Forum Activity for @johnnyb

The string calculator referenced suggested a string diameter of .005".

27.5

I have to admit that I was getting dizzy trying to make sense of all those tunings.    I don't think we can fully answer your question without knowing the VSL of your dulcimer.  You might consult the Strothers String Gauge Calculator to determine the ideal string gauges.  

A string should be able to tune one whole note up or down, so I would suggest establishing the ideal string gauge for G#3 for the bass, D4 for the middle, and C#4 for the melody.  With gauges established for each of those, you should be able to tune to the other tunings.  With one exception.  That c5 may indeed need a different string.  I don't believe a string can be adjusted for a whole octave.

And it's always a good idea to have extra strings on hand and to wear protective goggles when you retune .

I recently picked up a copy of Lorraine Lee Hammond's Barley Break: An Elizabethan Songbook with Arrangements for Appalachian Dulcimer.

In this book (and The Magic Dulcimer) she uses four different tunings. I will list them in order from bass to treble using the scientific notation (as in D4 A3 d3):

Tuning I

G3

D4

d4

Tuning II

G3

D4

c4

Tuning III

A3

D4

c5

Tuning IIII

A3

D4

c4

The question: In order to not repeat the first mistake I made, tuning up from D3A3d4 to  D3A3a4 (instead of tuning correctly to D3A3a3) and breaking the thinnest string, what would be the best way to actually tune these? It doesn't have to be in a specific key- they would be tuned to each other. 

The bass strings in all tunings go down, so not an issue.

The middle strings all go up from A3 to D4, which is only 3 notes.

The treble strings stay the same or go down except for Tuning III, where it goes up to C5, which is a 6-note increase.

Can the middle strings handles going up 3 notes?

Tuning III scares me...

Such an elegant instrument!  

That fret wire does indeed look like what is referred to as "jumbo frets," an upgrade that usually costs more (probably $200-$300 these days).  They are likely stainless steel and last longer than regular fret wire.  But also, because they are bigger, they require less finger strength and allow you to play much faster and with ease.  That's another reason I do not think this is a kit.  It looks like a very nice instrument.

Strumelia,

It is a bit of a mystery. The case doesn't go with the dulcimer but will be used.

 Our group teaches dulcimer lessons at the community college to the 55+ group (continuing education for seniors) and one of out players, is donating this dulcimer. We try and set the beginner  players up with loaners, so they are able to try a number of different dulcimers - to better understand what maybe will work best for them - size, tone, shape, etc. This one has a really easy touch & great action. I cleaned it up & changed the strings & checked for any buzzing but was unable to figure anything about it - other then what I could see. I was just trying to find out as much as I could about it, before placing it in the collection for the students. 

thanks for your thoughts,

marg

No idea who made it, but they did a very skilled job in cutting those elegant soundholes. They are indeed F style holes (as one sees in a violin). However, I wouldn't call these 'classic' F holes myself- these are particularly delicate and graceful. Lovely. The (guitar?)frets seem a bit on the heavy side to me, or perhaps it's just that this is a slightly shorter scale dulcimer than the standard 26-28" vsl?

The instrument seems to have been very well cared for.
Like Dusty, the quality and uniqueness here does not really suggest to me a kit or anything put out by a 'low end' brand, despite being in a cheap case. 

Dusty, 

Yes, nothing. 

thanks

Yes, DPN is still alive and well. The latest issue came out last month.  In fact, Fiona, the editor, is a member here at FOTMD .

That is an elegant looking dulcimer, Marg.  I cannot identify the builder, but it appears to have an ebony overlay on the fretboard, which I would not expect if it were made from a kit, though certainly I could be wrong.  Have you tried looking inside the sound holes, perhaps with a flashlight?  There might be some indication of the builder there.

After looking at many soundholes, it looks like the classic "f" sound hole.

Anyone recognize the sound holes?  Is the dulcimer maybe  a kit or a low end brand name? Flathead, teardrop, looks like a birch back.  

 dulcimer.jpg - 408KB

@benjamin-w-barr-jr & @ken-longfield A couple of troublemakers, for sure!     Hope y'all had a lovely time! 

Yeah, Ken and I having a great time learning some stuff, connecting, and seeing friends old and new.  (okay, yeah, we may be old but we're still making music. 

Ken, the thought occurred to me as well, but I've had a really awful flu this past week and so I would definitely not want to get you sick! 

Lisa, I think you are on the wrong side of the river for me way as I go by. I'm planning to head down 9W to see my cousin in Bergen County, NJ. Thought I'd take the old route instead of the big highway and relive some memories of driving up the Hudson River when I was young.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song,"

You two rascals!  What fun!  

Here is a photo to show that we are at the Dulcimer Association of Albany's festival in Latham , NY. We met up with each other yesterday and reconnected with many other friends here. Here is photo of us together at the Saturday evening concert.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

 IMG_0922.jpeg - 288KB

DPN is still in business.  I got a magazine in the post not long ago.  

I haven't seen any activity on the DPN website or Facebook page since November of last year. Is Dulcimer Player News out of business?

I owned one of his dulcimers and had a nice conversation with him not too long ago.  May his memory be a blessing!

This is indeed sad news.  I visited John at his home many years ago when I started building Thomas dulcimores.  He showed me his shop and his drawings of the Thomas he had measured.  He had a lot of stories to tell, all interesting.

There is an article by him in Foxfire 12.

Sad news, thank you for letting us know Ken.
John Huron was quite a Renaissance man when it came to early folk instruments. He made traditional mountain and gourd banjos, limberjacks, dulcimers, rhythm bones, and other early American instruments. I have two mouth bows made by him. One of his mountain banjos resides in the Smithsonian Museum.
His talent, skill, and knowledge is a great loss, but he left behind a great many gifts in preserving our heritage!

https://tnartscommission.org/permanentcollection/john-huron/

Thank you for sharing this sad news, Ken.  Though I never met Mr. Huron, his name is, indeed, part of current mountain dulcimer history. 

I just learned today that John Huron who led many in the building of Thomas type dulcimers died on the morning of March 6, 2026. His obituary can be found here:  John Huron . I met John when I attended Dulcimerville in Black Mountain, NC. He restored my J.E. Thomas dulcimer to playing condition and gave me the inside mold in case I decided to build one. He was a part of current mountain dulcimer history. Rest in peace, John.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Indeed, Val, time is flying and a day in which we highlight the spread of the Appalachian dulcimer around the world is fast approaching.    

As you already know, I'm a fan of your tunes and the wonderful-sounding mountain dulcimer(s) you've built there in your home country-- I look forward to your recordings!   

Good on you Robin, one of the most important days in the year, time is flying.

I, too, am sorry to hear this.  

Sorry to hear.

Never ever spray or drip any cleaner, liquid, or polish directly onto the fret board. Thanks Ms. Strumelia

That's exactly what I was going to do , Good to know.   I can just see me repeating that over and over again till the Frets start to get loose and then I'd be scratching the top of my head trying to figure out what the heck's going on 

It can be a little overwhelming trying to weed through all the information that's on the internet. Clean the front board with lighter fluid and a  toothbrush, don't use lighter fluid use alcohol wipes don't use alcohol wipes use a toothbrush and household cleaners don't use household cleaners use this product no use that product and so on can drive one nuts 

According to Doug Naselroad there will not be one this year. They were unable to secure funding to continue the homecoming. Funding primarily used to pay the workshop leaders and provide meals and housing for them. Other participants paid their own housing and meal costs. 

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Fess Parker played a dulcimer in one of his old TV series, either "Daniel Boone" or "Davy Crockett".  John Boy Walton played one in "The Waltons", too.  Jim Varney ("Ernest") once showed Chevy Chase how to play it on Chevy's show.

Does anyone know when the Hindman Homecoming event is going to occur this year? Will it be recorded as in the past?

It's me bumping this thread again!  

Saturday 28 March 2026 is the day.  

In 1976, Appalshop made a movie entitled "Sourwood Mountain" which is about I.D. Stamper. He plays the mountain dulcimer in it.

There is also the "Hearts of the Dulcimer" video about the West Coast dulcimer community.

I have a VHS tape which Lynn McSpadden gave me. It told how they make dulcimers at the Dulcimer Shoppe. I don't if there are other copies floating around. He told me he send it to his dealers.

Jean Ritchie plays a mountain dulcimer on an episode of Pete Seeger's "Rainbow Quest" TV show. 

You can find many videos with the dulcimer on YouTube. Some are clips from movies and TV shows.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I used F-One Fretboard oil on a used dulcimer i bought that needed some TLC. It worked very well to restore the fretboard.        In the blurb that accompanies the product on the Blue Lion website, it explains why the company doesn't use lemon oil in their products, though that could just be a marketing ploy to distinguish their product from competitors  

Jay (olddog75)

PS: You seem like you don't want to make an early misstep on your dulcimer journey, so I'd go with the F-One, then you won't have to worry about the fretbooard "dryin out" since there won't be any lemon oil on it in the first place...

The first episode of the old "Christy" TV series shows Fairlight Spencer playing a dulcimer to soothe her children at a stressful time.

I've used GHS Fast Fret to clean my fretboards and clean/wipe down the strings which get grimy too. It leaves things nice and feels easy to then to slide up and down the fretboard.
I also admit (confess?) I have used Lemon Pledge as well to clean/polish the fretboard (with strings in place) and it seems to work well for me too.
BUT... and this is important-  Never ever spray or drip any cleaner, liquid, or polish directly onto the fretboard unless it's a fretless one. Instead, just put a very small amount on a soft cloth and then apply the cloth to the fretboard. You don't want any liquid at all to seep into the fret slots!- it can cause them to swell and the frets to loosen. This applies to seams on the instrument as well. Always use a soft cloth, do not apply products directly to the instrument .

One movie I've always liked was the 1984 "The Dollmaker" starring Jane Fonda as the wife of a Kentucky coal miner during WWII, and their struggles. It's a heart rending story of how she fought through hardship and social restraints in order to help her family. No dulcimer, but there is some wonderful Appalachian music and song woven into the movie. It's a good one. Be sure to have some tissues handy. You can watch it in full for free on youtube, or maybe order it from your library.