Forum Activity for @john-keane

Okay...has anyone heard anything???

Ben is actually a member here at FOTMD...that's a big ol' sound for a little dulcimer!

frets4fun said:

Here's a nice video of an "old" FolkRoots Mini Dulcimer, before FolkRoots was bought by Folkcraft. This appears to be the instrument that Folkcraft is designing the new FolkRoots Travel Dulcimer after:

Sounds really neat.

Lemme see if I can get an image on here for you...

Geekling said:

Im pretty sure that I didnt come across the CapriTaurus Bigfoot Discovery MuseumI wouldve remembered that!

Wow...I feel like that guy in the commercial ("Everyone's outside Mike's office eating tacos...I like tacos" lol). I had no idea. Well...ya learn somethin' new every single day. A Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours as well!

Geekling said:

John, believe it or not, I already knew about the Bigfoot connection! I discovered Michael Ruggs Bigfoot Discovery Project around the time I asked Howard Rugg about my Folk Roots (which is how its referred to on the label, not the current FolkRoots). I cant remember if I found it via Google or Howard Ruggs MySpace page. However, Im pretty sure that I didnt come across the CapriTaurus Bigfoot Discovery MuseumI wouldve remembered that!

Oh, and I understand that some chord players find a dulcimer with a long fretboard, such as the 29 VSL FolkRoots, somewhat awkward to play. But for someone whose limbs end with disproportionately large appendages, this might not be such a problem. Coincidence?

PS: In other newsHappy Thanksgiving!

John Keane said:

Cool! I can't believe you haven't checked out the Bigfoot stuff mentioned earlier in the thread! I can't wait to hear what y'all think of this little dulcimer!

Geekling said:

I just found out that Keith and I are #31 on the list! We requested one with just the 6 and 13 frets, so I guess well wind up getting ours a bit sooner than some. Ooh, this is going to be so much fun!

Cool! I can't believe you haven't checked out the Bigfoot stuff mentioned earlier in the thread! I can't wait to hear what y'all think of this little dulcimer!

Geekling said:

I just found out that Keith and I are #31 on the list! We requested one with just the 6 and 13 frets, so I guess well wind up getting ours a bit sooner than some. Ooh, this is going to be so much fun!

Ken,

After seeing your reply, and that you are #59 on their list, I got real curious as to where I am on "the list". I just talked to Richard and I'm #27. Sounds like they are just so swamped with orders, they've gotten behind on this travel dulcimer project. But, that's a good thing for them.

Thanks Ken. That helps alot!

Ken Hulme said:

Frets4Fun -- it's Real Soon Now! Expect yours when you get an email from Folkcraft and the FedX guy shows up at your door.

Last I heard from Richard they were still finishing the instruments and in fact had to make a second batch of trial instruments. Some of those testing the 1+/8+ fret versions will have to wait longer -- for the second batch. Those testing the modern 6+/13+ versions may get theirs sooner as there are fewer of us and they have enough instruments in the pipeline. On Nov 15th he told me "mid-to-late December". I am #59 on the list of testers. He also said:

" I'll email once an instrument is ready for you (it seems that most folks are taking the instrument with

the 1 1/2 and 8 1/2, so yours might be sooner rather than later - we made up a number of each,

but demand is higher than anticipated for the current "modern" extra frets

(as opposed to the 20-30 years less-modern extra frets of 6 1/2 and 13 1/2)."

Frets4Fun -- it's Real Soon Now! Expect yours when you get an email from Folkcraft and the FedX guy shows up at your door.

Last I heard from Richard they were still finishing the instruments and in fact had to make a second batch of trial instruments. Some of those testing the 1+/8+ fret versions will have to wait longer -- for the second batch. Those testing the modern 6+/13+ versions may get theirs sooner as there are fewer of us and they have enough instruments in the pipeline. On Nov 15th he told me "mid-to-late December". I am #59 on the list of testers. He also said:

" I'll email once an instrument is ready for you (it seems that most folks are taking the instrument with

the 1 1/2 and 8 1/2, so yours might be sooner rather than later - we made up a number of each,

but demand is higher than anticipated for the current "modern" extra frets

(as opposed to the 20-30 years less-modern extra frets of 6 1/2 and 13 1/2)."

It's the part where dulcimers and Bigfoot must be linked somehow that I found so amusing, I know you're not making this up.

John Keane said:

Well...I wish I could take credit, but I ain't makin' this up!

Beth Hansen-Buth said:

So funny John, so funny.

John Keane said:

I knew Bigfoot and dulcimers had to be linked somehow.

So, has anyone got the "official" word of when we'll be contacted and the dulcimers will get sent out to us? I'm reading conflicting claims (mid-Dec., end of Dec., etc.). Just curious.

Yep...they just kinda let the dulcimers become the background music for a time.

Dana R. McCall said:

That was cute. Thanks for posting. I heard a little Ole Joe Clark

That was cute. Thanks for posting. I heard a little Ole Joe Clark

Okay...here's a link to a video from our local news. This played last month. Dulcimers, Bigfoot, AND a wedding!

http://www.stormtracker12.org/story/15666224/big-foot-love-birds-tie-knot?clienttype=printable

Well...I wish I could take credit, but I ain't makin' this up!

Beth Hansen-Buth said:

So funny John, so funny.

John Keane said:

I knew Bigfoot and dulcimers had to be linked somehow.

So funny John, so funny.

John Keane said:

I knew Bigfoot and dulcimers had to be linked somehow.

Awesome! Well, it seems there are a few of us around here. On a related matter (since this thing is based on the old Folkroots design), Michael Rugg (yes, THAT Michael Rugg) was featured along with his BIGFOOT MUSEUM (in Fenton, CA) on a show that I recently caught in passing (while channel surfing). It seems he may actually have a Sasquatch tooth in his possession (according to the show, tests are going on as we speak). I had NO IDEA he was a Bigfoot guy, but the interview was pretty cool. His place is called "The CapriTaurus Bigfoot Discovery Museum", and admission is free. Talk about a potentially neat place to visit if ever in that area! I knew Bigfoot and dulcimers had to be linked somehow.

Erin said:

Hey John, I'm going to be trying out the standard 6 1/2 and 13 1/2 fret dulcimer which is apparently going to be sent out for testing by around mid December.....can't wait....

I've been happier with my Keith Young travel dulcimer since I restrung it with lighter gauge strings but I could still go with an instrument with regular tuning pegs rather than the zither pins which I find a challenge to fine tune.

John Keane said:

Erin, that's great. Which version will you be trying?

Oh you lucky people! I'm looking forward to hearing what you all think of the new travel model. I love my Folkcraft FSH, and someday I will get a sister or brother for her.

It was largely a blast! I highly recommend it!

frets4fun said:

I sure would like to visit Dulcimerville one of these years. What did you think of it?

John Keane said:

Sounds like a plan. I really liked the Folkcraft instruments that I tried at Dulcimerville last summer, so I'm looking very forward to this!

frets4fun said:

John, maybe those of us here can compare notes on this forum. This summer I purchased a FolkRoots butternut/walnut dulcimer and absolutely love it. I'm really enjoying the 1+ fret. The folks at Folkcraftdo great work. Should be fun.

I sure would like to visit Dulcimerville one of these years. What did you think of it?

John Keane said:

Sounds like a plan. I really liked the Folkcraft instruments that I tried at Dulcimerville last summer, so I'm looking very forward to this!

frets4fun said:

John, maybe those of us here can compare notes on this forum. This summer I purchased a FolkRoots butternut/walnut dulcimer and absolutely love it. I'm really enjoying the 1+ fret. The folks at Folkcraftdo great work. Should be fun.

Sounds like a plan. I really liked the Folkcraft instruments that I tried at Dulcimerville last summer, so I'm looking very forward to this!

frets4fun said:

John, maybe those of us here can compare notes on this forum. This summer I purchased a FolkRoots butternut/walnut dulcimer and absolutely love it. I'm really enjoying the 1+ fret. The folks at Folkcraftdo great work. Should be fun.

John, maybe those of us here can compare notes on this forum. This summer I purchased a FolkRoots butternut/walnut dulcimer and absolutely love it. I'm really enjoying the 1+ fret. The folks at Folkcraftdo great work. Should be fun.

Erin, that's great. Which version will you be trying?

Frets, we'll need to compare notes. I can't wait to see how they've turned out.

I signed up to audition one of these Folkroots Travel Dulcimer reissues. I'll probably go with the standard-plus with the 1+ and 8+ frets. I'm really excited to see it and try it out, but it's beena longer wait than expected. From the ED website, sounds like there were several reasons for the delay.

Awesome Ken! Richard told me to expect one around the end of December. I'm testing one with the added 1+/8+ frets.

Ayup; I'll be field testing one of the 6+/13+ frets instruments, and so will be getting mine Real Soon Now. Apparently a large number of folks want to try the 1+/8+ and other closer to chromatic additional fret setups; and because Folkcraft made a limited number of each kind, those testers may have to wait for the second batch of test instruments to be finished. Richard is very interested in my N&D opinion as apparently the fretboard is very shallow...

Just curious if any of our FOTMD crew signed-up to test drive one of these. I know there were some delays, but I understand they'll be shipping soon. The design (based on the old Folkroots model) is intriguing...simple in appearance, but it looks like it's designed for a big sound in a small package.

Hi Strumelia

The children would love him. Limberjacks do rule and go perfect with Dulcimers and Banjos.

yea!

Hi Donato

That's a lot of budweiser. I probably shouldn't stock that much beer in the house. Draft Horse Limberjacks with weighted hooves might make an interesting idea. Maybe drill holes in the feet and fill with a bit of lead or other metal. Hmmm! It does give one ideas.

David that is a great unicorn! I love the weathered white paint and the mop hair.

Here is my horse limberjack, which was already constructed but unpainted wood. I just added a few painted details, to give him a saddle, white face and legs, and a face... and made him look like a palomino:

My palomino looks a bit chunkier and less graceful than your unicorn- maybe he's better built for cow-punching!

Limberjacks rule!

Hi all

I wish I had a video or something of it in action. My wife does a great job of it and is so good working with little children. I hope to get some DVD material of it and our puppet show we play music with. I'm working on a Buffalo limberjack to take on old timey gigs. I've got some brown water based stain and I'm thinking of calling him Buffalo Byron after my Dad. Since Bill and Bob are already taken. I have a clawhammer banjo to play along with that one.

It is a delightful animal isn't it? And a very nice limberjack as well. I love their simplicity and potential for endless imaginative fun. Very cool!

folkfan said:

Really nice limberjack. Love unicorns and limberjacks. You did a great job with this one.

Really nice limberjack. Love unicorns and limberjacks. You did a great job with this one.

That's really cool, David. Strumelia will like that too, she's got a soft spot for limberjacks...

I took a horse pattern and sawed it out then old mop strands for the mane and tail. A little white paint and colored pencil for the eyes and mouth and finally a length of white fiber glass fishing rod for the horn. We take him to our renfaires we work at and let children come and take a turn with him while I play Shepherd's Hey on the Mountain Dulcimer.

I had kind of a nice morning today. My wife and I get up before work to make coffee and she does her Tai Chi warm ups while I play my Shakuhachi. I sometimes even take ideas from what she does. So I played a little and turned to my current flutes I'm working on while she went on with her Tai Chi. I'm working on two Xiaos, a Hopi Flute and a 2.4 Jinashi Shakuhachi. They are done for the most part, but I have to kind of live with them for a week or two, in order to play them and tweek the mouth pieces for a while. I'm getting better at understanding what makes for good sound production with each of the kinds of things I make. I only took off a bare millimetre or two from each of the flutes and they sound much better with a quicker response and more expansive tone. If only every day went so well. Now for bindings and other woodburning decorations at some point. I also won a local first place in the state wide Veteran's art show that they had at our local VA Hospital for a 1.9 Shakuhachi I mad with wood burning for that catagory. It will go to a national show in Boston for VA facilities around the country. I'm just glad for the reinforcement I got locally, and anything else is frosting.

I always keep bones, spoons and Triangle in my gear somewherefor me, butthey never seemed to appeal to my wife. She took to the Tambourine, Zilsand the Djembe for percussion, and I have tried not to bug her too much about something I suggest, but give support to the things she likes doing. I have some wooden bones, but I've always thought the real bone material sounds the best.

David, maybe you can get your wife interested in playing the bones as well- it's a natural for anyone who already plays tambourine. I have some bones and can play them in a simple way- they are incredible fun once you get the first simple 'triplet thing' going...not that hard really.

Hi Strumelia

That is the direction of what I was thinking in trying to expand our sound a bit. My wife plays Whistle, Tambourine and Bowed Psaltry, and leaves the Harp home when we're playing Old Time and Not the Irish material. I thought with a Tambourine head for my Banjo I could play a beat behind some of her melody playing. I would still bring the Dulcimer of course. Thanks again for hosting this great site.