Forum Activity for @richard-streib

Nice find. Enjoy playing it.

The condition is so good for an almost fifty-year-old instrument!  Happy strumming! 

Hope some of you find this an interesting story...

I picked this Dulcimer up for £75 (about $100) in Hobgoblin which is a folk music store in London the other day...

They told me the previous owner had purchased it in 1977 at a craft fair and then put it in a cupboard unplayed for almost 50 years until just recently when they took it to the shop to sell.

It was built by Bill Lucy and Roy Woolgrove in the UK in the mid-70s and I guess the strings had been on it since then!! So… it got some new ones today from Newtone Strings (also UK made!). It actually now sounds pretty good - have tried it in both DAA and DAD and it holds a tune well and more importantly seems to be well in-tune! :-)

Thanks to Geoff of the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club for some background info on Lucy and Woolgrove.

Have any of you also come across these makers?

 IMG_7682.jpeg - 270KB

What a nice find, Jim. It's fun to be reacquainted with things you've enjoyed in the past but forgot about. Have fun with harps. I'm not familiar with Sonny Boy Williamson but I'm going to look him up.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I used to have some cassettes of Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee that I just loved listening to.  

In high school, my brother Bob and I shared a room in my parent's basement. We had this picture on the wall for a few years.  It's a photo of one of our musical heroes, Sonny Boy Williamson II whose real name was Rice Miller.

I just found an old cigar box with some slides, capos picks and some harps that I haven't used in ages, but since the reeds all work, I may just give 'em another go.

12-hole harp from Grandpa Charlie

14 hole C harp

10 hole Echo Super Vamper


About 45 years ago, Charlie, my ex-father-in-law gave me one of his 12-hole diatonics.  It's a Marine Band Special in C.  It's very similar to my 10 hole diatonics, except that it has a full lower octave.
When I was in high school, I was a fan of Sonny Boy Williamson II (Rice Miller), who played low pitched harps, so I bought a 14 hole Marine Band in C.  Amazingly, it still works.
I was hitch-hiking in Scotland in the late sixties when my "A" Marine Band crapped out. I went to a music store and asked for a Marine Band in A.  The clerk had no idea what a Marine Band was, so I showed him one of mine.  He said, "Oh, you mean an Echo Super Vamper ."  He showed me an Echo Super Vamper and, except for the top cover plate, it was a Marine Band .  It still works just fine.

Wally, here's Lois' TMB with the handle attached to the player's side:

Here's a picture of the Walmart door handle I just installed on my TMB.

Because I built it with traditional 1/2 inch thick faces, the TMB weighs about 11 pounds. The handle is a big help in carrying it.

I put in on the playing side which helps in putting it on a table. My guess is that a lot of TMDs were used on tables. It also makes it less of a focus for and audience.

 Handle-FOTMD.JPG - 229KB

Strumelia:Going a bit stir crazy waiting for Spring...
Some of the ones I have now have thrived and grown for years, while others eventually went to the Big Greenhouse in the Sky.
It seems many folks have now discovered or rediscovered the joys of caring for indoor houseplants.
Lately I've been repotting and pruning a couple of my older plants, and purchasing a few new ones as well. It's rewarding and peaceful to take care of some living green things..
Tell us about your favorite houseplants. Add photos if you like too! 

I relate to this! It’s been such a tough year with the pandemic, and the cold weather just adds to the stir craziness. I’ve always kept a few indoor plants, mainly cacti and succulents, mostly because my cats tend to ignore them (thankfully!). Some have been with me for years and are thriving, while others... well, they didn’t make it.

Recently, I’ve found a lot of peace in repotting and pruning my older plants and even treating myself to a couple of new ones. It’s been such a calming activity, especially with everything going on. Something about tending to these little green lives is so rewarding.

Would love to hear about your favourite houseplants! Feel free to share photos too!

That TMB looks mighty good John.

Thanks, Wally!  I actually DID put a metal door handle on one I built for one of our members here, Lois S Keel.  She gives presentations dressed as a schoolmarm and wanted one of these to play when she performs.  And it was finished with walnut stain.  Looks real nice!  I've painted checkerboards on the back of a couple, too.

I'll bet it sounds reel good! It looks almost authentic.

Why don't these things have screen door handles on one side? They are heavy. I've been thinkin' about screwin' one to mine.

I think the authenticity would be better if it was finished with red or black barn paint, but that can be a buyer installed option..

This music box is still available for purchase now.  It's a tribute to an older time in dulcimer history.

Thanks Butch looks like a good resource (Dulcimer players news) I just downloaded the article. OR did I uploaded It, never could figure if I'm downloading or uploading SMILE

I wrote an article about this for DPN a while ago. You can re-read it here. https://archive.org/details/dpn-2007-033-04/page/4/mode/2up

the first half is about mics, the second half is about pickups. The information is still relevant and accurate. Except to say that in the last few years, people have been making better, and more realistic-sounding magnetic pickups. Folkcraft, especially, is doing some stellar stuff these days.

Sorry you had to deal with that, Nate.  It's a shame that some people are just so filled with hate that it blinds them to how outrageous they are acting.  You'll notice that YouTube removed the "dislike" button.  It just served no socially useful purpose.  

I would think anyone watching your videos would be able to appreciate the simple joy in homemade music and experimentation that permeates your building and playing dulcimers.  I can't imagine anyone being upset at that.  But it's obvious this person did not actually watch your videos, instead assuming you were this other guy, who probably also did nothing other than beat them at a poker game or something.

There is a way to report abusive comments on YouTube. Since this person is harassing you by posting in all your videos and clearly thinks you are someone else, you might consider it.

What a terrible thing to have to deal with Nate. At least you know the hate was misdirected, but I can't imagine the sickly feeling when you read the first one. You are handling it well. It is good to be among friends here where you can receive sympathy and support. We've got your back.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Well Nate that was long ago, (like 50 years ago)........things were different back then.............just keep on and it will quit sooner or later.

WOW, that's all really terrible to hear. Really glad to hear that you persevered and kept a good spirit. Internet trolls definitely pale in comparison to the kind of real hate that exists out there. If weird comments that have nothing to do with me are the worst it gets, I think I'm getting off pretty lucky as far as internet hate goes.

@robert-schuler I'm glad you found time for playing Kesh Jig on the porch!  

Hope you all had a good porch picking. Although I spent most of the day  corn picking I did find time for a tune on my porch. Each year I  choose a tune to mark the day, this year it's Kesh Jig. It's a very simple tune that's fun to play...Robert 

I got to know the Traums from SingOut magazine. I just dug out 1972 volume 21 no3. If you have that issue there is a great interview of the Traum bros...Robert 

That's the way to prove your point, brother!  Sounds like an old Andy Griffith Show episode, don't it?

Well Nate there's plenty of cracked folk out there and their not just on the internet, though that internet thing does give them a forum to remove all doubt if anyone seems to be questioning their ability to think.  Over the years, folk have hexed me, the Klan vandalized my stuff, tried to through a log through a picture window when I settled some refugee's from Vietnam, slashed my tires. Some witchy types put a couple of spells on me and scratched all sorts of nutty stuff on the church walls, and once tried to fill my driveway with nails.  Point is, don't give up doing what your doing 'cause sooner later they'll find someone else to try to drive crazy.

Frankly, I think what you do is amazing and often times makes my day.......besides your giving that other Nate a break.

I was an invited to  a Baptist Church in my younger day in NC.  One Sunday evening a big controversy broke when a visiting Seminary student played a guitar and a delegation of Deacons had a pure fit, yelling about no Stringed instruments and all that sort of thing.  Well,being a Methodist at the time and finishing up at the Seminary at Wake Forest I got dragged into that hoopla. 

Since they had a Piano up and the platform near a couple of double doors I told those characters they might be right and told them to follow me and waltzed them over to those double doors and told them to hold 'em open and proceeded to push that Piano towards those doors.  Since that would entail Grandma's piano having to survive a 4 ft drop they commenced to yelling stop, what was I doing etc.  I told them Piano's had strings and if they were right it had to go since their point was that stringed instruments were of the Devil  a Piano sure had a bunch of them.  The mess simmered down after that...........on the way out I couldn't help but sort of innocently asked what David's harp used to make music since I was a bit perplexed by the whole situation.  

The Piano stayed and I never did get an answer..........

I'm not much of a historian.

But here in my area a lot of Churches didn't allow music of any kind until the late 80s, early 90s. With the exception of Church of God, Pentecostal Churches and Holiness Churches, the only churches that allowed music had a piano and that's it.

To this day the Primitive Baptist and Old Regular Baptist still don't allow music. 

However, some of the best musicians in the area went to most of the churches that didn't allow music.

For instance: well known bluegrass player and singer named Ralph Stanley was of the Primitive Baptist denomination that doesn't allow music in church.

I personally wouldn't put much stock in the notion that the early dulcimore was played in church very much. Or any instrument for that matter if we're speaking the 1800s in rural Appalachia.

They must be a total weirdo.

More than anything, I find it really funny that someone clicked on a bunch of my videos, and after seeing me a dozen times, still thought I was Nate Pultorak, the middle aged, white, bearded hammered dulcimer player. I guess they were so angry they didn't even glance at the videos?

Agreed, Strumelia! When I see someone that angry and vitriolic I have a lot of pity for them. I'm sorry to hear that someone was that vile to you. Luckily for me this person is just unwell and most of their comments made absolutely no sense, so it doesn't affect me that much. He was saying such extremely specific things that I had to google it to find out who he thought I was.

Thank you for your kind words Robin. I honestly have never received a mean comment on a video, so I was very shocked to see that someone had gone through my videos to leave a mean comment on each one, and I was totally blown away when I realized that this person is very specifically angry at some other dulcimer player named Nate.  

Wow. That's pretty pathetic to leave multiple nasty messages on your videos. It feels icky, but sometimes we just have to say "I'd sure hate to have to BE that person!". I had a nasty online stalker once do that on my YT videos too, and on my blogs. I had to shut down my comment features for a year. I think they must have just shriveled up and blown away by now, it happened quite a few years ago.
I'm glad you have lots of good and positive friends here Nate!

Oh, my lands, Nate!  Like you, I hope the guy finds some peace.  It's hard to imagine anyone seeing anything but goodness on your YT videos of your mountain dulcimer builds.  

I really hope the guy who typed all these messages finds the Lord, and finds peace in their heart. However I couldn't help but to laugh at seeing that someone left really mean comments on a dozen of my videos, and they apparently are mad at someone else. The internet is a funny place.

A very angry guy left a bunch of mean comments on tons of my YouTube videos, and after reading several, I realized that this disturbed man thought I was the esteemed hammered dulcimer player named Nate Pultorak.

Some folks are too angry too see straight

I agree with Wally regarding his statement about Robin Clark not really understanding the place of the dulcimer within Appalachian culture. But, I think that is true of many of us. The temptation is to generalize e.g., because community A had a play party where a few people played dulcimer, all play parties included dulcimer playing. Appalachia is a diverse region culturally. Some religious groups did not allow musical instruments in worship and developed wonderful a cappella singing. Others that had organs and/or pianos developed great choral (choir) traditions. 

When we speak of a specific practice we need to identify its place (Knott County, KY; Galax, VA;  Watauga County, NC; etc.). We cannot generalize that practice to other communities without evidence of that practice in those other communities. We tend to pick up a practice and romanticize it. While historians look for evidence to support various notions we have about the mountain dulcimer, its origins, use, place in community, etc., we continue to tell what we "learned" about the dulcimer as unsupported "facts." We all like good stories.  I think we need to be careful about the stories we tell. Do they share facts or continue myths? I've learned over the years to be careful in sharing my research in to dulcimer history. I ask myself what substantiates what I am sharing. If I can't accurately state something as fact, I will present it as theory yet to be proven.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Amen, brother.

Been a bit since this thread was active but I enjoyed reading and thinking about it.

I think it's worth pointing out this discussion is really just about names. Whether some instrument is a "dulcimer" or not simply depends on how we define "dulcimer". Of course we will disagree on that. Should "dulcimer" be used in the strictest sense, or allowed to be used more broadly, referring to any instrument that had it's beginnings at least partially with the dulcimer? There cannot be agreement on this question because it is a matter of opinion. 

Honestly I don't think it matters. The purpose of words and names is to communicate. As long as there is no confusion of communication then the names serve their purpose. If I say "chromatic dulcimer" and everyone knows exactly what I'm referring to, that is sufficient. Of course we could discuss whether to use the term "dulcimer" or not. However, alluding to Shakespeare, what we call the instrument doesn't change what it is, its value, or its place in the musical world. Every instrument in the dulcimer world has it's strengths and weaknesses. Furthermore, everyone sees the relationships between different varieties of dulcimers differently because they all have different experiences. 

I totally agree with OverDrive; every instrument you play affects how you play other instruments. NateBuildsToys points out how he played the diatonic dulcimer first and later played the chromatic dulcimer, which then affected his view of the diatonic dulcimer. 

However, Dusty Turtle played chromatic instruments first, and later played the diatonic dulcimer. Because of this, his experience learning the diatonic dulcimer was very different than it is for others. 

For me personally, I learned the diatonic dulcimer as my first instrument. My understanding of the diatonic fretboard has shaped my entire understanding of music theory and how I play any musical instrument. I see the keys on the piano in terms of numbers from a dulcimer fretboard. When playing even a six or seven string instrument, whether guitar-like, zither-like or otherwise, I understand the tuning in terms of groups of three strings I can recognize as dulcimer tunings such as DAD, DAA, or DGD. For me, the diatonic dulcimer is absolutely fundamental to music, so when I play a chromatic dulcimer, I instinctively think of it as an extension of the dulcimer. Yet I know not everyone thinks this way. The cool thing is, that means I and other people have very different musical ideas, and we can learn from each other. 

Whether you want to play a chromatic dulcimer or not is totally up to you. People will be attracted to different instruments (including types of dulcimers) for a variety of reasons, whether natural playing style, preferred sound, desired musical genere, etc. I think the important thing is that we all make music. The value of us all making music together is we get to see everyone's unique approach and individual ideas, and learn from each other. I want to value and preserve the traditions of past generations, and explore new ideas at the same time. There are things I can do with a chromatic that I can't with a diatonic, and vice versa. Both have an important place. I love the stuff I do on the chromatic dulcimer, because it's just plain fun! I also love playing the diatonic dulcimer. Then again, I can't even play noter style, but I love that sound and am so thankful for people who play it well. In both cases, we're all making music, we just don't do it in the same way or with the exact same instrument. The dulcimer community will be the healthiest when we all value the music everyone makes, whether it's like our own or not.