Forum Activity for @john-c-knopf

This new solid-poplar Tennessee music box is offered for sale.  This is a replica of heavy, primitive dulcimers produced just after the Civil War in south-central Tennessee.  David Schnaufer was crazy about these things and made a video of several old ones, and collaborated on an article about them and their history. You can read more and see a video on my website of a guy playing one with a violin bow!  knopfdulcimers.com

The list price for these is $375, but I'll sell it to you for $300 plus shipping.  How's that?

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Thanks for getting back to me I was just curious.  About a year ago well not quite a year ago I bought a folk roots instrument from Folkcraft. My friend just loaned me his StewMac digital string gauge that he had and I decided to check the action on the instrument that I got from  folkcraft Just out of curiosity not knowing any difference whether it was right or wrong looks like the melody string was set at .028, The middle string was set at 0.31, And the base string was set at .016. Since they Folkcraft are professionals I was curious was that a correct setting or should they all be set at one uniformed distance. so I'm guessing they're setting was way off thanks for all the feedback. Guess I'll try the Nickel Dime trick 

In all my 50+ years of playing dulcimer, I've never seen anyone set the action at different heights from melody to bass.  I always set my action height as Nickel & Dime -- a nickel thickness above the fretboard at the first fret, and a dime thickness above the 7th fret.  

That would be preferable in my view.

Hi kids just a question about string action I noticed there was something about action in The Forum but I didn't see anything addressing my question of uninformative for lack of a better

Word.  Also I know that it's all a matter of personal taste. Some people like white wine, some people like red wine. Hopefully this makes some sense. Let us say hypothetically at the 1st fret you set the action of the bottom of the melody string at let's say .020 now. Should you also set the middle string and the bass string at .020  as well ? So the action is uniformed across all three strings at the first fret.

I am asked this question a lot because I've posted videos over the years using several different dulcimers, many of which I've parted with, usually to help defray the costs of a new instrument.  And I never like to answer because it involves admitting how many instruments I've accumulated.

4 standard dulcimers: McCafferty, Stephens Lutherie (w/nylon-strings), Modern Mountain Dulcimer, Blue Lion 1C

1 baritone dulcimer: Rick Probst (built as a standard, but I've strung it as a baritone for several years)

2 octave dulcimers: David Beede & Ron Ewing

1 "baritone dulcimette" by Ron Ewing

Don't get me started on my guitars, ukulele, mandolin, autoharp . . .

Thank you! I’ve been around for a few years, but I think this is the first time I have ever posted. I have had a few other dulcimers, but I  try to keep it at no more than three at a time. When I get a new one I will usually sell one of the others. 

Welcome to the forum!

Nice...."at the moment"? Sounds like plans to expand. 😉 

Your dulcimer display looks amazing!  And the nails don't look too noticeable at all.  I love your idea of showing the Story of the Dulcimer.  Super use of your dulcimers for a display instead of  hidden in cases.

That display looks beautiful!

Is it you getting married?- a big congratulations to you!!  

I think I saw that listing recently online a few days ago. It is a 4 stringed, flat headstock, black walnut sides and back with a redwood top (soundboard). The F should be an E for ebony which would be the fretboard wood. That sounds like a great combination. The owner should know what the model number means. Let me know if you decide to purchase. McSpadden makes great dulcimers. That model is a longer VSL which is 28.5.”

Hi all! I've found a listing for a McSpadden dulcimer near me, but I'm not sure what the model means. It's a McSpadden 4FHWR-F - 2009.

Can anyone assist?

I neglected to mention that the current (Summer 2024) issue of Dulcimer Players News has several pages (46-50 inclusive) on hammered dulcimers that I wrote -- most of it in 1969-70, but a little of it is new (and a little is not by me).  Kind of off-topic, but I haven't posted much here, recently, and I know many FOTMD members also read DPN.

I think Homer would be proud....And I didn't know congradtulations were in order too! Well done my good fellow!

In the interest of closure I'll post a photo of what I wanted to do, and ended up doing.  It isn't quite as secure or "finished" as I had hoped, but I had a deadline of Aug. 10th (getting married, in our "great room," or whatever the Arts & Crafts style calls a living room with an excessively high ceiling).  I ended up putting them on a blank wall over a sofa, rather than over one of the doorways.  If one happens to slip off before I have their mounts better secured, it will only fall about two feet, onto pillows.  The story I wanted to illustrate was the evolution of the German-American zitter (scheitholt, hummel) into the "hourglass" form of the mountain dulcimer.  And I illustrated it with good examples I've collected since 1963 when I bought my first one, new, from Homer Ledford.  I've called this fanned display of five instruments "Darwin's Dulcimers."

The unobtrusive mechanism I used for this display included a long nail set into the drywall, painted the same color as the wall; a clear vinyl loop made for attaching ID (such as a laminated business card) to the handle of a suitcase, or instrument case; and for the four instruments that lean inward at the bottom (to create the fan shape), a 3/16 inch dowel long enough to hold in the drywall, and to extend outward far enough to prevent the tail from returning to a vertical hanging position.

I was reasonably satisfied with the result, and several of the two dozen wedding guests were complimentary.  I think only one is a dulcimist, and one (besides me) a folklorist.  But many of the rest are musicians, and otherwise artistic folk.  It was anyway a friendly and forgiving bunch, and we had fun.  Party is over, the dulcimers live here and will stay up a while.

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I have two McSpaddens and one New Harmony Pudge Pro, at the moment. 

Just found this on that wonderful invention YouTube. a tapping techique on a dulcimer. Not really sure how to use it in a tune. but that what improvisation is for. Have fun Kids

It kinda makes sense to me that many of the 'traditional style' modern built dulcimers would fare better in bad weather, because they tend to be more slender and often made with slightly thicker wood and hardwood. As you get into instruments with larger soundboxes and thinner walls, i'd think the wood would be more affected by heat or dampness.  KenH- good point about the zither pin tuners.

@Nate , speaking of polyurethane... when i was attending early banjo/reenactment banjo gatherings, most of us played fretless 1800s-style repro banjos, with real calfskin heads that are very thin and large diameter. Those heads really reacted and stretched/sagged with the heat and humidity. One good trick we used beforehand was to lightly spray two coats of old fashioned Aquanet hair spray on both sides of the calfskin. That particular hairspray was very good at sealing out moisture- they didn't call it aqua-net for nothin'!  hahah  It made the thin calfskin much more stable in fluctuating weather conditions. 

I prefer hard woods for nuts and bridges -- the harder the better -- Lignum vitae, Snakewood, Ebony for exotics, Madrone, Osage Orange, Blue Beech, for American hardwoods.

My "adverse conditions" are usually heat, humidity and salt air.  My go-to instrument(s) are my traditional dulcemores with auto-harp tuning pegs rather than wooden pegs.

A lot of my dulcimers are plywood, and I very often use a few layers of polyurethane on them. (for solid wood dulcimers i much prefer oil) 
I am aware that conventional knowledge suggests allowing wood to breathe, but in rough weather or high humidity, I wonder if it's better to have an instrument that can "hold it's breath"
I have made two with no soundholes and with a heavy coating of polyurethane on the entire outside, including the fingerboard. They are essentially waterproof, and have traveled back and forth between inland and the coast multiple times with no noticeable warping. I left one of them on a back porch and it got rained on all night, and I just wiped all the water off, put new strings on it, and it was totally unaffected.
Probably not applicable for most people, but I definitely appreciate having a dulcimer that is specifically more weather resistant than the rest.

My strategy when facing adverse conditions as far as playing outside is simple. I cancel any plans to play outside. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Any of my traditional pieces. The old finishes are not in any way prone to cracking the way the lacquers can and so long as you are under 140 º and don't loosen the glue you should be O.K. Pegs are often not conducive to the changes in humidity but remember what Jean said, "spit on it".

Tell us what you do when you have to bring a dulcimer for playing outside in iffy weather.  Whether you are camping, at a festival, lots of car travel, or have an outdoor gig/jam... in hot/humid/rainy, or cold conditions. Which dulcimer do you pick to bring along so that you don't have to worry as much about it getting damaged? What's your dulcimer choice or your strategy when facing adverse conditions?

The only place I've used delrin is as John noted; bridge caps on the hammered dulcimers I've made. For mountain dulcimers I've used ebony, rosewood, walnut, oak ,and micarta. Each provides a pleasant sound. As to McSpadden using micarta, that would be for the bridge/saddle as they don't really have a nut since they use a zero fret. Now as to whether these materials are better than bone, it is subjective. Bone tends to give a sharp, crisp sound as does ebony. The other woods tend mellow out the sound depending upon hardness; at least to my ears.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for sharing this delightful story Nate. Yep, it was a wonderful way to start the day with good news.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

What a great story Nate!  Nice thing to read in starting my day.  😊

Oh, I'm glad for the good turn of events in this story, Nate!  The bundt pan dulcimer can bring joy to the older gentleman to whom you gave it again.  

The dulcimer 

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I gave away one of the first bundt pan dulcimers that I built to an older gentleman who is homeless and had a precarious lifestyle. Shortly thereafter he got ripped off and it was stolen from him and my dulcimer, that meant a lot to me, was suddenly being passed around amongst strangers. Eventually it was gifted to someone who gifted it to a very nice man, and by pure luck i met that man's wife, and the two of them gladly returned my dulcimer to me, that i may return it to its original recipient. Talk about a feel good ending!

Nate

In my opinion, any stiff and dense material transmits the energy well. Metal, plastic, bone, dense hardwoods, etc. Each will slightly alter the tone of the instrument, but only very slightly. I often use hardwoods out of convenience, or a metal zero fret for consistency of tone, but bone is my preference because it transmits super well, and I like the look of bone best. I'm not a big fan of the premade plastic ones because they are harder to alter, but they sound just as good.

Welcome, Jon, to our little world!  We're glad you're here.

As to your question of the differences between bone and Micarta or Delrin, all I can say is that I've used bone and Micarta, but not Delrin.  All sounded fine to me.  Bone is a bit disagreeable to cut (gives off the same smell as a dentist drilling your teeth), but has excellent sound conduction because it's so dense.  It's also very traditional for use on dulcimers of the past.  McSpadden makes extensive use of Micarta, and they claim it's superior to bone.  I think it's fine for nuts and bridges. Delrin is known for its lubricity, and is sometimes used for HAMMERED dulcimer bridge caps.  Seems strings would be less likely to hang-up when tuning.  I haven't yet encountered it as a dulcimer nut material. 

Hi kids hoping to pick everybody's brain. has to do with nut and saddle Material 

I know folk craft uses (plastic) nuts and bridges, Micarta, Delrin.  My question has to do with the material, are These materials better than bone? or is bone a much better material ? Okay that's it kids thanks again for all the good information.  So what do you think 

Sorry for taking so long to reply, but it has taken me a while to search for them. I did find a reference to Joyce and Richard Angell in her mother's obituary in 2009. I also found a reference where someone mentioned Joyce as the maker of her dulcimer. And that's it. There still is a Richard H. Angell living in Texarkana on McKeehan Lane. His mother-in-law's last name was McKeehan. I don't know if that area had a split in area code as the phone number begins with a different on than on the card but follows with the 799 prefix. The listing gives two female relatives neither of whom is a Joyce. His age is listed as 71. This was all I could get for free. I have no idea if this the dulcimer maker.

Now as the dulcimer itself, I think you can assume that the dulcimer was made by one or the other Angell. It appears to be well built and is nicely decorated. As to value it is anyone's guess. Obviously the Angell's are not well known as dulcimer makers. My guess is that on a site like eBay it would probably bring between $200 and $300 dollars.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I’m in deep creek,  Valdiva st.   Mtn dulcimer 

This dulcimer was given to me many years ago by my older sister who has since passed away. The accompanying folder contains instructions on how to use it and 9 songs.  Attached to the folder is a business card "Angell Dulcimer Handmade Instruments".  Am I to infer that this dulcimer was made by Richard Angell?  Will this information be sufficient in helping me determine the value of the dulcimer?  I am looking to sell it.  I also want to sell it to someone who appreciates the craft and hopefully will play it.  I'm getting up in years myself and am selling possessions that I would like to know are in the right hands. 

The folder came with the Dulcimer.  I had to crop the folder pictures because they would not upload. The card has "Angell Dulcimer Handmade Instruments". Would this infer that R H Angell made this Dulcimer?  I was not able to reach that number.

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I got mine from strings by mail.

Thanks for the specific recommendations, @skip.  The D'Addario option is similar to my current string (La Bella), but I'll try to locate one of those flatwound strings you mention.  I'd prefer not buy a whole set since I only need one string, but if it will work I'm not opposed to the idea.

@Strumelia, that's good advice, and I already have the specific gauges used by the builder, who, incidentally, is also creating an alternative bridge for me should I choose to string the dulcimer with steel strings.

An "occasional squeak" would not be objectionable. I find it a nice reminder that making music is a tactile experience.  But one of my philosophies of dulcimer playing has been to keep your fingers down as you move from one chord position to another to facilitate a fast and smooth transition.  That strategy is not working on this dulcimer, at least not on the bass string at present. I find myself re-evaluating my technique.