 3 months ago and bought a Kala Ziricoat Tenor and couldn't be happier. I actually have learned more about music since I've had this. Yes I still put many hours on my Folkcraft, but what fun the Uke is.

$50?  The case itself is worth that!

You got quite a deal, indeed!  If you keep it, you've got quite a bit of interesting musical history there.  When old buildings were torn down, Homer was right there to reclaim the wood, as old wood with history--especially music history--makes the best instruments!

If you're not doing anything Labor Day weekend, fly into Lexington, KY and come attend the Homer Ledford Dulcimer Festival in nearby Winchester, KY.  On Thursday there will be a talk on Homer and his instruments at the local history museum with famed dulcimer player Don Pedi.  He'll have many old instruments for people to look at--and maybe try out--and there will be time to tour the small museum and see Homer's shop which was moved over from his nearby home.  You can sit in on some jams, maybe attend some workshops on Sat. and there will be a fantastic blow-your-socks-off concert with some of the country's finest musicians Sat. night.

I'm so glad you got to meet Bob and Janita Baker, too!  What a great immersion into the dulcimer world!