Forum Activity for @lois-sprengnether-keel

O.k. here's a clue that's probably important.  My download has an extension of .wrc.  I just did a quick search on Google and will see where that gets me.

Hi Dusty & Marc & Brian, et al (including anybody here named Al),

I started downloading to a flashdrive back when I wrote 17 hours ago.  It finally has finished and it was going up until a few minutes ago as I got home and checked.  At that time I saw it was somewhat over 4 1/2 GB which is why I chose the flashdrive I used.  BTW AVG complained at me 3 times about some malware -- I think it was Smiley something or other.  Each time I clicked off, since it was stopped and I didn't want to do a scan or anything else while doing the site mirroring.  For most of that time only the download was happening.

I can see ED is on the flashdrive, but when I go to open it, I'm asked what app I want to use to open it.  DUH! I haven't a clue.  My browser doesn't open it.  Now what?  I don't even know enough to know what kind of an app I need.

Computers!  There's always something more to learn!

Marc, the download will happen faster if you download everything to your hard drive.  You can always move it to a flash drive after that.

Hi Marc, I tried putting the various named apps in at the Google Playstore and got nowhere, then went looking for website copiers.  At one point I downloaded a "free" copier only to find it needed me to move up to a licensed, a.k.a. paid, copier.  This is the link,  https://www.httrack.com/ , to take you to the copier Brian named.  Maybe I was slow figuring it out, but probably I'm not the only one.  Can't give a final word on all this as it has only been running for 8 minutes with 180 some files copied. 

I will say check your flash drive's Properties first to be sure how much space exists.  Along the way I found a few flash drives with forgotten information.

Hi @marc-mathieu. I didn't actually do it myself. I was reacting to the comments @brian-g made after he downloaded the entire site.  He used a website copier program called HTTrack, but in his comments below he lists several other programs that do the same thing.  Those programs don't just download files but reproduce the entire website.  And I'm still amazed it is all less than 4GB.  I have a small jump drive half the size of my pinky that holds 128 GB and I've used about half that memory already.

I used stewmacs nut and bridge files to cut  the grooves, and yes  it is only on the open string note. 

Thanks for the suggestion, I will give it a try

I agree with Ken about the likely culprit, although are all notes affected or just open string?  I'm just now getting back to dulcimers after a 40 year hiatus with little knowledge except for something like your problem.  If the string is not in firm contact with the bridge at the point of exit to the playing area, then what you describe could happen.  I had something similar but it was a little easier to troubleshoot since it only made the noise as an open string.  With no zero fret, the problem was easily isolated to the nut where the string was actually only touching it at a point farthest from the frets.  Odd resonance on the far side of the zero fret might happen, but if it is, then muting that area with your finger should change the twang.

BTW, why a 30" VSL, etc.  I will be using your info in trying to re-string the big boys in my picture whose dimensions are nearly identical to yours.

Odd  twang . .. I suspect  the  notch  in  the  bridge ...too  wide  at the  bottom, not  angled correctly  .. something . How did  you  cut  them?  Triangle  file? Jewelers  saw?

(bump)

I have built several dulcimers from 16" to 30" VSL.  The latest one has 30" VSL, Lower bout  is 8 1/2", upper bout is 7"  and is 2 " thick. Sides and back are walnut and top is ambrosia maple.

I started out with 12,12,16,24 strings and the melody and bass sounded fine, smooth and mellow, but the middle string has an odd twang . I used Struthers string gage and it recommended 9,9,12 and 18. after switching, I used 10,10,12,20. the middle string still has that strange twang. My instruments all have zero fret but could the problem still be in the nut that keeps the strings in position? the bridge was originally ebony but I changed that to bone . Still get that off sound. Action is very low as I dish the fretboard slightly  midway to allow a lower bridge, could it be too low? No buzzing

I appreciate any thoughts

Bill Robison

Thanks, Ariane, Terry and Barb.  It was a surprise.  It's just fun for me to play with these folks and to have me and the dulcimer be accepted by them.

Congratulations, what a great looking group!

Barb

Congratulations, Rob - that is really great. Very nice pictures! 

Thank you DT, Ken, Janene, Jim and Cindy.  It's been a fun time playing in a band, particularly one of this genre. We may look "fun" but really we're a bunch of crusty old farts (Except Susie and Brian and Christy who wasn't there.)

Congratulations!!!  This is awesome!!! 

Way to go, Rob.

 That is VERY cool! Congrats.  Fun looking group!

Congratulations, Rob! A well deserved honor.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I picked up three Herdim picks, which are nice. I also got three Clayton cork grip picks. I do like these. The cork side goes next to your thumb and the point is bent inward a tiny bit. It is a bit thinner than I've used lately but works nicely with the new dulcimer.

Congratulations, Rob.  That really cool!  

Sunday we were presented with the Traditions award from the Folklife Center of Fairmont State University.  We played for about 20 minutes after the presentation of the award.

Pictures below

It was a great honor to receive it.

 IMG_0259.jpg - 224KB

I have a Clemmer Tennesee Sweetie and a BanJammer love them both. Very well made and excellent sound.

They have arrived and look very pretty but, as anticipated they are rigid. I can discern no difference in the sound that they make individually but that may change over time.  Their dimensions are identical and they are polished. I would imagine that experienced players would adapt and use them properly but, for now, the more conventional picks, Dunlop Tortex, Herdim, Everly Star, Gibson etc make a nicer sound when I play. Nevertheless, I will persevere. I like this "dulcimer stuff". It's good, isn't it ?

 Thai Sindoro.jpg - 117KB

Robin, thanks so much!  Your descriptive word for this sound, "flatfoot" is perfect.. I can close my eyes and see someone dancing in old leather shoes on the wood floor...  

Thanks to all for the replies and special thanks to Robin for taking the trouble to make a new video to show the fat felt pick.

My wooden picks will be arriving on Friday and I will report back.

Strumelia,

Here's a new video.  If the percussive sound doesn't come through enough, feel free to let me know.  :)

Strumelia, I did have a video yet must've taken it off the internet awhile ago.  Maybe I can do another demo sometime.  

Hey Robin- didn't you used to have a video on here demonstrating your felt pick?  It was great...where'd it go?  

When putting simply the word "picks" in our site-wide search engine, it pulls up a veritable feast of pink adventures to enjoy exploring:

https://fotmd.com/search/results/all/1/25?search_string=picks   

I wrote a blog post a few years back describing my own fickle adventures with picks as well:

https://dulcimer-noter-drone.blogspot.com/2009/03/take-your-pick.html

Like Robert, I make my picks from various plastic lids and containers.  (I cut them into a big kidney bean shape.) They are big enough I have lots of points of contact so can have a very loose hand to hold one.  Unless I'm strumming the daylights out of something and I hold tighter.  :)

The harder the wood the better.  Harder wood can be sanded much thinner and played longer before the tin edge at the tip wears away.  Maple is good, myrtle also (nearly as hard), and I really like bamboo splits from a culm that is big enough that  you don't have to deal (much) with the curved surfaces.  Bamboo, of course has a lot of silicon in it, which makes it particularly tough.

Oak is hard enough, but not pretty.  Walnut may be pretty and tough, but the thin edges wear out quickly.  Hickory, Birch, Ash are also good.

Ken H, when you make your wooden strummers does the type of wood you use make much difference? Are there any you definitely would use or definitely NOT use?

I make my picks from various plastic lids and containers. They fit my loose style of strumming. No matter which pick you choose always be sure they can't fit into the sound holes. I'm always amazed how easily a pick can fall into one.😂...Robert

On guitar and mandolin I use small hard hard picks made of Tortex, a material which gives a sound similar to the traditional tortoise shell picks of the past. One gets a big sound from a hard pick. I tried stone picks, wood pick, and even coins, but discovered I want a little bit of flex in the pick. The problem with using a really stiff pick is learning to roll the thumb so that one can play softly. 

I have never wanted to play dulcimer loudly. I have noisier noiemakers for that, resonator guitars and five-string banjos. That's why I like a more limber strummer or my thumb for the dulcimer.

But by all means experiment. Discover what sounds good to you. In artistic circles, this is what's call "finding your voice."

Wooden "picks"  called 'strummers' were fairly common in the Olde Dayes of dulcimer and well into mid-20th century.  Robin Clark in Wales uses one periodically as do I and several others I know of.  He found an old video of someone (Nettie Presnell??) playing with a strummer.  

I make my own strummers from a variety of hardwoods -- maple, chestnut, yew, oak, bamboo, myrtle, etc.  I have a Lignum Vitae noter, but not a strummer.  The strummers I make are about 3-4" long and 3/4" wide -- roughly index finger size -- and are generally used with broad sweeping motions mostly.  Thickness varies from 1/8" to a feather edge, averaging about 1/16".

I also have a pick made from Vegetable Ivory.  When I was out in the Pacific I picked up a number of Ivory Nut Palm nuts, and carved picks from them.  Most went to dulcimer and uke playing local friends out there.

I really should settle for one pick and practise more. Unfortunately, I allow myself to be distracted and when I am not reading different books about the dulcimer and watching YouTube videos I find myself moving in the direction of eBay to see what is on offer.

Tonight I found wooden picks. Being married to a Thai lady it was a given that I would buy a Thai Sindora one. I decided on two very hard woods - Lignum Vitae and Ironwood - as two others.

Is anybody able to give an opinion on these, please?

This is a link to a British website which has these on sale.

http://www.gear4music.com/TimberTones

I can easily understand how your American forefathers used quills, leather and wooden noters as plastic was not available to them. Having read a lot about noter/drone playing I am surprised that I have found no mention of wooden picks and the woods used to make them. 

I would imagine that wooden picks were used and that somebody here will know about them.

Now, I really must get that thing out of its case and apply myself.

Aw!

That one of the kitten and the dulcimer got me thinking of an old piano instrumental piece called "Kitten on the Keys" and how there needs to be one for Kitten on the Dulcimer -- maybe with some meowing.

As long as Sally Ann doesn't  mistake it for a scratching post, may she learn there are people's toys, too.😉

That's one beautiful cat. I know you will enjoy her. Thanks for adopting a rescue.