Thought I'd ask of the many who play their dulcimers in nursing, rehab, senior living, or retirement centers how things are going? What kind of access are you finding where you are? Any of you back to any where close to pre covid frequency of visits? Thanks.
We'll be playing on our fave porch!
Yes, it is tomorrow.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
It's this weekend, right? Wooo!
It's a nice read, Ken, and mostly accurate. Thanks for sharing.
This website is connected to the University of Sydney in Australia which may account for some errors like the author identifying the waters off Big Sur as the the Atlantic.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Here is an interesting article that appeared in my inbox today. https://honisoit.com/2021/08/ladies-of-the-dulcimer/
Enjoy.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
thanks for the headsup. It was unpublished! Should be okay now...
The video is “Private” and cannot view it.
Thanks for all the helpful advice everyone. Ken, Skip, Bill, Matt you are treasures. I've yet to fit the gear tuners having decided not to use friction pegs, but I shall try to locate the best spot for the saddle using my electronic tuner. But thanks to you guys I know where to start and what I'm trying to achieve and why.
The nice looking long friction pegs that came with the dulcimer, but have not been dressed, I shall use as noters.
If you know what the VSL is supposed to be (to the nearest 1/10" or .5mm) set the bridge there to start. If you don't know what the VSL is supposed to be, then yes, set the bridge at 2x the nut to 7th fret (not 6+ fret) distance to start.
Use your electronic tuner to test the accuracy of the notes on the melody string side as Skip suggests. Leaving the melody string side exactly where it's supposed to be (make a tiny mark on the fretboard) then check the accuracy of the bass string side of things.
A floating bridge is one that can be moved across the top of the fretboard. The other bridge style fits into a slot. Since you're asking I would think you're MD is set up for a floating bridge. Use your tuner to adjust it to the proper location. Tune the open note, check it at the 7th fret, if sharp, move the bridge away from the nut and repeat
From what I have experienced the total distance could be 1/8 to 3/16 longer than what it computes to be. Set it where recommended , tune it then check the notes at the octave. You may have to move the bridge one way or the other to get it right, then go back and check the original open tuning to see if it is right. You may have to angle the bridge slightly to get the true notes at the octave.
At least wo things are going on here.
In the science of acoustics on a perfectly balanced string in order to increase the tone of an instrument strung to be two octaves by one octave, you would fret the string in the precise middle. On a dulcimer, that would be the seven fret.
Nice to know, but our strings are not perfect. As you fret up the scale, strings tend to go slightly sharp. As an example stewmac.com has a fret calculator for an acoustic guitar (the closest they have to a dulcimer.) For this example, I entered an instrument with a 26" VSL. Stewmac suggests increasing the Treble E string, generally a similar string to our "d" string by 0.091" and the Bass E by 0.219". Doing some calculation, that would leave the VSL for our Treble d string at 26.091 and our Bass D string at about 26.10". Many makers will install the saddle at this slight angle.
For a dulcimer, stewmac suggests setting the break point on the saddle at 26.153" for a non compensated saddle. Stewmac has typically cheaped out on dulcimers and I do not suggest using that number.
If all you are looking for is a quick way to set your bridge, add 0.01" to the melody side and 0.10 to the Bass side when placing your saddle (it is technically not a bridge as so many dulcimer makers insist) and stop reading this post.
If you want a perfectly exact answer, you need to divide those two numbers by the number of frets you would use if your instrument were chromatic and keep adding multiples of the resulting value to the treble and bass sides of your frets. Instead of perfectly parallel frets, you would end up with frets that fanned out slightly on the bass side with the seven fret being 0.0455" further out on the treble side and 0.195 further out on the bass side. The only people I have heard that actually do that are luthiers who sell $30,000 guitars. (And I am sure someone will let me know that they do it on dulcimers.)
Day to day playing, intonation is in the ear of the musician. Dusty's solution is the same as I use, a floating saddle that the musician can adjust so that the instrument sounds best in that musician's ear.
Sorry for the long post. A good answer to your question is not easy and I look forward to reading the other responses.
Hi
I wonder if anyone can help with a query. I have been given a dulcimer that has not been completely finished. One of the tasks is to fit a bridge. The frets have been put in place and I understand the bridge is supposed to be located somewhere around twice the length of the nut to 7th fret. But is that an exact location ?
Blue Lion website says the twice rule will give the VSL ,but "The actual distance from the nut to the saddle is normally slightly longer for proper intonation." I've no idea what that means !
Then I see Dusty has dulcimers with "floating bridges". So I'm a little confused, can anyone help me out.
Thanks
Another thought on the possum board, Mother possums carry their young on their back as the board carries the dulcimer
That a really neat piece of culture I wasn't aware of thanks for filling me in
Like Dan said the name comes from a board used to stretch animal skins for sale. Different sizes for muskrats, mink, racoon, possum, beaver, rabbits. Dad used them in the winter when trapping muskrats and mink to supplement farm income.
Can you help?
I’ve been working for some time on a dulcimer tab book of lullabies, which I hope to finally have ready by early 2022. I am greatly in need of an illustration for the cover, but since I am not an artist, I am looking for someone who might be able to help me out with this. If you or someone you know might be willing to send me a drawing for consideration (either color or black & white), please contact me at Lark119@Citlink.net. (I have a couple of ideas to suggest, but will welcome any other ideas that might be proposed.) I will be most grateful for any and all drawings which folks might want to submit, and if your illustration is chosen, I will make sure you are credited for it in a prominent place in the front of the book, and will gladly send you a complementary copy of the book & CD. - Lori Keddell
It's a Possum Board for your dulcimer only if it is a separate piece upon which the dulcimer sits upon.
The "false bottom" or Galax bottom" is what we call the bottom attached to the instrument.
"Possum board" is one of the names for a tapered thin board used in the stretching and drying of animal hides in some regions of Appalachia. Hides were skinned out complete for more money than the belly cut hides nailed to the side of an out building. There are those from outside Appalachia who believe we call them Possum Boards to be cute....
Just wondering if anyone knows. It is a pretty weird name.
Also, is a false bottom considered a possum board, or does the term only apply to the accessory which is not attached to the dulcimer?
Here's some information from Revel's Music about Black Rose Dulcimers:
https://revelsmusic.co.uk/dulcimers-for-sale/intermediateadvanced-players/black-rose-dulcimers/
The second or Galax false bottom is nothing more than a permanently attached "possum board" with the purpose of letting the bottom of the soundbox freedom to resonate. It goes by several names, and it is most common in Galax style instruments.
It's also referred to as a false bottom.
Resonators on musical instruments are on or part of the top... the round metal disk on the face of a resonator guitar for example.
What you have is called a double back. The double back is just one element of a complete Galax dulcimer design. Galax (pronounced gay-lax) is the name of the town in Virginia where the design originated.
The function of a double back is to allow the inner back to vibrate freely, which produces significantly more sound volume -- a sort of non-electronic speaker as it were...
Here’s a picture of the bottom - is it called a resonator, or galax back?
@richard - thank you! I was really drawn to the Celtic knots. It has a resonator on the bottom. I’ll post a picture. Not sure if I have the term correct.
@Ken - thank you for posting the guide you’ve written! I’ll definitely be reading through it!
Welcome to FOTMD, slssls. Sorry to say I've not heard of Bill Todd as a builder, either. Nice looking modern dulcimer though. You may want to check out the booklet I wrote for beginners a few years back, called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? It's an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms, so we all speak the same jargon, plus answers to many beginner questions about tuning, playing, care and feeding of your new/old acquisition. You can find it here for download:
I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? (Article) - Forums | fotmd.com
That is a beautiful dulcimer. I have not heard of this builder. Perhaps someone will recognize the name and provide some information.
Hello! I’m new here and just bought my first dulcimer used. I’m looking forward to learning to play it. I’m interested to find more about the builder, Bill Todd, and his Black Rose dulcimers. I couldn’t find much online about him. Does anyone have information on these dulcimers they’d be willing to share? Thanks so much!
I thought I had that McSpadden code worked out but this must be Ginger (g) Walnut (w) back & sides, Redwood (r)Top. Should have a couple more letters though. First, # of Strings, F or S (flat head or Scroll head), Shape (h Hourglass t teardrop), then type of wood for side & back, then type of wood for top). the letters for custom fittings.
Have i got this right?
@strumelia, Hi, no shipping issues, not from ebay but it is second hand. Giving this to my wife and was just hoping to get a little back ground on it for her.
@dusty-turtle, thanks for the info, she has a couple of 3 string one, but this will be her first 4 string so I just wanted to check.
I believe the song was written by Alice Gerrard who sings here. A young music friend named Matt told me Penny Seeger is the mountain dulcimer player in this recording.
Well it’s not a Stockard, Gary Galileo says he has no idea who built it.
Well it’s not a Stockard, Gary Gallier says he has no idea who built it.
Well it’s not a Stockard, Gary Galileo says he has no idea who built it.
