You could try flipping the bridge over to eliminate the bridge [notch] as the problem. Hopefully the slant of the string will counter the bottom being square.
...to play on your dulcimer! The sappier, more poetic the better. TIA!
I have a 26” VSL. Melody String .012 , Middle String .016 and Bass .026
Yes that might help. Try the next larger gauge just for that string. A heavier string and a lighter string, both tuned to the same note: the heavier one will feel tighter and be at higher tension. Dont go too very thick or the string might be at too high a tension and break. Just like for example from a .022 to a .024 wound.
There's also a very remote possibility that it's actually a different string causing the issue, but that the sound manifests itself through the bass string vibrations. In that case, changing all strings might help.
What's your VSL/scale length from nut to bridge, and what gauge strings do you have on now, and what notes are you tuning to?
Strumelia, do you think maybe putting a little bigger gauge would help? My husband suggested that might help. I put the capo on and wow, there goes the buzz. They don’t have any redwood for a while and other than this minor issue, I really don’t want to replace.
Okay, will do. I think I will not saw at the bridge anymore. Like you said, I don’t want to overdo it. Thanks so much.
That's great that you're maybe improving things a little. Be careful to keep the flossing gentle- you don't want to deepen or damage the slots by 'sawing'. Do both the nut and the bridge slot, since the vibration can originate from either end yet still wind up buzzing at the first couple of frets near the peghead end.
Hmmm, I am making sure about my technique and your article is GREAT in describing finger positioning. For the most part, I learned the correct way but do get lazy. That does help. Weird, that when I am lazy the other two dulcimers (another McSpadden and a Black Mountain) are not SO sensitive. Jim did recut the bridge slots and the nut looks good. However, it is still different than the other McSpadden so I did the floss. Both technique and flossing it, tee hee, helped some. Still kind of there from time to time.
This dulcimer has such a great “sound” that I really don’t want to replace it. That is why I shipped it in the first place. I am sure there is an answer. I really appreciate your input.
I will be interested to find out what Jim Woods says. I do respect his opinion.
I may floss some more. That makes total sense. That problem was not there UNTIL I changed the strings.
More thoughts... you say the buzz was more pronounced when you had 'flatwound' guitar strings on, and the buzz was less so when you switched to regular wound strings. To me this may suggest that the buzz occurs when the string is not well seated in either the nut slot or the bridge slot. If you have a slot that is shaped with a "v" shape nut file, and the string is heavy and is round, then it leaves a very tiny space gap at the bottom trench of the V. This often causes buzzes. It's a little like putting a round peg into a square hole... you get gaps.
Talk to your husband about this. I have sometimes solved this 'slot gap' string seating buzz problem by doubling or tripling some waxed dental floss and gently but firmly running an 8 inch length of that that back and forth in both the nut slot and the bridge slot. (don't saw it too hard, you don't want to file down the slot) That can buff and smooth any microscopic burred edges in the slot and helps the wound string seat more snugly without actually filing the slot. Obviously you loosen the string first and pull it over to the side while doing this. It's an easy quick trick to try that won't cause harm to anything, and may make a difference. The fact that a flatwound string buzzes more than the round wound string makes me suggest this.
Have you looked at this blog post I wrote about finger position when fretting? Hand/finger position can often cause buzzes and other weird sounds. I've seen this issue many times in players...
https://dulcimer-noter-drone.blogspot.com/2012/07/lazy-fingers.html
Have you had your husband play on the string while you listen for the buzz? If it only happens when you are playing, that points towards something you are doing. Maybe there's nothing actually 'wrong' with this dulcimer but it is just a bit more sensitive to your personal playing methods/habits in some way.
ALSO: does the buzz happen on the OPEN bass string? Does it happen only on certain notes fretted, and not when you play the string open?
Skip, Yes, I have tried the nut/bridge and the Luthier checked the action. I sent a video to him. Hopefully, that will answer some questions.
Have you checked the action, nickel/dime method? A strip of paper under the nut/bridge will raise the action.
Edit: In your user photo it looks like you're fingerpicking. From your hand position it looks like you may be slightly lifting the base string with your middle finger.
I retuned the dulcimer to EBE and that did not do the trick. Jim Woods is great. He is willing to replace, but wants to make sure that it is not something I am doing. I understand his point. If he makes another dulcimer for me and it is still doing it, then, it is me!!! I love the sound of this dulcimer. I would rather it be, “pilot error” as Ken Holme stated. What is weird is that buzz does not happen on my other McSpadden (which has a 1-1/2 fret) or my Black Mountain (which is an inferior dulcimer). I will let you all know what we find out.
I don't know your height, Jill, yet I'm short and prefer a short chair or stool to sit on while playing. Even a very compact camp stool of some kind would work.
As a test, try tuning just that bass string up by one step- if it is in D tune it to E.... and see if the buzzing stops. If it stops, then you'll know that the bass string is too light a gauge- switch it to the next thicker gauge and that will make sure it won't be tickling the frets when vibrating.
If the test does NOT eliminate the buzz, then the problem is not likely with the string, but could be with the nut/bridge slots, or the frets, or your fingering techniques. Since Jim Woods has checked out the instrument thoroughly, and also since he cannot hear the buzz happen for him, then perhaps your physical playing technique as the most likely suspect.
Can you hear the buzz if you get your husband to play the dulcimer or strum it?
I had the same issue with one of mine many moons ago. It just about drove me nuts because for awhile everything was fine and then the buzz thing would crank up. I finally figured it out when like Ken points out, it was me catching the string on the strum and pulling it up a bit. I also put a bit of a heavier string on the bass then I found was included in the string sets you buy. As I recall I went from a 24 or so to a 28. (I think the Strother string calculator is a bit light.) That helped a great deal but it still happened. Steve Siefert once mentioned that a heavier string could correct some problems like this when using a 155 tuning.
The next time it happened I froze on the chord and it dawned on me that my bass string was not being held with the same amount of pressure as the others allowing it to buzz......
I am not saying that your issue is the same, but in my case it was due to several different things.......too light a string, a weak ring finger and an inconsistent pick angle. I also switched to a lighter gauge pick too. That made it harder to lift the bass string.
As suggestion, if you have not tried this, tune it up a to maybe EBE and see if the higher tension makes it stop.
All in all, Ken's comment fit my predicament and was right on the money.
This is absolutely the most difficult problem a player and a builder can have. Frustrating is too mild a word!!
A sometimes buzz can sometimes be traced to "pilot error".
I had a similar incident to investigate recently for another luthier friend. A client bought a dulcimer and loved it but had issues with random buzzings. The instrument was shipped back and forth a couple times halfway across the country with no satisfaction. The luthier contacted me because I live relatively close to his client, and asked that I basic do a complete checkout and re-setup the dulcimer. I did so, with the owner watching like a hawk. Then when she would try it, yes, once in awhile there was a random buzz. I kept watching her play, and realized that she would get those sounds because she was not consistent in how she picked the strings. Occasionally she was picking up, not across, and it was just enough to unseat a string in. its notch, which would buzz a split second later as it was plucked again and returned to its proper place in the slot
I have s 26” VSL McSpadden in Redwood/Black Walnut. Only had a few months and when my husband changed the strings (he is a guitar teacher so knows what is doing), the bass string started buzzing sometimes at the headstock. It can happen on open chords, 1st fret and 2 fret. We changed the bass strings to squeakless then tried regular, which was not as bad. I shipped it and all frets they checked were good. They did replace zero fret and did some work on middle string. This dulcimer has great tone and I hate to return to get another one built. However, Jim Woods and several luthiers who work there could not hear the vibrating buzz that I was talking about. He is a great guy and trying to help me with this issue. I thought about “living with it”. But I hear it a lot and it is annoying sounding. It did not sound that way before we changed the strings. I tried paper under bridge area, nut area, tightening screws, etc...
Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast - Episode 48
Stay Home and Play Dulcimer: with Heidi Muller and Bob Webb
Here's another episode created especially for dulcimer players.
Be sure to check out and download some free TAB on the episode resource page.
We spoke with Heidi Muller and Bob Webb, who shared tips and ideas for using time at home to improve your dulcimer playing.
You can listen to all the Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast episodes directly on our website: https://dulcimuse.com/podcast or in most podcast apps.
Every episode has its own resource page with photos, videos, and song lists.
Here's the resource page for this episode: https://dulcimuse.com/podcast/resource/048.html
Thanks for listening!
Jill, tell us a little about the boat ..... we lived on ours for 20 years whilst doing a very slow circumnavigation.
EVERY good boat should have wirecutters in the basic tool box! The jewelers screwdriver for tightening tuners is a good idea.
You could check these out if you like. I've used them with great success:
https://www.folkcraft.com/collections/building-supplies-plans/products/dulcimer-string-anchor-pins-2340171
Yeah, I did actually find those cheers. I was on Folkcraft looking for a combined bridge/pickup system ( had actually tried loads of sites to be honest ) and found the L R Baggs one. I checked to see what else they did and came across the anchor pins. But, they're metal and like someone else on here, I wasn't sure I liked the idea or sound possibilities.
I got so fed up with pins that I decided to try something else. I drill 4 shallow holes big enough to hold the ball end and cut 4 slots between them and the bridge. It makes changing strings easier and makes the sound better, on my dulcimers at least, perhaps because it is attached to wood and not metal.
That looks a very nifty way around the problem. Wish I'd thought of it before drilling the holes for the bridge pins. But I'm happy with the way I've gone and I think it looks ok.
Thanks everyone! I forgot about string cutters, although we'll have (big) screwdrivers on the boat. We'll be on/in salt water so this is definitely a concern. We have de-humidifiers and also a generator for air conditioning (also helps to dry out the boat - I can't stand mildewy musty stuff) - yes, having di-silica (sp) gel/packets would be a good idea. I know on our sailboat for long distance sailing it was always best to keep tools coated with some kind of light oil before putting them in ziplocks. I just got some extra strings so I'll go but them in ziplocks and get some of those silica get thingys. Thanks!
I'm sure the two Kens can tell us the exact year that Bruce created ED. I joined there after it had been online for maybe two years.
Jason's SweetMusicDigest listserve was (to the best of my knowledge) the first dedicated online 'discussion group' for dulcimers. That was before people could easily put up online forum software websites like ED. But remember that SweetMusic was a listserve- an email mailing list...it did not have a website where the discussions were threaded and browse-able, like what we are all used to today.
Ed was started more than ten years before FOTMD. Fotmd was started in July 2009, making it almost 11 years old now.
Yes, there is still an 'official' ED facebook page which was created by the folks involved with running the old ED site, when ED was still running. That FB page is still quite active:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/165673533442748/
I 'think' Ron Zuckerman started that ED FB page- Ron had volunteered and helped Bruce a lot with the tech/admin duties of maintaining the ED main website during its last couple of years. I think Ron then relinquished the ownership of the ED facebook page to others as of last year. They run it now, but I don't know their names.
Feel free to correct me if I have any of this wrong.
There are many other dulcimer 'groups'/pages on Facebook as well these days.
ahhhhhhh, another good learning post thread. THANKS LOADS. and that screwdriver and wirecutters are both things that I've forgotten. ahhhhhhhh, storing in cases our dulcimers. Well, I can see that too....However, I've made all my cases and they are material with a thick lining on the inside. Mostly for traveling and getting them on airplanes and such. Never been turned down bringing my dulcimer....the scroll head pokes out. Easy to see that's it's an instrument. The last trip from Hawaii, it was stored in the same closet that the pilot puts his coat. nice. aloha, irene
Lift your fingers rather than slide. Dr. Duck's Axe Wax, or Lemon Oil to rub on the fretboard. Also try baby powder on your fingertips.
As bodily fluids are not exactly the same from person to person you'll sometimes find that a specific remedy will work well for one person but not another person. For me, the following remedy works great. Whenever the fretboard gets a bit yucky I simply immerse a cloth into very hot water, then squeeze the cloth till it's only damp, then wipe the fretboard whilst the cloth is still very warm. Just wipe it over the top of the strings, back and forth a few times, and then wipe it again straight away with a clean, dry cloth.
There's lots of products that contain all sorts of chemicals, but I've found the warm, damp cloth method works really well for me. Hope that helps.
Only 1 thing is necessary, an insatiable desire to play your dulcimer again and again and again and again and again. If that's the only extra thing you have, then you'll be living in dulcimer Heaven.
I've noticed in the recent humid days we have had here where I live that my fingers don't seem to want to glide across the fretboard as easily. The fingerboard appears to be a little tacky or sticky therefore my fingers kind of drag on it. Any tips on solving this problem?
I did read your post about Jason, but did not realize that Steve and Dan had a played a role in ED. I know Ron Zuckerman did quite a bit of work with the ED website.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Read my post below about who Jason was.
I agree with Ken Hulme as I joined ED just after he did. Bruce called me and we did some testing of ED together. I don't remember any Jason involved in the origin of the website.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Greg:
Jason was the guy who started the SweetMusic Index, which was the early and long running email NEWSGROUP/LISTSERVE for dulcimers. Not to be confused with Bruce Ford's EverythingDulcimer. Jason was not around on his SweetMusic newsgroup very often, and it sort of hummed along by itself until listserves mostly faded from use.
Bruce was quite busy with his military service career, and after many years of running ED he wanted a break. It was Stephen Seifert and Dan Landrum who took over from Bruce on ED for a year or two. But then Dan and Stephen wanted to move on to start Dulcimer School, and Bruce resumed managing the ED forum again for another few years. Bruce finally got too busy in other life activity, and decided to close it down.
When I lived aboard full time, as well as living on a small island in the Pacific, keeping strings "good" was the hardest thing, after the first couple days while an instrument stabilized to the higher humidity.
Do Not store the instrument(s) in cases -- hang them from the bulkheads or lay them on a spare berth or banquet where they can get plenty of air circulation. Stored cases or tucked away in lockers they will definitely have humidity/mildew issues.
To store your spare strings and not have them turn black from salt air, store them in a zip-top bag along with a couple of those de-humidifier 'pellets' or 'packets' or whatever they're called.
For your 'on instrument' strings, light coat of molybdenum lubricant or even wiping them down with WD40 after you play, or at the end of the day, will help keep them corrosion-less.
I was on ED the week that the site opened to the public. There were a couple of 'bots that Bruce used for testing, and two or three humans other than Bruce. But, I don't recall any Jason or mention of Bruce taking over from anyone.
