Forum Activity for @john-henry

Cindy, its late here, I am in my pj's, and my wife is asleep, so I am not working at my limited best ,lol, but am in the process of posting a terrible vid, if it works , i will leave it until you indicate that you have seen it, then delete. I will then endevour to take better pics which I will send to you via email, if you provide the necessary ?

John

Cindy Stammich said:

Hi John,

WELL! I am getting excited - I will post pictures shortly! The small slot underneath the head(scroll) and at the heel end are EXACTLY as you described! Also, the head/scroll and the fretboard are all one piece, and the head/scroll is a very shallow housing for the tuners.

Hmmmmmm

Thank you so much for the details!!!!!

I will post the pictures - please tell me what you think!

Cindy

John Henry said:

Hi Cindy, as you see, John is making the same suggestion as I did in your earlier post "My Treasure" ! I am an absolute duffer when it comes to transfering info quickly on this infernal contraption, so do me a favour, look at (i) underneath the head(scroll) where it joins onto the body. Can you see a small horizontal 'slot', approx 5/8" x 1/8" ? (ii) and then look for a similar slot at the heel end of the instrument, where fingerboard joins body ?

Also, can you tell us/show us if the head/scroll is formed by just the simple flat extension of the fingerboard carried thro' and channeled to provide a very shallow housing for the tuners ?

I have a 1985 Folkcraft (Winstead CT) teardrop, T 39 W, sitting in front of me now and apart from a rather more complicated finish at the tail, it looks the same. The shape and position of the sound holes cetainly are !!!

On balance, it would seem to me that it was either a simplified kit version of the instrument I have, or your dad may have made a close copy of one he had maybe seen ?

I really feel this answer deserves a Deerstalker and a magnifying glass !!! Just hope this helps?

one of the other 'Johns'

Hi John,

WELL! I am getting excited - I will post pictures shortly! The small slot underneath the head(scroll) and at the heel end are EXACTLY as you described! Also, the head/scroll and the fretboard are all one piece, and the head/scroll is a very shallow housing for the tuners.

Hmmmmmm

Thank you so much for the details!!!!!

I will post the pictures - please tell me what you think!

Cindy

John Henry said:

Hi Cindy, as you see, John is making the same suggestion as I did in your earlier post "My Treasure" ! I am an absolute duffer when it comes to transfering info quickly on this infernal contraption, so do me a favour, look at (i) underneath the head(scroll) where it joins onto the body. Can you see a small horizontal 'slot', approx 5/8" x 1/8" ? (ii) and then look for a similar slot at the heel end of the instrument, where fingerboard joins body ?

Also, can you tell us/show us if the head/scroll is formed by just the simple flat extension of the fingerboard carried thro' and channeled to provide a very shallow housing for the tuners ?

I have a 1985 Folkcraft (Winstead CT) teardrop, T 39 W, sitting in front of me now and apart from a rather more complicated finish at the tail, it looks the same. The shape and position of the sound holes cetainly are !!!

On balance, it would seem to me that it was either a simplified kit version of the instrument I have, or your dad may have made a close copy of one he had maybe seen ?

I really feel this answer deserves a Deerstalker and a magnifying glass !!! Just hope this helps?

one of the other 'Johns'

Hi John,

Well,a couple of others have said the same thing. I emailed some pictures to Folkcraft but they didn't seem to think that this was the case. I do have to wonder if maybe they didn't have picturesor info going back that far, as I know the company has changed hands.

I am still thinking this may be a Folkcraft.

Thank you for your input!

Cindy

John C. Knopf said:

Cindy, it could be a Folkcraft teardrop dulcimer kit.

Hi Frank,

Do you still have the dulcimer? Just wondering if we could compare photos.

Thank you!

Frank Ross said:

back in the early 70's I bought a kit from the RemBranD Company (their spelling and format) in Newton, Iowa. They sold Appalachian and hammered dulcimer kits. I have searched the internet for more info on the company but find very little. I still have the assemmbly instructions and a 6 page brocureon how to play it.

Hi Cindy, as you see, John is making the same suggestion as I did in your earlier post "My Treasure" ! I am an absolute duffer when it comes to transfering info quickly on this infernal contraption, so do me a favour, look at (i) underneath the head(scroll) where it joins onto the body. Can you see a small horizontal 'slot', approx 5/8" x 1/8" ? (ii) and then look for a similar slot at the heel end of the instrument, where fingerboard joins body ?

Also, can you tell us/show us if the head/scroll is formed by just the simple flat extension of the fingerboard carried thro' and channeled to provide a very shallow housing for the tuners ?

I have a 1985 Folkcraft (Winstead CT) teardrop, T 39 W, sitting in front of me now and apart from a rather more complicated finish at the tail, it looks the same. The shape and position of the sound holes cetainly are !!!

On balance, it would seem to me that it was either a simplified kit version of the instrument I have, or your dad may have made a close copy of one he had maybe seen ?

I really feel this answer deserves a Deerstalker and a magnifying glass !!! Just hope this helps?

one of the other 'Johns'

Cindy, it could be a Folkcraft teardrop dulcimer kit.

back in the early 70's I bought a kit from the RemBranD Company (their spelling and format) in Newton, Iowa. They sold Appalachian and hammered dulcimer kits. I have searched the internet for more info on the company but find very little. I still have the assemmbly instructions and a 6 page brocureon how to play it.

I have a dulcimer that my dad built from a kit sometime between the mid-1970's and early 1980's. I don't know where the kit came from and I am not sure we could ever really figure out just when he built it, but I would love tofigure out where it came from. If anyone has any ideas about who may have sold kits I would really appreciate it. My dad passed away in 1991, so this dulcimer is truly a treasure.

Thank you

Glad to hear that things are working out with the dulcimer Dean.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

their newer model catalog has this quote in it "The basic setup is D-A-AA. From that setup you can use any of the common tunings. If you expect to play only in D-A-dd, we recommend ordering the bridge compensation option to optimize playability in that tuning." you should give them a call

DAAA was what how McSpadden's came tuned. However, they always said you could tune them up to DAdd with no problem. If it's a 3 string disregard the 4th string.

It's a beauty. Please post a video so we can hear you playit! I agree that those sound holes may be sending a message.

Phil, it sure is pretty!!! I hope you can post a sound clip soon

Phil that is so wonderful, makes the heart all fuzzy thinking about it.

It is beautiful Phil and your right know one like dulcimer player as friends. I love baritones and can't wait to hear a vid to see how it sings.

This really is pretty, Phil (can I say that about a guy's dulcimer?)...and I hope the sound is just as lovely. I like the combination of the wood used. And, yes, the soundholes say, "Give Florida a try!".

Nice looking instrument, Phil. Congrats.

Wow that is beautiful!

Keep strumming and smiling!!!

I don't think I can take another winter here in Indiana. Ken all I have to do now is get my wife to load up the car and I am there.

That's a nice looking instrument Phil. I am sure it sounds just like it looks. Thanks for sharing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

There are a couple nice liveaboard boats availble just down the dock from me, guys...

Wow, that is a real beauty, Phil. Who made it? Yeah, I'm thinking of moving to FL myself.

I know some of you have been waiting to see what I got in the mail. Been having trouble with my SD card taking to my lap top or I would have had this up sooner. I tell I still can't believe it even though I have been playing on it everyday. One Baritone Dulcimer. I love the way she sings. she made of maple and walnut. think the two sound holes are trying to tell me its time to move south. I know there are a few dulcimer players in FL. hope these didn't come out to big..I am not promising anything. But I might try and post a video later so ya'll can hear it, I have been working on a song of my own. It just seemed to come out of this dulcimer. Just remember I tend not to do well in front of video camreas.

There are two versions of tab for "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" in DAd at the Everything Dulcimer Tab Archive .

But you can also do it in DAA. I just found it plucking around. Start 0-1-3-3 for "will the circle" and 5-4-3-5 for "be unbroken." The entire melody is found between the open A string and the 7th fret.

Like Ken, I don't understand "a slot of neck." Are you asking about whether you should use friction tuners or geared tuners?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

"tuners placed in a slot of neck"... ????? Are you taking about on a scroll head or a flat guitar-style head? Can you post a picture of an example?

Truly, most of the geared guitar-type tuners will fit "a slot in neck", and are available from Folkcraft, Stew Mac and most string instrument parts dealers.

I start with a quarter inch hole when using a violin peg reamer. The bent sides look very good.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for the suggestion- I will look at their page. The pegs I plan to use are for violins size 4/4 (see the pic attached), so they should be the correct size. I also will buy the reamer, that thing isn't cheep though!

Well, things are moving along with my project- the dulcimer rib sections have been bent to shape and the fretboard has been made, with some relief carving on the sides. I have ordered a set of four Perfection Planetary Violin Pegs (size 4/4) for the dulcimer tuning head that I just started to work on.

These geared tuning pegs are highly rated and I do like the traditional/classical appearance over other geared tuning pegs.

I have not installed these before, (and actually the pegs have not arrived yet) so I am looking at various tutorials on YouTube and such.

My first question is what size to drill the peg holes in the peg box before they are reamed ? I have not found any info on that! (I am ready to start carving the tuning head & scroll and want the holes bored first.)

My guess is 3/8 " but don's want to make any errors.

Does anyone have some advice as to the hole size?

Thanks!!

Jim; iff you go to this discussion, there is an attachment of the Wfret file that you can click and download:

http://mountaindulcimer.ning.com/group/dulcimermaking/forum/topics/fret-layout-2?commentId=3745489%3AComment%3A573798&groupId=3745489%3AGroup%3A2913

Ken Hulme said:

There are, here in the Building sections, several posts which list the fret spacings for some of the common VSLs. There is also the free downloadable "old" version of Wfret which some od us can send you that allows you to set any VSL and print out a template. Other fret calculator don't, IIRC allow print outs of templates.

Hi Ken,

I had the old version of WFRET on a desktop that died a few years ago. I am ready to build a few more dulcimers and discovered the "new" version doesn't support the mountain dulcimer diatonic option. Could you email it to me?

Thanks in advance, John

There are, here in the Building sections, several posts which list the fret spacings for some of the common VSLs. There is also the free downloadable "old" version of Wfret which some od us can send you that allows you to set any VSL and print out a template. Other fret calculator don't, IIRC allow print outs of templates.

I need to re-learn the tunes from the CD over the next week as Nick and I are going to Gainsborough Old Time Festival next weekend. So its a good excuse to sit down with my dulcimers and get some serious playing time in