Forum Activity for @wally-venable

The general advice is NEVER TAKE ALL THE STRINGS OFF A FIDDLE AT THE SAME TIME. (Unless you are a luthier doing a major repair.)

String tension holds the sound post in place. You place the sound post and, carefully position it, with all strings loose. Tightening strings without a soundpost can break the face.

Before they were installed, the pegs were probably all the same. During set-up or a service, individual holes may have have been reamed and pegs smoothed with a sort-of pencil sharpener to improve fit and smooth turning.

I'd suggest looking at http://www.makingtheviolin.com/ before fiddling with fiddles. There are other useful violin sites, of course.

Actually "one string at a time" is good general advice when replacing strings on any string instrument, including dulcimers.

I hope this reply isn't too late. I would not put the strings back on until the sound post is put back in place. It is easier to reset the sound post without the pressure of the string on the bridge and top. What do you mean by "mixed up the wood tuners"? You took them out and don't know which holes they should be in? Depending on how the violin was made, by an individual or production shop, will determine how the pegs are fitted. Good luck with you project.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

@shannmilan... My path won't work for you.

We have a local lap dulcimer group which meets twice a week in two different configurations, one for beginners in a classroom setting, one for sort'a playing as a group. My wife has attended both for about five years, I've been taking an active part for about two.

I don't practice, so my skills aren't that good, but I have acquired a LOT of knowledge, as well as becoming a technician.

I also studied violin as a kid, sung in choruses, and am teaching myself viola, arranging music for a crank organ and trying to learn to practice.

As far as "courses" goes, what courses are available to you? Unless you live near me, I can't make a suggestion, except possibly for on-line resources.

@shannmilan... to reiterate what Wally said -- It's hard for us to help you unless we have some idea of your background...  There is no one BEST instruction material.  Some of us are self-taught from the days where there was no internet, and no massive library of teaching materials.   How much experience have you had with any music?  Are you trying to play chords or melodies only on the melody string(s)?  What kind of music are you wanting to play on the dulcimer?

I have my students start learning to play childhood songs they already know in their heads --  Frere Jacques,  Happy Birthday, Three Blind Mice that sort of thing,  Start by picking out those song, one note at a time on the melody string.  Sometime I tell them the first note or two, sometimes not.  

IMHO dulcimer players need to be intimately familiar with where the notes of the scale are found on their dulcimer, so that they can pick out songs on their own and not be dependent on tablature to play Happy Birthday for example.  I teach them to strum outward with their thumb for starters, not worrying about anything except the first string closest to them.  Then I teach them how to hold a pick without a death grip, and how to strum with that pick; while at the same time their other hand is moving from fret to fret along that first string and pressing down to change the notes. 

Have you? Can you share some advices on what courses to take?

Hello all,

I started here a while back,when I jumped into making Cigarbox guitars,not a dulcimer ,but I do like it here. My question is 2or maybe threefold. I decided to change my granddaughters violin strings,I know it’s a different animal now! I took them all off then noted a rattle inside .I know what that is and why now, and will have either fix it( the post) or go to the music shop,he’s a real good guy. I also kind of mixed up the wood tuners,how do I straighten THAT out,easy or what? Well I guess this is how we learn,it would be nice to fix it by Thursday ,can any one help me with the tuners? I’ll put the strings on and take it to the shop tomorrow,I believe I could do it but not without the tools and can’t wait for delivery so I’ll just pay the shop.besides it’s my granddaughters violin,if it was mine I’d play with it but I just want to get it fixed for her but help with the tuner mix up would be great. 

You're a delight.  Thanks for your reply.

Yes, Teddy is the grey boy, on the right.  :)

Sweet cats!  I assume Boo Boo is on the left and Teddy is on the right, correct?  I had a cat like Teddy, her name was Mittens cause her paws were white.

Just revisited this.   Can't believe I missed Lisa's link to the 2021 Live recording!!   Not too bad for a couple of old guys.  There's hope for me yet!!

They were the soundtrack of my high school years.  I love this song.  They wrote such beautiful, melodious songs.

I was stopped at a light a couple of summers ago and I heard a Simon & Garfunkel tune coming from the jeep next to me driven by two young teenage high school boys.  I said, I can't believe you are listening to that, I though only us old folk still love them.  They told me how much they loved their music.  Simon & Garfunkel are timeless, their music will go on as new generations discover them.

Hi @austinpmckenzie and welcome to FOTMD. Make sure you get in touch with the Southern California Dulcimer Heritage Folks .  In fact, they are running a series of concerts, jams, and workshops this month.

Hi everyone! My name is Austin and I live in LA! Lived here for about 10 years and have been trying to sink my teeth into every instrument i can! Come from a big family of musicians. 

Omg, this thread idea is amazing. I need positivety in my life! Hope everyone is having a fun safe Saturday! 

I believe that George Looney's name appears on one of my McSpaddens as well!  Looks like yours has the scroll end, before they switched to flat tuning heads. Congratulations !

Moondancer, I'm traveling at the moment and will be home on Sunday. I have brochure from McSpadden from 1974 which shows the M8 and the price with case at that time. I'll scan it and post it here. I may also have a price list for McSpaddens from the early 1990s.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The spruce top was an upgrade on the M8 and is solid wood as were all the tops. George Looney was one of the craftsman in the McSpadden shop. People think that because a person's name appears on a McSpadden dulcimer that that was the person who built it. That was not the case. Building McSpadden dulcimers was a team effort and all the craftspeople had a hand in each dulcimer. They took turns doing the various tasks. The person who was responsible for gluing on the back was the one who signed the instrument. Your dulcimer appears to be in very good condition. I'm sure that you will enjoy playing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Forgot to add, the builder is a gent by the name of George Looney

oh, an d it was built by George Looney 

The seller accepted my offer, and it should be here someitime next week.  It’s thought to be an M8, built somewhere in the neighborhood of 1984 from walnut (back and sides) with a spruce top. 

Living in the foothills of the mighty Blue Ridge we will probably never have to worry about any hurricane flooding or mudslides of that magnitude. Ian was a devastating monster of a storm. I imagine it must have been especially terrifying to anyone who sheltered in place. On the flip side of Florida life, the story of the dulcimer that lived aboard your sailboat for 10 years is pretty awesome, and a testament of your builder’s craft for sure~amazing. And yes, I do have an acquaintance who both plays and builds, but her dulcimers are priced well outside of my reach. 

Nate -- build a dulcimer out of 1/8" plexiglass...  I played one once -- sounded decent anyway.  

At the risk of making light of a serious situation, a dulcimer full of muddy water sounds like something I'd like to try playing. I have been wanting to try to make a dulcimer that is entirely coated in a waterproof finish, inside and out, and let it "soak" to see if anything happens.

The only laminate dulcimer that I've seen de-laminate was one that didn't quite survive last year's Hurricane Ian.  And that was a combination of being submerged for a week in water who's temperature was approaching 100F.  Several years ago I acquired a 'no-name' laminate-body dulcimer, and had passed it on to a student.  She called about three weeks after we were hit by Ian, and wondered if it was recoverable.  Their house had more than 4 ft of water trapped inside for over a week before they could even get back onto Sanibel island and think about beginning recovery.  They had to empty not only water but organically stinking mud from inside the instrument.  The water receded and things began dry out -- in temperatures also around 100F with no A/C -- no electricity.  It started de-laminating wherever there were bare plywood edges.  The finish had crackled enough to let water under the 'skin', and of course the inside was not protected at all.   I salvaged the tuners and that was it.

Other than that I've not heard anything a laminate dulcimers not standing up to normal use.   One that Harpmaker Dave made me out of Baltic Birch, lived aboard my un-airconditioned sailboat for a decade, and had no issues at all in our het and humidity here in Southwest Florida.

@mooddancer -- I understand you have an acquaintance who builds and plays -- why not get him/her to build you are shorter scale dulcimer which I understand is what you're looking for?.  That would no doubt be better than any McSpadden ever made.  

That's good to hear, feel free to share your fiddle performances here.

The difference in size between the M-8 and the M-12 will be in the body width/size.  I believe that they both use the same fretboard and scale length.  Both are beautiful to play and hear.

I am remembering that maybe the change over from laminate to solid wood was about 1996. It seems I remember the McSpadden having to send too much of the plywood back due to poor quality and it was slowing down production. I have had 2 McSpadden's with laminate bottoms with no trouble at all.

If I recall correctly the M-8 is about the size of the kit John is building. If, as you say, it well cared for, you will have a fine dulcimer to play. I do hope you are able to get it. I look forward to seeing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."