Forum Activity for @wally-venable

If you study ukes in their broader aspects, you will find the "D tuning" isn't anything strange.

Generally speaking, British and Canadian players tune A-D-F#-B, and according to some sources, it was popular in Hawaii at one time. It was pretty much standard before WW-II in the USA. Because of that you can readily purchase string sets intended for the higher tuning. Many small tuners even give you a choice between U-C and U-D setups.

I have several "learn ukulele" books, and probably the best of the bunch is Roy Smeck's classic, which is all in D tuning.  See https://www.amazon.com/Mel-Bay-Ukulele-Method-Smeck/dp/0871664836 for details.

I keep one (cheap) tenor tuned each way.

David, Sally Ann is such a beautiful can. I know she brings you much joy.

Which model of Dulcimore Dan's is that one? It sure is a nice looking duclimore.

She's bloomed in to such a pretty cat!

David, Sally Ann looks to be studying how she's going to play with her new acquisition.  :)

Here is Sally Ann admiring the new Dulcimore that arrived from Dulcimore Dan this week. The instrument is made pine and cherry. Sally Ann will be a year old on 9 March.

Glad my suggestion worked out. Enjoy your new to you dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks Ken.  I took your suggestion.  I added a groove in the nut and and made a double melody string.  I moved the middle string to the center and tuned to DAd.  Sounds great!

Ken is right.  It looks like the bridge has a groove for a double melody string, so you could make one in the nut and string the dulcimer as a three-course instrument with a double melody string.  Or you could just string it as a three string instrument with no double melody.  Lots of folks take off that extra string anyway.

You might consider putting on new strings if those on the instrument seem old. I try to change strings every few months.

By the way, this Forum on Site Questions is intended for questions about how the website works.  So I've moved this discussion to the Forum for questions on specific instruments and luthiers. It will be easier for others to find that way.

Is the lower string also tuned to D an octave lower than the others? That is certainly a valid dulcimer tuning. It looks like you can easily add a groove in the nut to make it a double melody string. You would then move the other string to the center slot which is already on the nut. Using the proper strings for the vibrating string length of the dulcimer you could certainly tune to DAA or DAd.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Hi.  So I have been interested in getting a mountain dulcimer and found one at a pawn shop yesterday that looked to be decent so I nabbed it.  Upon getting it home and looking at some youtube videos I see the set up is different that most of the ones I see.  Rather than 2 strings close together for the melody, it has 4 equidistant strings.  Right now the 3 top strings are tuned in unison to D.  The bottom string is higher gauge and tuned lower.  Can anyone tell me how this should be tuned?  I ordered another nut that has the 2 melody strings together(haven't received yet) but not sure if I should change it out or get it tuned properly the way it is and play around with it.  Any comments/suggestions are welcome.

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I picked up a 1977 three string McSpadden M8-W the other day.  I had questions about the bridge and about the model number and contacted Jim Woods at The Dulcimer Shoppe for more information.  The bridge was cut away under the bass string, and I had not seen very many M8's when I searched on the internet - mostly M12's. Here's what Jim provided regarding the bridge and the model numbers:

"The cut in the bridge was for compensation.  The original string set is the same one we sell now as our Ionian set.  The strings are all loop end type with the bass string being a wound .022 diameter and the others all .012 plain steel.  The tuning would have been either key of C or key of D.  For the key of C the bas string would have been tuned to C an octave lower than middle C and the other strings would have been tuned to G five steps higher than the bass.  For the key of D they would have been one step higher than that (D bass and As for the others).

The first couple of years there was no real standardization of McSpadden models as they were sort of experimenting and developing their designs and models.  When they did standardize, they offered the M8 and M9 hourglass models and T8 and T9 teardrops.  The M8 and T8 were a little shallower and narrower than the M9 and T9.  All of those were offered both as finished dulcimers and as kits for the customer to build.  The design development didn’t stop and the deeper and wider M12 and T34 soon followed.  (I don’t know why they chose to not call the teardrop version T12).  Most customers preferred the larger models so they eventually phased out the 8s and 9s.  I don’t have a date on that but it was late 70s.  The current hourglass and teardrop models we make are basically the same size and shape as the M12 and T34.  In 2005 we stopped using those designations and started simply calling them hourglass and teardrop."

My M8 is roughly 36" long, lower bout is 5 3/4", upper is 4 1/2", body is 1 3/8" tall, fretboard is 1" tall x 1 1/4" wide. 

Picture of the bridge is attached for reference (not sure how to link to my gallery).

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I totally agree with Ken.  I hollow all my fretboards to approx. 1/4" thick on the sides and top.  The hollow runs from the nut area and stops just short of the strum hollow. And, similar to John's suggestion, I also cut a wide slot in the soundboard under the entire fretboard.

I would hollow.  Or even make the fretboard from three pieces of 1/4" wood in an open box shape.  The fretboard is a massive brace running lengthwise and anything you can do to lighten it up will improve not necessarily volume, but overall sound quality, because more things can vibrate.  

On a typical dulcimer, as opposed to a ukulele or guitar, the vibrations from the strings get transmitted to the soundboard through the fretboard.  A heavy fretboard will tend to dampen some of the vibrations.  That said, it you use a composite fretboard with light wood topped by a strong fingerboard, (think mahogany and ebony) you might not need to hollow out the fretboard.  If your instrument has good internal bracing, you might even try separating the fingerboard from the bridge/saddle portion.

Or maybe just take John's advice and go with a hollowed out fretboard.

Hollowing the fretboard saves weight and adds more cubic inches of soundbox, and usually yields a little more sound.

All things being equal, it's a good idea to hollow it out.  Another question is whether or not to cut holes in the top under the fretboard.  I like to cut them out, but doing that may not make it sound much different.  Best wishes on your repairs!

I have acquired an old dulcimer it is a bit of a wreck and will need restoration. Among things that need replacing is the fingerboard, I have just removed the old one and it was solid. Should I hollow the new fingerboard or not bother, I note that most string instruments have solid boards. The question is how much difference if any does hollowing the fingerboard make to the sound volume? 

Any opinions are appreciated particularly if based on experience. Thanks Allan 

Favorites?  Depends on my mood.

I will say that I think the two most beautiful melodies ever written are Danny Boy (Londonderry Air) and Greensleeves.

Three that have some meaning for me:

There's A Meeting Here Tonight sung by the Limeliters

Jimmy Newman written and sung by Tom Paxton

Paradise written and sung by John Prine

My three favorite hymns:

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

Now Thank We All Our God

My Life Flows On In Endless Song

I could make up lots of categories for three songs, but I'll stop with those two.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I'll stick to my three favorite old ballads, all of which sound great either fingerdance-drone or noter-drone style:

Lord Lovel (Frank Proffitt Version)

Barbara Allen (Sheila Kay Adams Version)

Pretty Saro (Gillian Welch Version)

Or maybe my three favorite hymns:

Amazing Grace

Farther Along

Long Time Traveling

Or should I stick with my three favorite folk-rock songs, none of which I play on the mountain dulcimer:

Eve of Destruction (Barry McGuire)

Suite Judy Blue Eyes (Stephen Stills)

After the Gold Rush (Neil Young)

Or maybe my three favorite uilleann pipe tunes:

Lark in the Morning (Seamus Ennis)

The Gold Ring (Liam O'Flynn)

The Kesh Jig (Paddy Keenan)

I'm sorry I couldn't help myself, but the first three songs listed are my favorites on the mountain dulcimer.

Only 3???

Lay The Bend To The Bonnie Broom -- an early version of Child Ballad #1 Riddles Wisely Expounded, which we know as The Riddle Song

Massacre At Glencoe -- Scottish 'dirge'. "Cruel is the snow that sweeps Glencoe and cover the grave of o' Donald..."

Hughie The Graeme -- Scottish Border Ballad which mentions my clan Hume

Three "moderns":

Don't Let Us Get Sick by Warren Zevon, the theme song for those of us over 60

Last Farewell by Roger Whittaker, in the great ballad tradition

Suzanne by Leonard Cohen

Three of my favorites are:

     The Parting Glass (traditional Irish)

     Song of the Chanter (not technically a song, because there are no words as far as I know)

     Jet Plane (contemporary, John Denver)

And yours?

@david-bennett I remember that video!  It's such a fun idea, I'm hoping to get somebody(s) to join Mark & me on the porch this year.  

Thanks for the reminder. I've participated the last couple years, it's a lot of fun. Two years ago I even a few people from our dulcimer jam group join me, that got the neighbor's attention.

Hommel, Hummel, or Humle are also names for Dutch and other Western European versions of the American Dulcimer, and are played the same way.  When you google-search you may also want to include "folk instrument".  It's possible you may find a Hommel maker in the Netherlands even.

http://www.essentialvermeer.com/folk_music/hommel.html

http://www.dulcimers.co.uk/index.html

https://revelsmusic.co.uk/

Thank you, I couldn't say this in this way, but that's exactly what I ment. I am Dutch and my Englisch is not my native language. 

Thank You, gating a peak there also. 

Why are those shops so hard to find? I am pretty good with googling? 

Mark your calendars, friends, for the last Saturday in August to join folks around the world heading outdoors (if possible) to make music!  

Agreed re Robin Clark and Bird Rock dulcimers.  In the UK there is also Revels Music to try - mainly second hand dulcimers but some new and all with very detailed descriptions and measurements.

I second the recommendation for Robin Clark at Bird Rock dulcimers in UK.  He is also a dealer of McSpadden dulcimers, which are certainly long scale enough for bigger hands. with a VSL scale length of 28-29" inches.  The McSpadden fretboard is also plenty wide enough for chord playing. 

Sounds like you play chord style?  If so, best to avoid dulcimers that are specifically designed for noter drone style playing, as someone with big hands playing in chord style might find the fretboard too slender for comfort.

Hello Benjimer. Many thanks. I got your point  so I will measure whati have now becouse i can see if its different with my cheap duclimer. And thank you for the clear aanswer  

If you have relatively large hands, you will want to know the width of the fretboard and the Length from Nut to Bridge (Vibrating String Length).

Width of Fretboard - Both McSpadden and Folkcraft use a fretboard 1 3/8 inches wide, so the space between strings would be similar for both. 

Length from Nut to Bridge - McSpadden has a standard VSL (Vibrating String Length) of 28 1/2 inches.  Folkcraft offers several different VSL, ranging from 25 inches on up, so you can select one with a longer VSL to suit your needs.  

If you have large hands you would probably be better off with a somewhat longer VSL.  Longer dulcimers have the frets spaced a little farther apart, so they are more suited to large hands or long fingers.  

McSpadden offers a shorter model called the "Ginger" model, which has a VSL of 25 inches, I believe.  These are meant for people with small hands, so probably not what you are looking for.

Thank you all. 

Did look at the shops and now it's making a choice. I did look at the Mc spadden Dulcimers but now I did see The Folkcraft Dulcimers. Can anyone tell me the difference about them. I mean how the playebillity is. Not so much the quality. 

 For example; I have big hands. And think it's nice if the strings are a bit wider. Due to my big hands it nicer to play if the strings are wider than narrower together. 

Thank you, Strumelia! He is as sleek and slinky as you could wish, and very, very shiny! It is very hard to take a decent photo of a black cat - unless they have their eyes open, it's like photographing a black lump! These are a couple of my favourites!

The lady from the animal rescue organisation said that black cats are hard to find homes for, and that people are more likely to drown or otherwise dispose of black kittens. They were very happy to find a suitable home for him, as he had been at the pound and in foster care for quite some time. It's a pity, but I would never foster, as I could never give them up to their new homes - I would know they were safe with me!

My sneaky former boss has two black boys, both domesticated ferals like Bran, and now another friend has 'acquired' a little black boy and a long haired mackerel & white boy to go with her two gingers. All four give her dog a hard time - he is very young still, so can learn his place a little more easily than an older dog.

I think cats and dogs that choose you work out better - mine have always been or have turned into the soppiest things on four paws, and they repay you many times over, wherever they come from. I have only ever had one, back in the mid 1970s, who never settled, having come off a farm way to young, and lived a more-or-less independent life for a couple of years!

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Thank you, Richard! I had intended to pay for him myself, but my sneaky former boss beat me to it! Pug was missing Humbug something fierce, and as I had to leave him on his own for three weeks just three weeks after losing Humbug, he did suffer a bit. But, I just had to wait for the right cat! My cats and dogs have pretty much always been rescues, or 'saved', and they have repaid me with many, many years of companionship and purrs!

Anne, it's heartwarming to hear of a perfect fit between homeless animal and a kindly person.
Sounds like you and Bran are very happy together and appreciate each other totally.

The newer photo of Bran shows how sleek and glossy he is... like a minky otter!  SO handsome. 

I've often wondered what it would be like to have a black cat... never actually had one of my own but who knows one day?  Right now I have a deep red tabby and a solid grey... two boys... and I never thought I'd have boy cats OR a red tabby OR a solid grey cat.  Just goes to show!  All our cats come from animal humane shelters adoptions.  Once you go there it breaks your heart and you wish you could help them all.

What a gorgeous black cat. I know he is a wonderful companion for you. He is so fortunate to have such a good owner.

I don't know who remembers June 2016 when I had to have my beautiful blue boy cat Humbug put to sleep, which left me with Pug, my cream boy cat. Waited 6 months for just the right little needy cat to bring home. Found a lovely little black cat (which are apparently very hard to find homes for), about 15 months old, in December 2016 -  a rescue cat who had had a very hard life, including being abandoned at the council pound, and spending some time in temporary foster care. He was underweight, and, because of an allergy to mosquito bites, a bit scabby and sore. I was allowed to take him early, being an experienced cat owner, so he came home on Dec 21st, as a (slightly) early Birthday and Christmas present. (my birthday is the 24th Dec) His bite sores were treated with PawPaw ointment containing Manuka honey, and he was fed up in little meals like a Christmas chicken! 

His name is Bran, which is Irish for raven, as he is as black as one! My former boss, who is also my 'bestie', gave him to me. The best ever Birthday and Christmas present I have ever had!

Well, what a difference two years has made to the boy, who is 3 and a half in March! He is a different cat entirely! Hasn't bulked up much - I think he is always going to be one of those slinky black numbers, but the change in temperament has been amazing, and most gratifying. He is a sook! He also has some deformed toes on both his front feet - I don't know if they are genetic or something really horrible had been done to him in the past. With a tendency to bite if handled, (he did bite me once quite severely!) he was extremely timid with people - probably thought that everyone who came to the house was going to take him somewhere else new! Now he can be picked up and cuddled, handled, and loves nothing more than to snuggle up in bed on cold winter mornings. He has learned to purr, and plays with Pug - something I think Pug would like him not to do on occasion! The kitchen floor wrestling bouts are epic! Sitting on my desk with me, or lying between me and the computer are two of his favourite pastimes, and he spends most winter days with me in my office, curled up in a basket behind my shoulders while I try and work - bliss!

In one photo you can see how his nose was bitten to pieces, and his nose leather was all pink - it's rare that it grows back black, but it has done just that! He now has a lovely black nose, and I don't feel that I have to colour it in with a black texta pen! The other photo is as he is now, snuggled up to 'his' puppy toy, on 'his' chair!

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I wanted to add that I contacted the person selling it on consignment, and asked if they could find anything else out.  He responded that the dulcimer was purchased used, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, at some unknown date by the seller.