Forum Activity for @revdave

Martin uses bone on its guitars; Gibson and Taylor use a synthetic (Tusq) that they insist is better tuned to conduct the frequencies particular to guitars. Gibson also uses Micarta and Corian. Most of us would likely never really hear the difference. I bet these materials are harder than at least most woods, and likely conduct better. However, I suggest that, like all other musical instruments, it’s not really a concern of the material of one component, but the synthesis of all build factors. A bone nut will still sound bad if the total build is suspect. 

Those are good. But if you want less pick noise, you might try the Dunlop Jazz III. They’re small, so not much point. They’re a thick, mellow pick.

you can decrease the bad noises using a Dunlop nylon pick (they are grey).
They are less noisy than plastic picks (and they never brake !).
I use 0,73 for dulcimer and 0,88 for guitar.

We're in the Cone Of Uncertainty:

 Hurricane Cat-egories.jpg - 38KB

The news media have heavily reported on the storm damage in the NC mountains, but other southeastern states have suffered as well.

Keep these folks in prayer as well as all of the those who assisting and aiding, paid or volunteers.

Our church has had several members go to the NC mountains. Their first hand reports tell us the damage is 10 times worse when seen in person than any of the images can show on the news. Our church has sent two trucks of commodity items so far and another one is going this coming Tuesday. The mountain people are so resilient and in spite of the damages, losses, and their personal situations generally have an attitude of "we'll get through this together."  

If  you can afford to give I suggest donations to one of the faith based organizations as they have a positive track record of getting goods to those who need it the most.

This is going to be a years long recovery and rebuild, maybe 10 years or more. May we not forget them when the news tires of reporting on this event.

@john-w-mckinstry , that is something I can really relate to-  I have not planted morning glories by the side of our sunny garage door in about five years. Have not seen hide nor hair of them in that time.  Then, just three mornings ago, Brian and I were surprised to see two giant Heavenly Blue blooms there near the ground, looking much like your picture. It surprised us as well!  Seems like an omen of some sort?  We could all use some good omens these days i think. If i see more blooms before the frost puts an end to our brave little survivor plant, i will think of you John.  

No, at 15 you're having fun!

The destruction from Helene and the subsequent flooding has been horrific. So many of the effected communities are completely isolated because of roads destroyed and all communications and power down. It's a challenge to get the massive amounts of aid needed to people under such devastating conditions- shelter, water, food, power, medical help... my heart goes out to all the families suffering. I read today that some folks are using pack mules to get help to some isolated places.
To now hear of a new hurricane forming and churning its way towards Florida, that's so awful. Is this going to be a hurricane season worse than any other in US history? Let us hope not.

:"Heavenly Blue Moment"

The other day I walked up the upper deck stairs in search of small tomatoes. When I turned the corner, I was given a "Heavenly Blue Moment".  Just ahead of me was a beautiful six inch blossom of this morning glory.  We have been waiting for two years to see one.  One year there was too much shade. This year I chose a sunny location. All my others morning glories have been in blossom for over a couple of months now. I had just about given up when, in this first week of October, I was given this "Heavenly Blue Moment"!  I was worth the waiting.

!

Hi, just beginning on dulcimer, but I have years and years of professional experience with fine guitars, boutique electric basses, and minor violin repair. I appreciate fine instruments, and grow quickly frustrated with poor intonation, poor quality build, poor action, and mediocre tone. I’m looking for a less expensive instrument to begin with. Looking at either a McSpadden or an interesting “beginner” instrument by Bill Berg.  What do you think of Bill’s quality?

Yes, it's been a great resource. I still use WFRET on an old PC laptop. It's the only program I use on that computer. There is a wealth of information for instrument builders on that site.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Have been using MIMF for twenty years I think...  They have(or had) the best fret spacing calculator on the planet -- WFRET; The older version (which I still have) is best.  LOTS of interesting ideas and articles there.

Just stumbled across this web site.  I thought it may be of some interest to some of you out there.

The Musical Instrument Makers Forum   mimf.com

Yes, High Spirits continues to sell, and their online store is well stocked. I still get their monthly newsletter....all appears normal. My last purchase from them was in February of this year.

Is High Spirit Flutes still making flutes?  Odell's stock has been either low or sold out for sometime now and no returned phone calls.  Holding him in consciousness for continued health, prosperity and well-being.

Hello everyone!

This message is to find the sound and vibration of music inside and all around you.

I'm interested in a High Spirits Nova Double Bass D flute.  If anyone has one they'd like to sell, or know of someone who has a new or used NDBD please reach out and say hello and connect.

Much love!

Soundsoflove

Although I already saw this sad news on Facebook I appreciate your sharing it here Lisa. I did not know Judith but as Dusty notes she was a caring person and, of course, she was a member of the mountain dulcimer community. My sympathy goes out to her family and friends.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for sharing that sad news with us, Lisa.  The obituary makes it clear what a caring person Judith was.

Thank you for letting us know, Lisa.  I wish for comfort for all her friends and family. 

Judith passed away September 25. The wetzlerfuneralhome.com has her obituary.

Please consider sharing special memories of her either at the Wetzler site or here. 

Is there an instrument that doesn’t infect with “acquisition disorder?” I have a friend who has 27 guitars. I try to keep my condition to a minimum to placate She Who Must be Obeyed. I only own 2 guitars: a cheap, short scale Squire and a new Gibson L-00. I own two electric basses, 7 Irish whistles and 14 Native American flutes. No dulcimers yet; I’m currently refurbishing a kit model owned by my church, but I expect to break out in acquisition pustules at any moment… Pray for me; these things are not cheap!

Bass amps are tuned and equalized to efficiently reproduce and amplify lower tones. If using a bass amp, I expect you’ll have to roll off the bass and boost the treble. If you have access to an acoustic guitar amp, that would be better. 

If the word Dulcimer means sweet sounding instrument, then maybe the instrument is called a dulcimer for its sound and not the number of strings or how it is fretted.  There are a few cases of pre-revival chromatic instruments and many Virginia dulcimers had four equidistant strings.  There is also the case that, what we refer to as Scheitholts were called dulcimers as early as 1758 and in Ohio these fretted zithers were still being called dulcimers in the 19th century. And then of course we have the hammered dulcimer…now if you want to make a distinction between the Kentucky or Virginia or even the Pre-revival as opposed to post revival or even between traditional and modern dulcimers, then that is definitely legitimate.  But for me the dulcimer is a dulcimer because of its sweet sound.  I love the sound of the instrument and that’s why I play it.  I play guitar, banjo, Irish harp, a little mandolin and a few others, I play diatonic and semi-chromatic, but don’t enjoy fully chromatic dulcimers and that is because the limited scale forces me to be more creative and I love trying to get everything I can from a limited scale.  As was mentioned by Ken you can used the Virginia tuning and get to a lot of places on that scale..it’s just plain fun.  But it’s all dulcimer to me…just listen to that sound.

Sibelius's Finlandia , beautifully sung. 

https://youtu.be/NC-NK21d2tg?si=AeTaJiu1Fvuh7kZj

NC mountains hard hit. Well over 400K people without power, Many are isolated with no means of getting any help due to roads and bridges washed out, no phone or cell or internet service. There are literally thousands of volunteers on the ground and sending needed supplies. 3 churches that I know of in our area in central NC are sending trucks and trailers loaded with needed supplies. Keep these folks and the many helpers lifted in prayer.

Thats a pretty cool instrument. I like the tin at the end and the bridge setup is clever. Thanks for sharing

Don Pedi and Lois Hornbostel and their local groups have come through pretty well.  Black Mountain is devastated.  Asheville is still pretty much an island.  Blue Ridge parkway is closed.  Our Traditional builders in Virginia and Tennessee got some nearby flooding but nothing damaging to their homes or families.  

Here on Florida's Gulf Coast, from Tampa north around the Bend to Tallahassee took the brunt of the incoming storm.  Fort Myers where I live had 3-5 ft of storm surge walk up the Caloosahatchee river and spread across the low laying areas, but it drained back out within a few hour on the ebbing tide.  Mostly we had an average Tropical Storm -- winds 40-50, gusting 60+.  Strangely wegot very little rain here...

Hey all,

I was wondering how people may have been affected by the hurricane, particularly in Western North Carolina and East Tennessee.  It occurred to me that quite a few of our dulcimer folk are in those areas.  I remember how Eastern Kentucky was so hard hit by flooding a couple of years ago. 

Does anyone have any news? 

I'm in California, so quite far removed, but I was just looking at news photos of the flooding in Asheville, and my heart aches. 

I got this beauty waxed up and strings on and it sounds lovely! Dealing with the wooden pegs was a challenge but we managed to do it. So much to learn! I strung it DAdd and then switched it to DAAd. I've tried a couple of traditional 3-string tunes: Go Tell Aunt Rhody and The Water is Wild. Experimenting with fingerpicking as well as using a pick and noter. I'm looking forward to exploring more!

On another note, the card that came with the uke was signed by Jane Mize and it is numbered J-10. Robert Mize is on the label inside the instrument. Could Jane be a family member? Did she also make instruments? Google was not helpful!

Thanks for sharing. It's fun to see/hear what people have, whether it's one or many.

Enjoy the mandolin. I added mandolin (and mandola) to my music hobby in 2012.  I had been playing mountain dulcimer for over 10 years and wanted to alter one of my dulcimers to fully chromatic.  Then it hit me.  It would no longer be a mountain dulcimer in a sense. The question I asked myself, "What fully chromatic instrument should I add to my experience rather than alter one of my dulcimers.?"  I considered guitar, mandolin, violin--settled on the mandolin because it was small, portable, and I liked the sound.  The album by Butch Baldassari and David Schnaufer, "Appalachian Mandolin and Dulcimer" was also a factor.  Since I read music, the mandolin was a good fit because any scores written for violin will be appropriate for mandolin--opening a lot of choices.  I still enjoy my mountain dulcimer for the music it was best suited for.  Mandolin had a much steeper learning curve the first few years, but now I feel very comfortable.  Each of my instruments has a unique place in music.  

t

 3instrumentherd.jpg - 102KB

Very cool @dulcillini

I love the pattern of the one on the left and the shape of the one on the right 👍🏽 

That is awesome @overdrive

Id love to see a photo of the dulcimer that has served you all this time

Nate

Two: 1. McSpadden Teardrop Cherry 2002.  2. McSpadden Custom Maple 2003 

 Dulcimers.jpg - 232KB

I'm glad to hear that you are/were safe during the hurricane. Stay safe.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

MARKED SAFE FROM HURRICANE HELENE!  We were just south of the major effects.  Sunny half of yesterday, but then the usual Tropical Storm tango of winds 40-50mph, gusting to 60+.  Very little rain.  Low areas have some tidal storm surge flooding, but we're a whooping 10 ft above sea level here.  No damage to structures (whew!) and only lost a few branches in the Silverleaf tree (which needs pruning anyway).

I especially like the "hoy hoy" at 2:13  

I'm speechless after watching that.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."