Forum Activity for @traildad

It’s a new dulcimer so I won’t try any self help first. I will sight down the fretboard though. I’ve noticed several times that it is tuned sharp when I check it before playing. Warping was my thought on how it would go sharp on its own. 

Sight down the Fingerboard it may be warped. Try putting a very thin shim under the bass side of the bridge. A shim should be no thicker than a guitar pick. That might solve the problem. You might just have a fret that's too high in some spot. Check to see if all frets are set properly. A gentle tap with a hammer might fix that. Perhaps the frets were not leveled properly by the builder. Dulcimers are not rock guitars, raising the action with a taller bridge is fine, and the tone and volume will definitely sound better.... Robert

Well, I've filed frets, but you need to talk to the maker of this dulcimer.  You might need to raise the bridge and I suggest that before you go a filing frets down.   The nickel deal is just a suggestion. You might need raise the bridge.  If this is a brand new dulcimer, let's see what others have to say here.   aloha, irene

I noticed a buzz on the bass string fretting at the 9th fret a while back. Now the bass string has a buzz unfretted. I got a dime and a nickel and checked the action. The dime fits in at the 6th and the nickel won’t fit in at any fret. This is for all strings. What should I expect to be done to repair it? Replace the bridge and nut or file frets? It’s a new dulcimer so I want it done right. Thanks

My idea is if the dulcimer is curvy (hourglass), it's a LADY.  If the dulcimer has a fat middle (Galax or teardrop), it's a GENT.   Nature itself should teach us that...  Now if the dulcimer is straight-sided, or asymmetrical, well...um...OK, it's just a theory.

Personally, I usually post a video to Youtube first, and then just put in the youtube link to either link the vid in a post here, or I add it to the fotmd video section if it's an actual tune.
If it's just a short demo video, you might try adding the file as an attachment to a post here. See the "add attachment" button below where you type when making a post?  See if that works for your sample clip.   :)

Your new dulcimer is lovely!  So glad it's a pleasure to play.

@nathina, many years ago I started a discussion here called " Dulcimer Gender Studies " asking exactly why so many people give their dulcimers female names.  No one thought to examine the reproductive process of the trees from which the wood came.

I always wonder if I should call may instruments, he she or it? Now if it is from a male tree it would be he, from a female tree her and from a self pollinating variety it.

Terry, so lovely to read this.

She sounds...amazing.  Yesterday, I spent several hours(!) trying everything imaginable on her. DAD, CGC, w/ and w/o capo, high register/low register, flatpicking and fingerpicking, playing soft/loud, playing from printed music of various types (folk, medieval, you name it), slides/hammer-ons/pull-offs (though my pull-offs need some more work, to be honest), and just "making it up and going nuts."  She is definitely brighter than my black walnut--which makes a massive difference when fingerpicking.  Very pleased with the fingerpicking tones she musters.  Much better than with the walnut (fret issues aside).  And yes, I gave the 1+ fret a workout.  So nice to have a "real" fret there instead of something taped down (and often making a buzz).

I'd love to do a sound clip for you all...haven't done one before.  What's the most straightforward way you all use to post here?  I have an iPhone and an iPad, also a digital camera.  Not sure the right file type for posting here.

The only issue I had was one I discovered the day she arrived.  I have a Ewing capo, and when I capo'd on the 1, it tended to rise up a wee tad on the melody string side as I played and created some bad notes on the melody strings.  I suspected the double melody strings gave a bit more resistance, combined with the super smooth finish on the side of the fretboard.  I emailed McSpadden yesterday morning and Jim Woods answered (shockingly quickly for the day before a holiday) with some suggestions.  Could very gently sand the spot to allow better grip (I couldn't bear to do so) or add something to the inside of the capo on that side for better traction.  I opted for that.  Had a very small white rubber band of just the right size.  Not obtrusive, and it appears to give that side of the capo just the little bit more traction it needed to stay put in the 1!

She is wonderful...

My wife has been a pianist since 6 years old. I always loved to hear her play, but for the Last 10 years  or so, she doesn’t play much. But for the last months she has nursed and cared for me beyond measure. But the most significant enjoyment I’ve received is listening to her softly playing. On this special day, I give thanks to this special person in my life, and her talent with the ivory.

Don, what a wonderful thing your son did for you!  He must love you a lot.

Dusty I love that - so simple yet so true! Like a true companion... 

It's remarkable how long ago I wrote that original piece. And after all this time, I am even more grateful for the camaraderie we have created here at FOTMD.  (I wonder if Strumelia knew what a community she was creating back when she first had that brilliant idea to develop this site.)

I hope you can all enjoy Thanksgiving safely this year. 

And yes, @don-grundy, let's all play our dulcimers and express thanks that we have such a fulfilling hobby, something needed these days more than ever.  Like a true companion, my dulcimer helps me celebrate when days are bright and lament when they're gloomy.

I haven't yet gotten my DPN but will be sure to pay special attention to your remembrance, @ken-longfield.  

Thank you, Dusty. For any writer, it is helpful to have an excellent editor, which Ashley Ernst is. My thanks go to Ashley for her help and encouragement.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I just found this wonderful article on how to enjoy your holidays this year if you are by yourself at home...

https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/23/us/how-to-spend-holidays-alone-wellness-trnd/index.html

Thank you, Lisa, for starting this website, and giving all of us a way to connect, instruct, and bless one another.  This has been especially important these last 9 months.  May you and yours have a truly blessed Thanksgiving.  And that goes for all of the other members here, as well!

Another year passed. I wish all FOTMD members a warm and healthy Thanksgiving.  We share our little online 'family' here with affection and gratitude.

Thanks Dan, the soak and heat  process was in my mind.  Did you notice any advantages to the curved back other than looks?

I did a few Virginia pieces years ago, there didn't seem to be any interest in them then. I wet the panel and placed it in a clamping jig drawing it to shape with the help of a heat gun. I let them dry for a few days and it worked quite well. Mike Slone and Kevin Messenger were gifted the pieces in Hindman that year.

I just want to bump this discussion and point everyone to @ken-longfield's excellent obituary of George Orthey in the current (Nov 2020) issue of Dulcimer Players News.  It is very well written and contains a lot of information about Orthey's life and the instruments he built. Well done, Ken!

Yes. It will likely do well as a travel/back-pack type instrument too. People have an easier time taking a lesser priced instrument like that. So I think it will do well to some degree and since it really has its own niche, i think it will stick around and not just be a fad. But, what do I know.

A beautiful dulcimer. Let's hear a sound clip.

My guess is that they will play the role of entry-level dulcimers as people's first instruments, so there will always be a small market for them, much like the Folkcraft cardboard dulcimers.  And like some of the student-model dulcimers that some luthiers make, some people may prefer them to fancier instruments.

Thanks John for the hymn history.

Will they become popular or a passing fad?

So pretty!

This flatwater dulcimer is definitely a good idea, although it's also a sign of how expensive dulcimers have become.  It's hard to get a newbie to invest $500 or more for an instrument they're not sure they're going to play, so the price point on this model is welcome.  I also like the trapezoidal shape as well. And most importantly, the demo sounded great.

And here she is...arrived yesterday afternoon.  Just beautiful!

 McSpadden.JPG - 186KB

Looks good.  I don't think there has been a production trapezoid-shape ever, except for the cardboard dulcimers; they've always been one-offs by individual builders.  Looks good and sounds good, and it's a decent price point.

No problem. Thought it would be fun for people to see. 

The Flatwater looks and sounds great!  Thanks for the information, @susie! 

I know it's not a version of a $75 cardboard dulcimer! THEY were explaining in the video how it came about. They wanted to create something like a cardboard dulcimer. But through the process, they decided they wanted to take it a step further and have the quality of a solid wood instrument. They even admit that they never accomplished the task of creating a cardboard dulcimer. The video gives the whole story and they call it like it is. (The link works for me, because I have a FB account. I'm not sure it it works for everyone.)

Thank you Dusty!