Forum Activity for @jerry-posner

Appalachian Dulcimer Museum

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

That's terrific!  Thank you for sharing those wonderful photos!

Chromatic Dulcimer is still a Dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

 
The frets should already be installed before the action is determined. String action is set by adjusting the height of the nut and bridge relative to the tops of the fret crowns, so the height of the frets doesn't affect the action of the instrument. 

Confused about strings gauge reccomendations...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I have gone down to .08 and up to .16 for a D melody string on a 25" vsl. Its mostly a matter of preference. The amount of tension on the strings affects tone, volume, and sustain. It also affects how comfortable the instrument is to fret. A lot of dulcimer players prefer pretty low tension, relative to an acoustic guitar of the same VSL, for example.

Confused about strings gauge reccomendations...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

@gerardo1000, it's a good idea to start with the luthier's recommendations about string gauge, as you are doing, but don't feel locked into those gauges.  Follow your own preferences.  And in fact, a difference of 1 or 2 is inconsequential, so I wouldn't fret about the difference between .011 and .012 or .022 and .024.  

There are factors other than VSL to consider, and again, the most important is your own preferences.  One thing to remember is that you want some consistency of tension across the strings.  You might consult a string tension calculator such as this one to ensure that the three courses have similar tension.

FWIW, I prefer slightly heavier strings for a variety of reasons, including the fact that they are louder and also that they provide more resistance, allowing more precision when bending.  There is also a faster response to the flatpick (something enhanced with heavier picks).  On my dulcimers with VSLs in the 25"-26" range, I use .026 on the bass, .016 on the middle, and .013 on the melody.  YMMV, of course.

Strings are cheap. I would suggest buying single strings (not pre-packaged dulcimer sets) and experimenting to find your own personal preferences.

Confused about strings gauge reccomendations...

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

So... McSpadden, for a dulcimer that has a 26in VSL, tuned to ddAD, recommends these strings gauges: 12 12 16 26. Quite heavy, considering that the McSpadden "short scale dulcimer" is two inches and a half shorter than their standard dulcimers that have a VSL of 28.5....  Folkcraft, for a dulcimer that has a 25in VSL (my custom Folkroots) also tuned to ddAD, recommend these strings gauges: 11 11 13 24. Very light. I know it because I asked them. How come ? These two dulcimers have almost the same scale length, I am surprised to see such a difference in the recommended strings gauge, a difference that ranges from very light (Folkcraft) to medium heavy (McSpadden)...these recommendations are also shown on the two makers web sites, when I look at "strings".  Any opinion? 

updated by @gerardo1000: 11/29/24 10:58:09AM

Three Strings or Four ?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

The height of the bridge and nut slots can also adjust how high or low the string action is from the frets.

Chromatic Dulcimer is still a Dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

It should be noted that there are members of the zither family which have raised fretboards but which are not mtn dulcimers, for example concert zithers.

Three Strings or Four ?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

My 4 string Dulcimer has Jumbo frets which are bigger to make fretting the double melody string more comfortable.

Three Strings or Four ?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I use 4 strings but I have bigger frets (Jumbo size) to make the double melody string easier to fret

Roller Wound Strings on Lap-Jo?

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Has anyone ever put Roller Wound Strings on a Folkcraft Lap-Jo? I'd imagine that it would feel smoother because the string squeak would be eliminated.

updated by @s11141827: 11/28/24 08:06:58PM

Chromatic Dulcimer is still a Dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Here's a Folkcraft Chromatic Dulcimer. It's still a Dulcimer because it's part of the Zither family in which the fretboard is above the body as opposed to extended from the body like a Guitar so keep that in mind. The 4 string setup w/ the Doubled Melody String is a bit easier to play w/ Jumbo Frets because the larger sized jumbo frets reduce the distance between the strings & the frets allowing for easier action.

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

It will also make it easier to do hammer ons and pull offs.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Went ahead and made bridge and nut cuts and removed the inner melody string.  Now have equidistant three strings.  Definitely easier to make a chord!

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Thanks for the feedback!  I will probably use this for noter/droning which should be less sensitive to any spacing.  I may cut nut and bridge grooves to move the bass closer to the edge.  I could then remove the inner melody string and have equidistant spacing.  Or, I will just look for a second dulcimer with more of a standard spacing and do all the chord and finger picking on that one. 

Wanted Original Clifford Glenn Stubby Walnut Tuning Pegs

FOR SALE:instruments/music items/CDs/Wanted to Buy...

I am looking to buy a set of original Clifford Glenn Stubby Walnut Handmade Tuning Pegs.

I recently obtained a Clifford Glenn dulcimer.  Unfortunately, one of the previous owners removed the original pegs and replaced them with commercial violin pegs.  If you have any of Clifford's original pegs lying around unused, I would be interested in purchasing them from you.

updated by @greg-gunner: 12/03/24 06:29:29PM

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Thanks for sharing those photos. I would say that the string spacing on that dulcimer is pretty unusual, which might make it extra difficult to play. If you look at the dulcimer in the 4th photo you attached, you can see that the two melody strings are usually close together, and the "course" of paired melody strings is equally spaced with the other two strings. I'm not sure if your father in law intended for it to be "paired melody strings" or "four string equidistant" but I think it would difficult to play in either.
Also, there are many different ways to hold a noter based on your preference, and I recommend joining the "Old Style Drone & Noter players group if you haven't already.
https://fotmd.com/strumelia/group/19/old-style-drone-noter-players

updated by @nate: 11/26/24 06:27:20PM

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

If these don't work let me know.  Lynn McSpadden was also doing C-G-cc Ionian.  I haven't checked online examples of using a noter, but I did not expect the thumb to be on top.  According to Lynn McSpadden in this book, the index finger is used to position the noter and prevent it from moving to far in.

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Thats a very peculiar design in a few different ways. Could you please take a photo of the entire instrument, id be really curious to see it

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

The string rests in the bridge.  Another interesting thing about 1974 was that the bass and outer strings are located more toward the center and further from the edge of the fretboard.  So all strings are closer.  I don't have experience on any other type of dulcimer so it's no skin off my nose.  In the "four and twenty" book by Lynn McSpadden that came with the kit he recommends the strumming one beat to be toward the player.  The extra space at the edge of the fretboard might make that easier.  I play a lot of things with strings but I am starting from scratch on the mountain dulcimer and really looking forward to it!  BTW, the Dulcimer Shoppe told me the early 70's kit was about $37 dollars!

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

That's great! And one thing I didn't think of. Glad it was such an easy fix. Looking at the photo, do the strings rest in the nut or the slots in the tailpiece? I don't recall seeing that type of tailpiece on a McSpadden dulcimer kit. It's interesting.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

updated by @ken-longfield: 11/26/24 12:59:36PM

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Figured it out!  The bendover slot from the loop screw to the bridge is not deep enough.  It prevents the string from having a good breakover at the bridge, thus adding at least a 1/2 inch to the string length.  We pushed down with a pencil just behind the bridge, retuned the open melody strings position and the pitch is now perfect!

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

The first thing I would check is to see if the string is seated in the slot in the nut. If it is then I would check the slot itself. Does the string contact the nut in the same place as the rest of the strings? It is possible that in cutting the string slots the point of contact is farther back in that one slot. Is that string binding in the nut? It seems odd that all the other strings perform well and only the one string is a problem. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Inner melody string flat by the 3rd fret

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

We have pulled a 1974 McSpadden kit dulcimer (standard, 28.5", 1.5", zero fret, four string) out of long term storage.  My late father-in-law assembled it in 1974 and it was played a total of about 1 hour since then!  I tuned it D-A-aa.  The bass, middle and outer melody strings keep perfect pitch at all frets.  There is no fret damage that I can see.  The inner melody string can be tuned to match the outer when open but it is noticeably flat by the 3rd fret and gets worse up the neck.  Having the zero fret I don't think the problem is at the nut end.  I am going to replace the strings anyway but the originals were not stored in tension and look normal with no corrosion.  What could cause this string to behave differently than the other three?  Thanks!

Lil' Willie Dulcimer

FOR SALE:instruments/music items/CDs/Wanted to Buy...

Hello @dyannay , your images were no longer showing in your post, so I removed them. Is your ad here still valid? If so, please add at least one new picture of the item for sale now. Thanks!

Pete Seeger

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

@jim-yates Thanks for the story and the great photo! 

Introduce Yourself!

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Wow @chris-hornby . That is quite a futuristic approach. It turned out great. I'd love to hear a recording of it!

Looking to buy a new dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Thanks Ken for clarifying. I should have been more explicit that the difference in a Daaa and Dadd bridge is VERY slight, and will likely equate to only a couple cents difference. It is nowhere near enough difference to sound "off" however, if you are keen on developing your ear to hear subtle differences over time, in my opinion its good to have the most precise intonation possible.

Looking to buy a new dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Thank you both for the information. 

Looking to buy a new dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Unless you have perfect pitch, for all intents and purposes, any ordinary dulcimer like a McSppaden can be played in either DAd or DAA without any issues, simply by changing the tuning. You'll nevere hear the difference.   Any ordinary dulcimer can be played in any tuning, provided the strings are appropriate for the tuning you want.  A standard string set for DAA/DAd will let you tune up to FCC or FCf before the strings get too tight; or down to BEE or BEb before the strings get sloppy loose.

There are indeed dulcimers built specifically for certain tunings.  But McSpadden is talking about tuning the dulcimer a certain way, not building it to be only played in DAA versus DAd...  Nate is right to say that the intonation can be tweaked slightly, but most people can't hear the difference...

Looking to buy a new dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

 
The key difference between a dulcimer indended for Dadd or Daaa is the intonation at the bridge. On a dulcimer intended for Dadd, the melody side of the bridge will be VERY slightly closer to the nut than on on a dulcimer intended to be tuned Daaa. This is because in a pack of strings intended for Dadd, the melody string will be thinner than the middle string (eg 22,14,12,12) whereas in a pack intended for Daaa, the melody string will be the same gauge as the middle string.(eg 22,14,14,14) The thicker a string gauge, the further away from the nut the bridge needs to be for the string to be properly intonated.
So basically, if you play the instrument in both tunings, you should pick whichever one you play more often. The bridge placement will be slightly better intonated to that tuning than the other. Most of the tunings that you mentioned are closer to Dadd than to Daaa, so if you play them all regularly, I would recommend the Dadd instrument. 
Nate

Looking to buy a new dulcimer

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

The dulcimer I currently have is one I purchased back in the mid-1990s before we even had internet at my house.  I walked into our local music store that rents school band instruments (bought my oboe for band through them).  I asked about buying a dulcimer and they pulled out a catalog of instruments they can order. I think I paid just over $100 for it.  No maker marks on it.  Basically if I wanted a dulcimer, this is the one I had to buy.

I want another dulcimer, and pretty much have settled on a McSpadden standard 28.5" hourglass.  I see one of the options is having it tuned to D-A-AA vs standard D-A-dd.  Which tuning should I get, or does it really matter?  I play in both D-A-AA, D-A-dd, also in D-G-cc, D-A-cc and D-G-dd.  There are other tunings in some books of Celtic music I have that use CGC, CFC.  

Silicone Free Furniture Polish

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Tung oil works well when applied really thin on fingerboards. I go to great pains to keep all things silicone away from my work benches. If in doubt rub any suspicious wood surface with acetone. There are many fine paste waxes that are silicone free...Robert 

Showing support for FOTMD ?

OFF TOPIC discussions

Big thanks to those members who have made donations to keep this site up and running.

Silicone Free Furniture Polish

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks for the insight Ken. I have avoided lacquer on my finger boards, to try to avoid "sealing" them in rather than letting the wood "breathe." In general i treat the body of my dulcimers with a coating of sealant like polyurethane and just put oil on the fingerboard. In the past I have left a ton of fingerboards untreated, and typically the oil from my hands attracts grime, leaving a dark color to the areas that i fret the most often.

Appalachian Dulcimer Museum

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Right now John plans to have the museum open on weekends only from 1 - 6 p.m. At this point I don't know if he will be charging an admission fee or just accepting donations.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Silicone Free Furniture Polish

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Silicone, which is contained in some furniture polishes, makes doing repair work on wood objects difficult. This is the main reason for not using it one dulcimers. It can mess up gluing and trying to match wood patches. I'm not familiar with orange oil other than what I've read online. If it dries hard I don't see why you couldn't use it on a fret board. Generally I do not use polish on my fret boards. They are coated with lacquer and I let the oil in my fingers polish them. On my guitars with rosewood fret boards I use a fret board conditioner. I don't use anything on ebony.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Silicone Free Furniture Polish

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hey folks I've heard before that furniture polish shouldnt be used on fingerboards. As best as I can tell, this is because they often contain silicone (like pledge for example) which apparently builds up on the wood or something like that. I have a can of orange oil based furniture polish that specifically says it doesnt contain silicone, so Im wondering if this can be used to clean fingerboards. Is silicone the only concern with using furniture polish? According to the online details, it contains orange oil and mineral oil, and specifically does not contain silicone or linseed oil.

Thanks

Nate

updated by @nate: 11/14/24 06:13:18PM

Appalachian Dulcimer Museum

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

This is great news. Thanks for posting it Ken, and for the photos!

Healthy Living- healthy eating, exercise, weight loss, veggie gardening, etc.

OFF TOPIC discussions

Let hope the furry critters don't dig your bulbs up like they do mine.

Showing support for FOTMD ?

OFF TOPIC discussions

Expressing my deep gratitude to those who have made donations recently.
I rarely solicit donations here on FOTMD, but I'm making one more request to hopefully get a few more people donating. So far enough has been donated to run the site for about 5 months. I'd really love to not worry about it at all for at least 8 months, so.... 
If you have never donated to this site before, would you please consider making a donation to help out in keeping things running?  The Paypal donation button is on our Main/Home page, and you don't need a paypal account to donate, just a credit card.
Thank you, friends!!