Forum Activity for @marg

 (Sam Carrell, who worked for a time with Bill Davis)

I just picked up a Sam Carrell dulcimer, signed & dated august 1984. it need some work but with your help something I can do.

What can you tell me about these dulcimers?

It is the 5 string fiddle shape type. May just need new strings, a good cleaning & some way to have the two bass end pegs hold.

Dear Mr Paul Furnas, is your tablature for the song Si Bheag Si Mohr still available for purchase? If so could you please give me a price and an address where I could order it from? I just saw the video of you and Ron Beardsley and it is a beautiful arrangement of the song.

Marg, it appears you are talking about your fretting hand and not your strumming/picking hand, correct?

I have not used a thumb pick for that purpose, but when I slide with my thumb I tend to bend my thumb over a little and use the edge of my nail. It takes the pressure off the skin and slides a lot easier.  I learned that trick from Linda Brockinton at my first ever dulcimer festival (Redwood Dulcimer Day) about 6 years ago.

I have tried a thumb pick, but prefer the tactile sensitivity of my thumb on the strings.  A callus has built up and somewhat protects the skin....not a preference of all but it works best for me. :)

Strumelia,   (accidentally deleted-)

No worries, just assume I did something.

Thanks for all you do

Marg, your thread was accidentally deleted- very sorry!  I've retrieved it and reposted it for you- please continue your thread there as you intended.  Sorry for the inconvenience!   

Has anyone used a thumb pick for using & sliding their thumb so they don't tear it up?

     (Hope this is ok here, just tried posting under a new post 'Thumb Pick' but it vanish)

Has anyone used a thumb pick just for sliding their thumb & not tearing up the edge of their thumb?

I've had some sucess using the plastic lids from microwave soups, chili and stews.

Gail,

I found one that is by Herdim which looks like the one I use. It is the small sharp teardrop pick. Yellow is light, red is medium and blue is stiff. I may have found a source though it looks like it is limited in quantity. Song of the Wood in Black Mountain, NC used to carry them but they no longer stock them.

I use a pick that looks like the yellow one and really like it for playing some things.  It is a Herdim teardrop.  All I can find on line says it's the small size.  I am ordering some through Amazon to see if they are the same size as the ones I am using.  The Folkcraft dulcimer site also has them. 

Credit card plastic is a mite too stiff and plastic container lids a bit too limber. I am continuing to look.

I made a pick like the elongated Schilling, cut from an old credit card.

...looks like butternut to me......

DAN

www.dulcimore.com

Stinson's (or Stenson's) #2 is a great tune and fun to play. Do you play it in the key of D or in A as most fiddlers do? After years of playing it D ~ I learned it from a dulcimer player ~ I have mostly switched to playing it in A, since that's what local fiddlers want it in and I'm, of course, happy to oblige.

Search on"Jean Schilling vintage guitar picks", you'll find them sold here and there at pick collecting sites, on Ebay, etc.

D'Andrea -- dandreausa.com -- made those teardrop Jean Schilling picks and one shaped like a dulcimer; but no longer apparently.

Try Herdim picks...Folkcraft sells a small (?) one shaped like yours (I believe they used to sell larger ones of the same style). Good luck!

Steven

I use an elongated teardop shaped pick. Several internet searches have not revealed anything like I prefer.

A picture is attached. The tourtise shell appearing one came with my first dulcimer and has Jean Schilling's signature on it. Any help would be appreciated as to source to procure something like those in the picture.

 Dulcimer picks.JPG.jpg - 123KB

it might be butternut

Sounds from the wording like the reply came from "offshore" somewhere, like the phonecalls I sometimes get!

This is the reply I received today.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken,

Thank you for reaching out to us. Dulcimer is an important of our business and your suggestions have been forwarded to our management team for consideration.


Regards,

David Legere
Mel Bay Publications

Gee there's just so many that are fun to play. Sugar Hill is fun if you try to do it in both 4/4 and then 3/4 time.

Just do the "scratch n sniff" test!  Slip a piece if coarse sandpaper inside where that deer is, and sand around in underside. If is does not smell of 'root beer', it's not sassafras!

I don't disagree, but I say it's impossible to tell from a photo, even if it were a professional one. I work sassafras albidum nearly every day, it's one of the staples in my shop. It's heavy, only slightly lighter than black cherry (31 lbs per cubic foot, to 35 for cherry). The pore structure, as usual,  is the key to positive identification, and if you're a science type person you'll like to see http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0141635903000771

If you want, send me your address and I'll mail you a little scrap of S. albidum, so you can compare it yourself.

I did the same thing as Dusty, however I asked if they still had them in a digital format and if they would be willing to place them on another website if they were not going to be available at Mel Bay anymore. If I receive a reply, I will post it here as well.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for doing that Dusty!  

I just sent a message to Mel Bay via the website.  I just asked where the Dulcimer Sessions were. I'll post here when I get a response.

It does look like sassafras.

 sassafras.jpg - 128KB

I just went to Cedar Creek's website, and they list sassafras as an available soundboard wood.

Could be that.  Does it seem like dense, heavy wood or is it lighter?  Sassafras is relatively soft and light.

Apparently so.  Maybe someone could contact MelBay about it- they likely have copies they'd be willing to give us so we could post them here?

 Say it ain't so!

Currently Sarasponda is my go to (quick song) for warming up and it is so happy!

( heating it a few minutes with your hair dryer before giving it a tap with a hammer and a wooden dowel)

Thanks ken, worked on the dulcimer today. After two tries of heat & tapping I had the bridge out & with a bit sanding, the action is lowered. Stopping at this point, nice & low & no buzzing. Plays so much easier now & my thumb thanks you.

You're right, Ken, I would've loved it!  She seems to have been one of those people was was just herself, no pretense.  (Almeda's telling of how her little sister's death effected her was most moving.)  Her singing cut through to the bone in a good way.