I recently purchased this dulcimer on an online auction. It is signed in pencil as “Mountain Dulcimer by Keith Johnson, Sporting Hill, PA-1988”.
i just wondered if anyone ever heard of him, or if he might be a member here.
There was a sales receipt in the case that shows it was purchased by a former owner at a music shop In Campbelltown, PA for 174.00. I picked it up for 85.00.
I tend to up the string gauges for noter drone playing, particularly for the melody string (I like just one melody string). I like working a heavy melody string with a reasonably stiff pick. There is a volume difference from different string gauges - the key being to match the string gauge to the pitch used at an optimal tension for the string's performance - but that also has to match your playing style. In my opinion, dulcimer string gauges are generally too light. Early instruments would have typically had heavier strings and, when played in noter drone style, would have been quite loud instruments.
Hey Ken, What are the strings for your noter/drone. I just bought a used McSpadden and ordered strings from them. When I told them I would be switching from DAD to DAA, they sent me .022 Bass and middle and melody are .012. I'm not sure I really like the sound. This will be my noter/drone dulcimer. Dulcinina
Switch to a single melody string (0.012 or 0.013 for A), move the (now 3) drones closer together and be particular about your tuning accuracy. DAA A will work OK to start with. DAd A is good for tunes that emphasise the 4th, 2nd or 6th of the scale. EAA A is another great tuning (key of A). Record your playing and listen back to the sound - then think about adjusting the melody to drone balance (pitch and gauge) depending on what you hear in the recordings.
Jimmy -- dulcimer volume is related to the interior volume of the instrument (cubic inches under the hood), square inches of sound hole, and how much the back of the instrument is allowed to vibrate.
Search here for information about a "possum board". Think of it as a non-electric amplifier. Dulcimers create their sound a bit differently than a guitar -- the top has that huge brace called a fretboard, and doesn't create a lot of the sound. If the back is allowed to vibrate freely instead of being muffled in your lap, you get a lot more volume. A possum board, or a double backed dulcimer are two ways to get more volume. A possum board can be made for any dulcimer, and some of us build them for sale on request.
I built a wooden travel box/case for one of my dulcimers that doubles as a possum board.
You can, of course, get an expensive or inexpensive pickup, stick it on/in your dulcimer and play through a mini-amp; but where's the fun in that?
Dulcinia, my main noter/drone instrument is one I built based on the C.N. Prichard dulcimer. It is three strings, wood pegs, and a 28" VSL. I use a plain 0.020 and two 0.014s for the middle and melody.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Dulcinina -- Unless we have the same VSL, my strings won't necessarily be your strings. Also I rarely anymore tune DAA or DAd; I tune to Bagpipe C -- that is Ccc. Most of my instruments are 27" -- half way between the short and long VSL McSpads. I use 22 ga plain steel (not-wound) for my bass strings, and for the middle and melody c's I use 11ga.
I feel that plain steel bass strings give more of the 'high silvery' olde tyme sound that I prefer.
If you have a long scale (28+") McSpad in D I would use 20 ga plain steel for the bass and 12 ga for the middle drone and melody.
For a short scale (26") McSpad in D I would use the same 20 plain steel bass, but go up to 14 ga for the middle and melody strings.
What is it you don't like about the sound? The fact that you're in DAA instead of DAd the change can take some getting used to? Is the sound 'muddy', or harsh?
Dulcinina -- Unless we have the same VSL, my strings won't necessarily be your strings. Also I rarely anymore tune DAA or DAd; I tune to Bagpipe C -- that is Ccc. Most of my instruments are 27" -- half way between the short and long VSL McSpads. I use 22 ga plain steel (not-wound) for my bass strings, and for the middle and melody c's I use 11ga.
I feel that plain steel bass strings give more of the 'high silvery' olde tyme sound that I prefer.
If you have a long scale (28+") McSpad in D I would use 20 ga plain steel for the bass and 12 ga for the middle drone and melody.
For a short scale (26") McSpad in D I would use the same 20 plain steel bass, but go up to 14 ga for the middle and melody strings.
What is it you don't like about the sound? The fact that you're in DAA instead of DAd the change can take some getting used to? Is the sound 'muddy', or harsh?
Hey Ken, What are the strings for your noter/drone. I just bought a used McSpadden and ordered strings from them. When I told them I would be switching from DAD to DAA, they sent me .022 Bass and middle and melody are .012. I'm not sure I really like the sound. This will be my noter/drone dulcimer. Dulcinina
Take KenH's advice. Just make sure you purchase the appropriate end (either ball or loop) string depending on how they attache to the dulcimer. I couldn't see that in your photo. I'd measure the VSL and check the calculator for the tunings I want to use. If you tune DAA and DAd (switching between the two) you might want a thicker middle string. On my dulcimer with a 27" VSL I use a 0.011 melody, a 0.013 middle, and a phosphor bronze wound 0.024 bass. I use a different set on my strictly noter/drone dulcimer.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Strings are strings are strings. Brand has virtually nothing to do with things. You choose string gauges according to the VSL of your dulcimer and what open bass string tuning you want -- key of C, D, G, etc. and the accompanying drones and melody strings. A String Gauge Calculator like the Strothers' --- http://strothers.com/string_choice.html --- can guide you. Or purchase any of the 'standard' dulcimer string sets from D'Arco, D'Addario, Martin, etc. Personally I buy bulk strings for a lot cheaper, from www.juststrings.com
"Louder" really isn't a function of strings, but rather how firmly you strum, how your dulcimer is constructed, use of a possum board or not, or several other factors.
Where do you buy your dulcimer strings? I just purchased a used dulcimer, and I thought a string change would be in order. Are there other considerations that I should be thinking about in terms of gauge or how they are wound?
I like my sound to be louder than it is, if that’s possible.
Do your pets (such as a sophisticated Vizsla -- which is a good title for a song) care about the mode you're in? Seriously!
I had a small, loyal and intense tabby cat who would lie next to me in perfect contentment when I played dulcimer. As long as it was Ionian or Mixolydian. If I re-tuned to Aeolian or Dorian she would stiffen up, lay her ears back in fighting position, crouch there stubbornly for a few minutes waiting for me to reconsider the error of my ways, and eventually give up on me and leave the room in a snit. No minor modes for her!
That is a very good question! I am kind of a slacker when it comes to tuning, so I stay in mixolydian (or as close as I can get to it) all the time. I may have to do the experiment though. If I were a gambling man, I'd wager a dime to a doughnut that she would be wigged out by phrygian and locrian modes. Probably just because those are the strangest sounding names to me though. I don't have the empirical evidence, yet.
Sophisticated Vizsla is a indeed great song name, and I am kicking myself for not calling dibs on that! According to my admittedly lame understanding of copyright law you might now have the rights to it, in perpetuity, and that's a mighty long time! I call dibs on 'The Synchopated Vizsla,' and 'The Exonerated Vizsla.' I think the former could be nice a jazz tune, and the latter a ballad about how her brother (black dog in the previous photo) was stone-cold busted after years of framing her for chewing up raw sweet potatoes while we were out of the house.
That is so funny about your tabby cat! She sounds like she was a real character!
JP, As Ken says, clicking on the thumbnail of your picture opens it up in the browser sufficiently large. If you click on the file name it asks you to download it.
However, there is also another way to embed pictures in posts. You chose to attach your picture using the "Attach File" button. You can also directly embed a picture using the "Embed Local Media" tab, which is the penultimate icon on the tool bar. It looks like a piece of film. If you click on that you can embed a picture directly into the textbox. You will have the option of about 14 different picture sizes. The medium option looks like this:
JP, As Ken says, clicking on the thumbnail of your picture opens it up in the browser sufficiently large. If you click on the file name it asks you to download it.
However, there is also another way to embed pictures in posts. You chose to attach your picture using the "Attach File" button. You can also directly embed a picture using the "Embed Local Media" tab, which is the penultimate icon on the tool bar. It looks like a piece of film. If you click on that you can embed a picture directly into the text box. You will have the option of about 14 different picture sizes. The medium option looks like this:
When I click on your Attached photo and Open it, the pic shows up plenty large.
Do your pets (such as a sophisticated Vizsla -- which is a good title for a song) care about the mode you're in? Seriously!
I had a small, loyal and intense tabby cat who would lie next to me in perfect contentment when I played dulcimer. As long as it was Ionian or Mixolydian. If I re-tuned to Aeolian or Dorian she would stiffen up, lay her ears back in fighting position, crouch there stubbornly for a few minutes waiting for me to reconsider the error of my ways, and eventually give up on me and leave the room in a snit. No minor modes for her!
you guys probably no this already but on the outside chance that you do not. i bought this nice capo awhile back... i do not really no how or why to use it but it makes me look professional. I keep it on my dulcimer right above the NUT. i noticed the other day that my pick fits right in the lil gap and holds tightly.... do you know how many time i could not find my pick?? Problem solved.
is there away to get a full size picture posted?
Great picture! I prefer drone-noter, too. . . Perhaps we're related!?! haha
You have received good advice. Put new strings on it of the right gauge, tighten the tuners that slip, make sure your electronic tuner is calibrated to A=440 and tune as Skip said, A and D below middle C.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
@davesterino Vizsla is sophisticated! :)
Indeed, she has good ears! I think she prefers drone-noter to chords, but she is generally amenable to both styles :)
That tuner should work just fine. Check the calibration, it should be set to 440.
Maybe one of the folks here will recognize the name and the instrument. In any case it will be fine to learn on. The one thing I can think of that may cause a problem later is it may not be made for equal temperament tuning. As long as you play alone that should not be a problem.
Certainly looks good for a starter instrument.
As mentioned, the tuners are easily tightened to keep the tuning pegs from slipping. Tighten them 1/8 turn, and then try to adjust the tuning and see if they still slip.
New strings -- you'll want "loop end" strings, not "ball end" strings. Any set of strings labelled "Dulcimer" will be adequate to learn with. DO NOT take off all the strings at the same time. Take off one; replace it. Then take off another one...
You may have broken that middle string because you might have been trying to tune to "the wrong A". Do you have an electronic tuner? If not, here's a link to audio files where you can hear the correct notes to tune to:
http://susantrump.com/tune-your-dulcimer.html
When tuning strings, Do Not tune 'still' strings. Hold the tuner and pluck the string. While it's still humming, give the tuner knob a quarter turn. If the sound if the string did not go up or down, STOP, and move the tuning knob back. You have the wrong tuner for that string. Try again.
FYI, I've attached a copy of an article I wrote several years ago called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What? It is an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms so we all speak the same lingo. Plus it has answers to many beginner questions about the tuning, playing, care and feeding of your instrument.
Hi Lisa, I'm up the road from you in Cary. We have a lot of dulcimer groups, workshops, and jams in NC. Welcome to the club. IMHO, a good cleaning and conditioning, and some new tuners and strings, and it looks to me like you got lucky at the thrift store!
Lisa, can you tell us the length, in inches, between the nut and the bridge? If it's 28" or longer, it might be a bit of a strain for those cheaper older tuners to hold the strings up to DAA or DAd. I have an old 1970s kit dulcimer that had tuners like yours, and the screw threads just didn't hold very well anymore. Perhaps if you get slightly lighter gauge strings, and/or tune down a step to CGG or CGC (instead of DAA or DAd) ...the tuners might be better at holding.
I wound up replacing the tuners on mine with some new (but using same sized holes) inexpensive tuners... that helped, but actually it didn't totally cure the issue for my kit dulcimer, alas. Mine remains a little frustrating to tune. Your mileage may vary.
It' looks good to me. There may be a label inside at the lower hearts. The pegs can be adjusted by tightening the screw on the end of the pegs, it won't take much. New strings are probably justified but you can loosen then move the longer of the melody strings to the center position temporarily. Loosen it enough to remove it from the nail on the end and move it over also. The D and A you're looking for are the ones just below middle C. You can find a sound bit of C with a search.
Hi Lisa,
I am no expert, but I'm thinking you just need a new set of strings. As far as the pegs slipping I think that might easily be fixed too. It looks like there is a screw that goes thru the tuning peg. Maybe if you just tighten it slightly it will hold better. I wouldn't tighten it too much. Just enough to hold the peg in place. Hope this helps some. I'm sure someone else more knowledgeable will chime in soon if I am wrong. Good luck!
Hello all,
I am new to this group and the dulcimer. I purchased a used dulcimer at a local thrift shop and quickly fell in love with the idea of learning to play the instrument based on some videos I watched. My original goal was to use this instrument to see if I could learn to play and later upgrade.
The first thing I did was attempt to tune the dulcimer. I was trying for DAA. I had to work a bit to get the D to hold, but eventually I got it. The middle string was very challenging because I realized the pegs were slipping. I could see it slowly turning. There was a high pitched sound as the peg turned back. Eventually, I could get to A, although it didn’t hold for long and I started to work on strumming. On an attempt to tune the middle string to A, it popped. Now I am left wondering if this instrument is good enough to learn the basics on and have new strings installed, or if I just need to find another dulcimer. After looking at pictures of other Dulcimers, I suspect this may not be very well made. I will attach a few pictures and I appreciate any feedback. Thanks so much.
Hi Don -
I purchased mine at the Evart, MI Funfest this summer and I think it was about $180. I am not seeing the stand on the Gary's website yet- https://www.prussiavalley.com/ but I am sure you could give Gary a call to discuss. It can be folded up nicely for transport. Let me know if you want some photos.
Welcome Lisa!
For determining whether your instrument is playable or needs work, I'd suggest you create a new discussion in the following Forum:
-use the Plus (+) button to create a new discussion.
I also suggest you look over our site Groups and join any that interest you- that makes it even more FUN to be on the site! :)
Be sure to explore the various links along the TOP navigation bar to get familiar with the site layout.
And here's a forum for asking questions when you can't figure out the site settings or how to post something:
https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/site-questions-how-do-i
For anyone looking for general info on whether a song is copyrighted or public domain, also for online lists of public domain songs and tunes, please see our Group on the subject:
https://fotmd.com/strumelia/group/40/public-domain-or-not
Remember, to post in a Group you must click the "JOIN" button there to join the group first. You can click the button again at any time to UNjoin the group, btw.
I have one of Gary Sager's dulcimer stands. Beautiful oak and has multiple adjustments available to customize to your needs.
MP3 is always good. I think what most members seem to do is to add their audio file to the site's audio section, and then they just post a link to the audio clip as it appears on FOTMD.
To add an audio to your site content on FOTMD, follow these simple steps:
Any audio or video files you add to your profile page sections/tabs will appear and be searchable in FOTMD's Audio or Video collections, as seen in the top navigation bar for the site.
I Just Got A.pdf - 1MB
