Forum Activity for @nimrod

As someone who is a complete beginner who is looking to purchase a mountain dulcimer, I would like to know how many strings I should go for when looking at potential instruments.  Is it easier as a complete beginner to start with the basic three strings or should I go for an instrument with four strings and simply leave one off.  I use to play the electric organ but have never played a stringed instrument so at this moment in time I am completely in the dark.  I have some dexterity issues in my right hand due to having mild Parkinson's so having given up the organ, I desperately feel the need to create music which I love.

 Thanks Kandee! I sew, but I don't quilt. Please share a photo of yours when you are done creating. I don't have any trouble finding my stand when coming back from a break at a workshop, and I think it's fun to be different. 

Looks like it's made of Meranti, enough to put me off straight away.

guy,

Both music and the dulcimer are great therapy, it is so nice you have passed your dulcimer on with it's 'big voice' -  Hopefully it continues to sing.

They may have different sounds, the noter better slides sounds but with the finger you could add additional notes for sometimes a fuller sound. Both nice and nothing wrong with either or both ways at different times. As we learn we grow, as we grow we learn - a wonderful adventure.

Thanks Kathy and Marg.  It's going to be an interesting experience. I am anxious to get lessons started and learn if I can play by fingering or if I will be a 'noter'.  Either way is fine with me.

Loved your story dusty but was worried a 13 year old was off across the country on his own.   

Kusani, your dulcimer is beautiful and wish you lots of enjoyment with it.

suzannbakkey & jan

Do you feel Warren May dulcimers sound better played with fingers or does it also sound sweet with a pick or noter? Warren uses his tick tock strum with fingers and that is the only way I have hear one of his dulcimers. Also do you tune in any tune or do you keep it in DAA?

 Robin,

Surfing this site, I saw where your 'Bird Rock Dulcimers' site was mention to a new member. I wish I was passing by, would love to come in and see you, your instruments and say hi. Very Nice and well done. 

I, obviously, need a pair of those glasses, too.

Bill 

Strumelia has special glasses to look through when inspecting instrument photos.  And I suspect they give her x-ray vision, too! 

Shoot, Lisa, if you "insulted anyone" for giving your opinion, then let 'em get over it or seethe to themselves.

Good points, actually; some of what you mentioned I hadn't noticed, so.... maybe, maybe not.  Next time I'm tempted on a weird one on ebay, I may ask you to take a look at for me. 

Well, Rob, I'm glad I didn't ask. lol

Bill

Well ok since you ask , Rob, I'll be honest...

There are many elements of this instrument that I feel are not of high quality and don't suggest to me anything beyond a low 'hobby level' maker slapping stuff together-  the sharp unfinished fret ends, the very weird 'tailpiece' with guitar string anchors and its dark badly varnished strumhollow (and what is happening on the very end of tailpiece there where the top soundboard ends?).  The chopped up re-purposed (mandolin/guitar) tuners, the super high applied fretboard (was that added on top of the original fretboard?) which creates a bad angle on the strings at the nut, the crude blocky heart soundholes, and the high gloss 'finish' on the peghead and elsewhere.  It just doesn't strike me as any kind of skilled maker or quality materials.

The case- don't get me started..lol.  Putting aside the rotting crumbling foam and the 1970s yellow carpet remnants (who knows what may have happened on that rug during its sordid past..) - the handle, latches and piano hinge are all the cheapest of the cheap, crudely bolted right through the super thin plywood.  They didn't even bother slapping finish on the plywood underneath the leather handle...uh, too much trouble?   

Don't get me wrong- I can really appreciate a homemade wood case put together from recycled material...but a good craftsman will create one that is a thing of beauty and carefully made to protect the instrument, last a lifetime, and be a real pleasure to touch and use.  I have a 'rustic' case made from discarded plywood, a thrift store Norwegian wool sweater, an old leather belt etc... made for me by fotmd member Michael King (who makes fine strumsticks and lyres, by the way).  It's beautiful and is truly a marvelous thing made with skill and love.

All that said, I'm sure whoever made and used this dulcimer and case must have enjoyed it, and that's well and good.  It's just that I wouldn't buy it myself, even if the price was cheap.

Everyone's idea of value is very different.  My apologies to anyone I may have unintentionally insulted with my above personal opinions ...which are worth approximately two cents.  

In any case, this auction and thread was from back in Sept 2015.

OK, I'll be the one.   Why not, Lisa?

Marg the good news is that it takes a lot less tension to tune light gauge strings to pitch than heavy strings. The dulcimer in my avatar is 25" and tunes very easy with .010 strings. I use viola pegs on that model. Once the strings got settled in I only have to tune it once every few months!!!. Robert.

 Thanks dan but i'm good for now, was just thinking about later when I get older & hands would hurt. That would be a problem for many things. Maybe I will end up with a great dulcimer where the wooden pegs get set and hold beautiful  ;-)

Swimming against the tide here, but I myself would not buy it.  

The case would be worth the price by itself.

Bill

Dusty, check out the Roland Mobile AC Acoustic (I put a link in my previous post....$129).I don't think I'd need the adjustments for keyboard, electric guitar, etc, that comes with the Mobile Cube. What do you think?

Get a Roland, as Ken, Skip, and Kristi suggest.  It's on my wish list, too. I had a chance to use one for a spell this summer and was really impressed.  The MicroCube sells for around $150 new and the bigger MobileCube for about $180.

I also have a Fishman Loudbox Mini that I love. I used to have one of the little Honeytone amps that Marg mentions.  It was fun for creating classic rock guitar sounds and stuff, but as Kristi says, it doesn't really have enough power if you want to play a small room. I ended up selling it to someone here at FOTMD for the price of shipping.

I like the wooden case, would like to see more wooden ones.

Marg, if you suffer from a lot of hand pain or arthritis then wooden pegs are likely not for you.  One of our members who is only about 40 sold his beautiful McSpadden  vintage 3 string because of his arthritic hands.  I'm 69 and fortunately do not suffer any hand problems (counting my blessing for that for sure).  I wish this had come up earlier in this diiscussiiion.

All the best to each of you, may your year be good and thank you for all the friendly help you have so kindly given over the years.

Robert, 

Well hopefully I will have my one dulcimer with wood pegs next week. I am looking forward to it but still a bit unsure as to how I will get on with the tuning of them. Seems, as I get older and my hands hurt will be harder to turn and give a firm push in to set.

There is a small mini amp - HONEYTONE - 9 volt battery or optional extra plug in. About $30.

Most music stores carry it or check it out on line.

Thanks for the replies so far. I'm really liking what I'm seeing with the Roland Mobile AC amp. 

http://www.elderly.com/electronics/acoustic-amps-pickups/acoustic-amplifiers/roland-mobile-ac-acoustic-chorus-guitar-amplifier.htm

Maybe I'll take a trip to Elderly with my dulcimer in hand and see how it does. Glad to hear the Rolands are well respected. They seem to get good reviews on-line.

And being a novice, I am interested in seeing pics of various stands, tables, players use.  I am finding a stand, table, much easier than playing in my lap. 

Electronic tuners are good to get the root note but after that its always better to tune the dulcimer to itself. Unless someone has invented a tuner that hears the suttle nuances...

Everyone should own at least one dulcimer with wood pegs. Preferably a set that's properly installed... Robert...

I agree that it is easier just to tune by ear.  However, a Korg OT-120 does have several historic temperaments in addition to equal temperament, plus a movable pitch.  

The Roland Micro Cube and Orange Crush Micro are a bit smaller, size and power, and both have pretty good reviews. I've been considering them and the Danelectro Honeytone, a really inexpensive and small amp. I have a Crate 15 watt, but it is larger and, heavier, than your Mini.

20" scale is a G dulcimer. Ment to be played with light gauge strings in Gdg tuning. Put a capo on your dulcimer at the third fret, retune down to Dad and listen. It won't sound quite as good. Adding heavier strings makes a small dulcimer grone not drone... Robert...

Hi Susie. I don't have a battery powered amp, but I do have a Loudbox Mini. I'm not sure how much sound you are looking for from the amp. A 1 watt, 3 watt, or 5 watt battery powered amp will not give you the punch of the Mini. Having said that, I have heard good things from the Roland Mobile Cube. Here is a link describing it: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/MobileCube One of my friends has one and uses it primarily in small groups of around 20 people in a room about the size of a typical school room.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Don't underestimate the power of the false nut. I keep a spare in my wallet...

Beware of Bluegrassers they are their own kind of people, sometimes getting unsettled around dulcimers in a jam... Robert  

Marg said the dulcimer she's interested in was built in 1981.

Well, with ANY Warren May dulcimer, but especially those after 1980 -- when he began commonly using Equal Temperment and 6+ frets to placate 'modern' buyers -- I would specifically ASK him if theparticular instrument is Just Intonated or Equal Temperment.

I said; ..."you might experiment with 18 and 16 for the mid and melody strings. -  with that short of VSL (20"), 12 gauge strings would be too light for the A.)

Marg asked: Will heavier strings than 12 be harder to fret or will they give the dulcimer a deeper sound? Would the lighter strings (12 or under) be floppy or wrong tension or break or why do we go heavier?

That's a Looooonnnggggg story involving physics of strings, math and other nasty subjects.  The upshot is that strings heavier than 12 ga at that VSL should not be harder to fret.  String of 12 gauge or less on that short of VSL will be floppy (not enough tension).  You need heavier strings at that VSL to get the proper amont of tension.

From Bagpipe Ddd I go to Gdd by using a false nut on the 3rd fret of the bass string.

I would also add to Robs answer by saying. I tune my baritone DOWN to Gdd and Gdg. And take advantage of both octaves. Putting me in the same range as guitar/banjo... Robert. 

I have a Fishman Loudbox Mini that I use with my instruments that works very well. However, sometimes there's a need for a very small amp that is battery powered. It wouldn't be for large venues, just to get some amplification, like in a small group. The ideal would be something that would also work with my guitars that have active pickups. My dulcimer has an internal soundboard passive pickup.

Does anyone use one of these mini acoustic combo amps that is battery powered? If so, what do you like/dislike? I'm thinking under $200 would be the price range I'm considering. 

Mark, Dusty's option of using a capo is quite viable.  I use one myself, sometimes.  However, depending on what's being played, I'd rather retune.  I read an interview in DPN with Alan Freeman where he said something to the effect that we're already "missing" frets so why would you want to shorten the fingerboard with a capo and make more frets unusable?  Even tho' I was using a capo a lot at the time, that thought stuck with me.  I'm trying to play a lot of tunes/songs in the correct key without using a capo and staying (like Dusty) in DAd tuning.  [To reiterate what he said, the lower case d just means it's an octave above the bass D.]  I play Down Yonder and Silver Bells (not the Christmas one, the Mexican Polka) in G and You'll Never Leave Harlan Alive in A without either retuning or using a capo.  If'n I'm just going to be chording, playing rhythm, like Dusty (again,) I play barre chords without using a capo or retuning for G and A tunes.

I usually take (at least) 2 instruments to jams: 1 tuned DAd, 1 tuned DAA, both of them 3 courses.  The DAd I can tune to G DGd, A minor EAd, D minor DAc and the DAA I can tune to A major EAA or D minor DAG all with moving only one string.  If I take a 3rd instrument, it will be tuned to G, either a Jim Good in his special G tuning or a small 4 string Paul Pyle tuned GDDg.

You see, you've got options.  That's something that makes this instrument really cool and also really frustrating (as in capo or retune or another instrument, yeah that's the one!) at the same time.  Those folks that like things really cut and dry can have a problem getting their heads around such things.  LOL.  Well, I've probably confused you enough for now.  Keep picking

Mark, I play in a modern chording style and what I would do is put a capo on the third fret. Then you can pretend you are playing in D but you will actually be in G.  You can also put the capo on the fourth fret to play in A. For me that's easier than learning DGd tuning, which requires new fingering for the chords.

Most bluegrass tunes have a standard key. Billy in the Lowground is always played in C.  Saint Anne's Reel is always played in D.  Blackberry Blossom is always played in G.  Red-haired Boy is always played in A.  When I practice songs that I expect to play in bluegrass jams I always try to practice them in the standard key.  And since I am one of those unimaginative people who mainly plays in DAd, I can get all those keys pretty easily.  I tune down to CGc for the key of C, but the other three keys I can get out of DAd with a handy capo.

The lower case d in DGd just indicates that the melody string is an octave above the bass string.

Barre chords are a good idea, especially if you are playing the role of the mandolin, where you want that fast percussive chop.  You get that chop from lifting up your fingers right after striking the chord to stop the notes from ringing. You don't actually take your fingers off the strings, but merely stop pressing them onto the fretboard so that your fingers mute the sound. And if you don't know a chord or two, just mute the strings and strum anyway. If you stay on beat no one will mind.