Forum Activity for @susie

Mandy,

Yes, my husband and I ride. We've ridden DALMAC, 6 times, which is a 5 day ride from Lansing, MI to the Mackinac Bridge (connects the two peninsulas of MI). It's about 350 miles. When we get to the bridge, we are escorted across the bridge by the MB Authority. It's really cool. We've done several other rides here in MI. It's good exercise and you get to see the sights that you don't see and appreciate in a car. Glad to see you are getting excited about riding. Nice thing is, you can ride however and wherever you want.....it's your choice. Taking the dulcimer along for the ride is a great idea. It's not a heavy instrument, so it would work well for that.

Hey Susie,

I didn't realize they had good straps. I've never seen one up close, LOL. I was really looking for something with a messenger type strap, but the backpacker straps sound good. I guess I see my dulcimer as larger than it really is because I would have thought that having it vertical wouldn't work. Haha.

I would prefer to have something I've made or something homemade over that, but I'll probably end up with that.

So you ride? Ummm I may need to talk bikes with you. I used to really ride (mtn and road) but that was awhile back before my daughter came along. I love talking bikes! Thanks for your idea, I'm going to go look at them.

Mandy, why wouldn't a typical gigbag work, like Ken suggested? I have two different gigbags, one is a McSpadden and the other is a bit larger for my FolkRoots dulcimer (it's not a Folkcraft brand, its universal). Both have backpack straps which are adjustable. You can put it over both shoulders alowing the dulcimer to be positioned vertically on the center of your back. They are very comfortable. The bags are nicely padded, too, to allow for decent protection of your dulcimer. For your purpose (riding on a bike), I really think it would work great. I'm a long distance bike rider, so I know the position you'd be in. Knowing how these gigbags work and feel, I think you should give it a try.

Great idea SAM!! Oooh I gotta go look in the garage and see what we got. Cool!

Swipe the bag from one of those folding lawn chairs. 'bout the right size, has a draw string closer, shoulder strap, HEAVY rip stop nylon ... AMAZING colors (if you look). Works good, I'm using one for a dulcimer I take with me sometimes. The one I have is in electric lilac ... a bit feminine but really bright and cheery.

Ken - good idea about the sweatpants, that would get me started anyway. Thanks!

We call them Gig Bags. Sort of like a quiver for your dulcimer. Unpadded or lightly padded. Some sort of top closure. Some sort of strap. Simple one you can make until you find one you like: Start with a pair of old sweatpants with long legs. Cut off one leg, and sew the ankle shut. Punch holes and make a draw string closure for the top. Add a strap. Yer good to go.

Dennis Waldrop's wife Elaine makes nice ones for $30. Here's the discussion:

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/forum/topics/question-to-my-fellow-dulcimer-friends-about-bags

Cool Phil, thanks for asking her.

My wife is a retired sithcher used to make rain wear. Now she a full time quilter. Let me talk to her and see if she has any Ideals. IN the past she has made case for my Flutes. maybe she can take the same Ideal an apple it to a dulcimer. Don't be afraid to PM if I forget to get back with you.

Ok so I want to ride my bike on the local rail to trail and bring my dulcimer. Thing is I have no strap or case. I want something that I can strap around me like a messenger bag only it be a dulcibag. I want an adjustable strap so I can tighten and loosen, and I want something like thick canvas in case it rains I'll have a bit of protection until I can get to cover. To top it off it's gotta look cool. Any solutions anyone? Something I can either make myself or get on the cheap is preferred of course. Haha. I haven't really seen anything like this out there but maybe I missed it. Regular canvas carrying cases won't do because it almost needs to cradle my dulci like a baby. I don't want it bouncing around on the rides either. I don't have a sewing machine or I'd already try and make something.

Robin my cousin and her husband own the Lee's in Mt Sterling and it is alway nice, clean and good. We eat there alot I like it better than KFC.

Mandy go back and read my first Blog about the 1st Redneck farmers tour. You might get a laugh out of it.

Carter is a Sweet little dog for dad, but dad is teaching him bad habits . Didn't go over good when Jim turned his head the other night and Carter helped himself to a bite from Jims plate on his lap. Not a good thing, glad Carter can move fast . lol

With any title with the word Redneck in it i have to stop by and see what's up. Eating and music always appeal to me, bet they had a great time, but downtime is great in it's own way.

Phil, I'm thinking Carter got caught in a sting operation.

phil said:

Carter sounds like a great little dog for you Dad. I have a feeling he was not stealing that fruit, but was invited to have some too.

Carter sounds like a great little dog for you Dad. I have a feeling he was not stealing that fruit, but was invited to have some too.

Woo-hoo-- another tour! I didn't know there were still any Lee's Famous Recipe places left.

Dana, seems like Carter is a helper dog for your dad! And he helps himself, too, to whatever he wants. I love dogs!

Hope you've gotten some time to re-charge your own batteries!

Well the bus is getting ready to leave the station on another trip.

The group minus me and dad are heading up to Mt Sterling just 15mins up the road to eat at Lee's famous recipe and then to the Hee Haw Review. Dang and I'm missing it!LOL

OH well right now I'm watching dad on the vid monitor eating a plate of fresh pinapple(his and my favorite fruit)I just cut up for him.

Carter his little dog has gotten wise to me and when the door opens he jump down and under the bed where I can't get him to put him out.I just watched as he stole a piece of pineapple off dad's plate and back under the bed. Now that I'm out and back in the livingroom the little thief jumped back up on the bed and nosed his way under the covers. Dad loves that little dog to death and I think it goes the other way to.

Well the bus is pulling out, dad is loving on Carter and I get some down time. Hee Haw!

It's mighty hard to find fault with "delighted"!

Paul

Depending on how the string slots in the nut and bridge are made, you may be able to 'just swap strings'. However you may also find that the thin melody string is not seating properly in the wide bass string slot, and that will cause problems. Most builders (and I'm one) create the nut bridge slots for right handed players unless specifically asked to set up for a left handed player. Also a wide bass string may not seat correctly in a narrow melody string slot, and that too can cause problems.

If you are going to play left-handed, I strongly recommend that you tell your dulcimer builder that you are left handed so that he or she can 'make it right'.

Great way of explaining things PAUL. All this time I was the one who was right and everybody else was playing wrong. MUUUUUUAAAAHHHHH. I am a lefty and must whole-heartedly agree with everything you have said. The strumming does get much easier (after all it's really only repeated patterns), while the fretting hand needs to be very dynamic and free flowing. Fretting was no big deal at all for me when I started playing. Harder chord shapes were easier to accomplish for me on my first instruments.

What's a challenge for me now really is the thumb. I really need practice with it, even though I'm left handed and that's my most dexterous hand it's still difficult to master that thumb.

Go enjoy, dance with the one who brung you - Love that Paul

Ken isn't commenting about left handed musicians at all. He is saying that the dominant hand, in your case the left hand, would be better utilized if put to the more demanding part of playing a stringed instrument, which is the hand fretting the strings. The reality is almost all of us righties are playing backwards. We are playing the way lefties should be playing. Same for guitar, banjo,and ukulele. I play all of those, and know the left hand to have the harder job. I suspect mandolin and fiddle would be similar, but I don't play them so I really have no experience to back that up. Our dominant right hands should be on the frets, not strumming. Eventually, strumming becomes the easier job, once we put the time in to learn it.

If you have a left handed dulcimer, and feel you are progressing, that's fine, stay the course. There are millions of right handed people playing backwards to prove it can be done. Ken's advice is probably more aimed at aspiring players who haven't yet purchased their first dulcimer, and are concerned about finding one built for their dominant hand. The bottom line is this:

1)For the beginner, both hands are untrained, and have to learn their job.

2) Either hand can learn either job, but there is a certain unfixed amount of time required for this to take place. How long this time is varies with a lot of contributing factors. But the destination isn't the important part, the journey is what counts. Enjoy the ride.

3) Since both hands have a new job to learn, it really isn't critical that they learn a specific job. There are two jobs to be learned, and we have two hands to assign to these jobs. If one is accustomed to fretting from playing another stringed instrument, continue in the path you have been following. If neither hand has done either job, go ahead and pick one and start learning.

For the record, I concur with Ken's assessment that most of us are playing backwards. But I started guitar in 1966, and banjo in 1968. By the time I realized I was playing with the "wrong" hand on the frets, I wasn't about to start over. The "lefty" guitar I tried showed me that even with 30 years playing, both hands only knew the jobs I had taught them. Neither knew the other hands job. It was day one all over again. I could spend a lot of time relearning how to play "backwards", or I could play as I had been and enjoy what I had learned/was learning. Go enjoy, dance with the one who brung you. You'll learn just fine with whichever hand you prefer to put on the frets.

Paul

Why advise lefties to at least try right handed? Well, for one thing, there's no harm done if it works out good for them.

Second, there are Zero left handed dulcimers being manufacturered. And technically it's more than just swapping the bass and melody strings to convert a right handed instrument - the nut and bridge really must be tweaked as well because of the difference in string thicknesses.

Third, there is practically zero re-sale potential for left handed dulcimers.

For another thing, playing right handed makes a leftie's dominant hand do arguably the more important part of playing - getting the notes right. Strumming is a pretty automatic sort of thing and your dominant hand is, in some sense, wasted playing rhythm rather than playing notes. IMHO this is especially important if the leftie wants to do complicated fingerwork like fingerpicking.

The only issue with your GD strumming left handed, as you know, is that the dulcimer needs to be swapped end-for-end so that the head is on the right side, not the left.

You said "In most cases left handed people are advised to try to play right handed.". Yes we SUGGEST that lefties TRY playing right handed; but use whatever works for them. Obviously right handed didn't work for you. And that's OK.

There is no right way or wrong way to play the dulcimer. Just the way that works for you.

Unlike the old days, no one will beat your fingers with a ruler to force you to play right handed, the way some people were forced to learn to write right handed.

I don't think I have the nerve to do what Schnaufer did. I sweated when forced to gate check my guitar, and it was in a case designed for airline use, even down to TSA approved locks. What would he have done if they called his bluff, put it in the hold, and handed him a bunch of shattered splintered wood at his destination? "Sorry, Sir, but You threw the case away." When they break an instrument that was in a strong case, it's a nightmare to get a claim through. Just ask a few people who have had to file claims.

For the current time, most dulcimers will fit into the overhead bins of most aircraft, even in a good case. Most acoustic guitars are going to have a problem on most airplanes. Once baggage fees are charged for carry on bags, the issue with overhead space may actually ease up. If it costs the same to carry on as to check, most people will only hand carry fragile or valuable items. A lot of people are using carry on bags to limit the cost of checked bags. And they stuff the daylights out of the carry on bags, with no weight limit.

Paul

I always stick my Lee Felt double-dulcimer bag in the overhead. Especially if I only take one dulcimer, I can fit clothes and product into the other side. I like that my bag looks like something my grandma made me. I've also used the compact looking McSpadden soft cases. Sometimes I hide the top of the second instrument by covering it with a shirt or something. I don't want them to think I'm over doing it. Here's my routine:

• I do my best to get to the gate early. I want to board as soon as possible.
• Before they start boarding, I wait as close as I can to the gate door with my bag unzipped. I want everyone including passengers to know I don't have golf clubs. I also want the gate workers to see I'm not trying to sneak an oversize item on board.
• I keep the instrument in plain site as I hand over my boarding pass. If offered, I always take the baggage claim ticket. As soon as I'm in the tunnel, I put it in my pocket.
• I smile at everyone and make eye contact. I don't want them to sense I'm going to be trouble. I keep the open bag in front of me as I board. (I really think they hate it when you try to trick them.)
• When they ask me what I have I often say, "miniature guitars called dulcimers." I want them to think SPECIAL and SMALL. I get them talking right away. I ask, "ever seen one before," or "do you play music?" I really need the stewardesses in particular to be on my side.
• If anyone says, "You'll have to check that. It won't fit in the overhead," I say, "I promise to cooperate either way but may I please try? I've never had a problem in the past. Most of this bag is filled with air. These instruments are very narrow."
• I pick the first overhead that's available incase there's none in the back of the plane.

I've never had to check an instrument on what's got to be at least 100 flights. If I ever have to, I'm likely to do what David Schnaufer did after they wouldn't let him fly with an antique dulcimer he'd acquired at a gig. He took the dulcimer out of it's case, put the case in the trash, and handed them the naked instrument. He said they all treated it like a baby the whole way.

I'm sure it was your sweeter-than-blueberry-honey smile.

Whatever the reason, I'm glad things worked out for Rainbow.

Jeannie in Paradise said:

Maybe my nearly white hair and occasionally limping a bit helped, too!

Jeannie

I just want to add my May 2012 experience here. I had decided to buy a Clemmer "Sweetie" church style dulcimer to take to Wisconsin, so I could play at a private memorial for my mom. It has a well-fitting soft bag. When time came to fly with it, for each flight I made certain to board early... sometimes claiming to belong in the group of "people who need extra help," sometimes just being sure I was at the head of the line. Each time I carefully positioned my Sweetie into the overhead bin right above me, and then halfway stood right there, keeping track of what else was about to go into that overhead bin. I found passengers and flight attendants to be very respectful and cooperative, and Sweetie made it safely through five separate plane rides. (Maybe my nearly white hair and occasionally limping a bit helped, too!)

Jeannie

Lois;

Practicing? Sure. First you could get something like Harpmaker's Travel Dulcimer where the top flips over and stores the fretboard inside, and the result looks sorta like a wooden flute case. Fits in overheads. Great instrument.

Second you could make, or have made, a hinged solid body practice dulcimer that folded down to two lengths of 1x4 plank. Extend an lock the two pieces, tighten the strings, and play. Such a device would easily fit inside a standard suitcase. Drop me a PM if you're interested.

O.k. other things I've heard + this discussion convince me: I'd need to be gone for a long time in a location beyond possible driving to it before I'd try to take a breakable musical instrument on a plane.

That said, is there a way to do any kind of practicing without a dulcimer available?

Yeah, I was bummed that I wasn't able to meet you too.

and it was my dealings with Ryanair that almost got me kicked out of the country: never, ever again will I fly Ryanair.

That's great advice Butch - thanks for sharing your extensive experience of this issue. And I'm really sorry to have missed your visit to the UK last year

The UK airports are very strict about hand baggage and security in general, and we don't have a government regulation on the carrage of instruments as hand baggage. But, luckily, some of our airlines are very understanding and spell out very clearly in their terms and conditions what you can carry as additional handbaggage. Even EasyJet will allow any musicalinstrument up to the size of 30cm x 120cm x 38cm(easily a full size Mc Spadden dulcimer case) to go in an overhead. But stay away from RyanAir !!!!!!!!

One final point - make sure that you don't have anything in the dulcimer case pocket that is a restricted item such as a multi-tool for fitting your strings - orthat will get you into trouble at security

Long post, so get a cup of Joe:

I want to start by saying that Paul and Robin have offered you some great advice, and I agree with just about everything they've said.

I have flown with two to three dulcimers (the third would be a Griebhaus electric, which is very thin) in a standard TKL double-gigbag oneverythingfrom a Canada Regional Air (CRJ-700 and 900 but not 200) which means that it'll also get on the Embraer E series (E170 and E175 but not the 125 and probably not the ERJ145)and definitely the MD88 MD90or larger (those are the regional jets that I've had experience with). A general rule of thumb, look at the layout when your picking your seats. if the seat layout is 2 and 2 or larger, you're golden (tho' I have gotten it on planes with a 1 and 2 seat arrangement...but just barely)...if it's a turbo prop, yr screwed.

Because I do this for a living I HAVE to get the cheapest flights possible, which generally means the back of the plane. Fine with me, 'cuz I'm first on last off too, and I can fill up the overheads before everyone else. Being a man of average height, I'm also quick to "help" other passengers stowing stuff in my overhead (note the possessive) if they resist (usuallybecausethey're men and they "got this") I point out that that is a musical instrument and that I'D HATE TO SEE IT UNINTENTIONALLY GET DAMAGED (I'm never rude, angry or impolite, but you can imagine that the language i use is a quite bit stronger than that)

Here's what I used on the last trip....

That's a single TKL bag with two dulcimers in it (one in a cloth bag made by Mary Rockwell) I DO NOT recommend this, but i didn't have my double bag and was in a bind.

From the moment I get out of the car, the dulcimer is in it's straps and on my back (except for security of course). This makes it seem smaller, and is lessnoticeable...in fact they generally don't see how big it is until I've passed, and by then it's too late. If I get grief at the gate or the ticket counter (usually the ticket counter) I do three things:

1. remain unfailingly pleasant and polite
2. talk as slowly and loquaciously as I can
3. I am quick to gate check it

Pleasant and polite should be obvious, your beloved instrument iscompletelyin their hands and they have the power to do everything from charge you extra, force you to check it, to kick you out of the country (I have been threatened with all three). But, I once got to take three carry on bags to England because the woman at the counter took pity on me (and anyway, she said she wouldn't see any of that $200 extra baggage charge she could've hit me with. YOU READ THAT RIGHT $200).

Speak slowly....especially if you are on early, there are a lot of people behind you and the staff don't have much time to process the flight, so if you're nicebut slowthey may make an exception for you... I once flew from Philly to Nashville with my guitar under my seat (with my feet on top 'cuz it was WAAAAAY too big to be under there) because they didn't have the time to hold the flight to make me go to the ticket booth and get a gate check tag.

IF I ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO, I will gate check, even with gate checking yourinstrumentis doomed if it goes into the hold in just a gig bag. So I have been known to ask for the gate check and then remove the tag. I did this once on a flight back from England. It means that someone has to come onto the plane and then remove it from the overhead ...in front of everyone, making them the jerk that took it and put it in the hold. That's right, if i can i'll use peer pressure

If that seems harsh, listen to this. I own a flight case, a very expensive case (intended for keyboards) that I bought SPECIFICALLY for flying with my dulcimers. In 2008 on my way to my first UK tour, I was told at baggage claim that the case was oversized and that i would have to pay an additional $175 each way to fly with it. In other words, cough up, or don't fly (the lady literally said "well you can leave it here but since it's an unintended bag, it'll be destroyed") In addition, when I got to England I had to bang the thing back into shape with a hammer to undo the damage that it had suffered in transit. So I got the message loud and clear: it's us verses them, and we don't have much leverage.

The people who work for the airline, in my experience, are overworked andunderpaidand forced by some corporate bean counter to adhere to rules thattheylikely think are BS too. Be considerate, and friendly but resolute.

finally a BIG caveat... Most of my issues have been in ATL and leaving the Uk. Usually for me, the first leg is out of Nashville, and there probably isn't a better airport in the world to fly out of with an instrument. All that to say YMMV.

That said, you never know. Philly is astraightup hostile airport in some ways. Yet the only conversation I've ever had about myinstrumentswentlike this. Them: "what are those" Me:{briefexplanationof the dulcimer and how it works} Them: Cool!

Also, I don't recommend Apple Creek dulcimers for the most part...but if you can get this one for $64 it's worth it just for the case. http://www.amazon.com/Applecreek-PKACD150K-Hourglass-Shaped-Dulcimer/dp/B001AV3OZG/ref=sr_1_11?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1357598580&sr=1-11&keywords=apple+creek

anything that fits in a McSpadden bag should be fine.

Good Luck!!

The post that I have had pop up very quickly and then disappear mentioned Aaron O'Rourke. I've missed the bottom half of the comment every time. Was that the one you deleted??

It's just me and my elusive ways. I like to keep you guessing.

Actually, folkfan, there was an earlier comment that I deleted, but my most recent comment in this discussion just preceding your post is still there, as far as I can see.

folkfan said:

Dusty, Every time I try to read your reply, it disappears and never comes back. Weird

Dusty, Every time I try to read your reply, it disappears and never comes back. Weird

Paul, Thanks for confirming what I was going by. The law doesn't guarantee that you can carry an instrument aboard, just that instruments are allowed as in cabin carry-on, if they fit the compartment space and if that space is available when boarding. And that you won't have to render up your firstborn as payment. But as the article points out, since many people are carrying everything they can on board, the over-head space quickly fills up.

The last flight I was on had so much stuck into bins, that people boarding after me had to have their bags either gate checked or crammed in bins. And I mean crammed. Attendants were pushing and shoving and slamming bags in and out of bins trying to get them closed. Made me shudder, but thankful that my carry on bag had nothing fragile in it.

Having your carry-on gate checked isn't uncommon. Having the entire last section to board gate check their luggage has been known to happen. So it's a good idea to make sure that your instrument is prepared for the belly of the beast, along with anything that won't fit under the seat in front of you.

This is the newest info: http://www.fretboardjournal.com/blog/skies-are-now-guitar-friendly-congress-orders-airlines-let-you-carry-your-musical-instrument

As Congress has made it's move, it will take a 10 Million Man March to make them revise it again. Don't expect any further changes in this law, unless the changes favor the Airlines.

Whether an instrument fits is dependent upon the size of the case and the size of the bins or underseat area. A Mt. Dulcimer is usually fairly small, compared to guitars, banjos and cellos, etc. I wouldn't worry about a 100 lb suitcase being placed on top of your dulcimer, the weight limit for checked luggage is 50 lbs and the overweight fees are downright scary. This is the reason so many people have large carry on bags. My dulcimer fit in the overhead bin of every aircraft I have boarded with it, but there may be some puddle jumpers it won't fit into. If you are concerned, my suggestion is a small dulcimer for traveling, such as Ron Ewing's Dulcimette, or David Beede's Edee Beedee. There is also Sweetwoods instruments travel model, and a number of other makers build small models. I lean towards Sweetwoods Travel Model, as it protects the fretboard. Plus, one can stash a couple sandwiches inside it. Most airlines don't provide meals any more. They will sell you food, but order early as they don't carry a lot. On a long flight, it can run out.

You may want to look at dimensions of the small models and see how much smaller they actually are. Try a few at a festival if possible. The short scale length may be to your liking, but if you have Grizzle Bear sized paws, you may be less impressed.

Alternatives: A cardboard dulcimer, or inexpensive beginner model, shipped to a friend near your destination, and held for your arrival. This can work if you visit fairly regularly, but if you have no friend in the area, it may not be workable.The cardboard ones are repairable with glue and brown grocery bag paper as long as the fret board isn't damaged. I suspect the fret board alone could be brought along, and attached to a small kitchen roasting pan for casual playing. You can buy the pan at home, or at your destination. I suspect a salad bowl might sound better than the roaster. If you try this, and start selling them, let me know. I might just buy one.

Paul

http://www.fretboardjournal.com/blog/skies-are-now-guitar-friendly-congress-orders-airlines-let-you-carry-your-musical-instrument

The gentleman who had a cardboard case was lucky that there was room in the storage closet. If the attendant hadn't stored it there, it would have had to fit in the overhead storage bin, and there would have to be enough bin space available for it to be a carry on.

Does anyone have any more up to date info on the current regs. in place?