Forum Activity for @ken-longfield

Thanks. Lisa. I found a few minutes to sit, so I worked on it. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Good one, Ken.  

I created an event notice for the Homecoming. Once Lisa approves it, it will appear in the Events listings. I supplied the date, place, and link to the Homecoming website. Let me know if you think there should be more there.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

To whoever submits the notice in our site's "Events/Festivals" list....some info bits you should know:

1) it's free

2) you can add an image to the listing, which makes it way more eye catching interesting to look at.

3) It won't actually show up for the general membership until I approve it- but I'll be watching for it and will approve it right away once it's submitted by someone.

4) make sure just 'one' person is going to submit it to the fotmd calendar, so there are not 'dueling submissions'.   ;)

5) to create the calendar listing, you need to do it from your own profile page.

Ken L's got it, John K.  There's something in the works for getting word out here in near future, though. 

That's a good question John. My guess is that none of the organizers are members here. If I had time I would do it, but I'm really busy tomorrow and heading out of town for a few days and will have spotty internet connections. Maybe I'll do it when I get home, if someone doesn't do it before me.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Why hasn't this weekend been listed with the upcoming events and festivals yet?

At least post the dates for folks to set aside on their calendars.  Time's a-wastin'!

Richard,  you said, "Hoefully that [noter/drone] influence will be felt." 

Have no worries!

I know the class sessions haven't been announced, yet, but there are many fine noter/drone players-performers-instructors-enthusiasts on the staff, so there's no doubt that you will have a fine offering of classes in this playing style. Also, as Ken H. points out, outside the class times there will, additionally, be a lot of great music sharing among the participants and you can join whichever group draws your interest...many of these will be noter/drone. 

I've been to Hindman many times for a variety of events and am sorry I will miss this since I'll be out of state at another dulcimer gathering the same weekend. I know most of the people on staff and they will provide what you're looking for!   I hope you do get to go and if you do get there, I hope you have a grand time!  Tell us all about it when it's over!

Thanks Ken and Ken. I would like to go. Wanted to see what sessions might be offered. Glad to hear there was good input via facebook (I don't do facebook). Hopefully that influence will be felt.

I'm reasonably sure there will be a good bit of N&D things.  There was a pretty vociferous chain of posts on FB concerning that very subject.  Some of us are planning getting together for just such activities not matter how much 'official' N&D there is...

Richard, as fas I know, the workshop offerings have not been posted yet. I know a couple of people made the suggestion to Lorinda Jones that she offer such a workshop. There will be a few noter drone players there.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Hi @kb9jlo

i just now saw your question today so I'm a bit late for the Christmas songs. However I wanted to tell you something that may help in playing for your grand darlings to sing along. You already know that you will find most songs tabbed for the DAD tuning. If you need to sing in a bit lower key, which is often needed, then you can tune to CGC and play the exact same tab as you do for DAD.

That would mean you lower each string by one.

Does anyone know if some of the sessions will have noter drone emphasis?

Wood Quills or Quill Bobbins are readily available on places like Ebay.......and they are dirt cheap.  When I worked for a textile company during the summers during undergraduate school we threw thousands of them away because the company had changed over to paper quills.   Those wooden quills screw/or slide into the the right side center gap of the wooden shuttle with the thread/yarn wound around them.  Most I saw were made of oak or some other type hard wood.  I'll bet they would indeed make excellent noters, especially if one side was sanded flat..........great idea Charles.......Bravo!

yep, I'm also a weaver, and yep, that a bobbin and it looks cool to use as a noter.  aloha, irene

Charles, that's just cool. 

Thanks, Ken L !

Yes, that is a bobbin. A spool of thread would have been put on that and then then run through the loom.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Whatever it is, it works great! It's made from some very hard wood and the weight at the end helps.

Should be a great noter, that's for sure!  

I'm trying this out as a noter. I know it's old (100+ years) and I think it may be part of an old loom, maybe a bobbin. Anyone have any other guesses?

 IMG_1923.jpg - 86KB

Just to clarify the original question- Red78445 has an instrument that (presumably) already has a finish on it and wants to enhance the finish.

Some finishes cant be applied over another type (i.e., applying boiled linseed oil over a cured shellac finish). If it was a specific type of finish, I would go with a newer application of the same on the prepared surface.

If its just a 'spit shine', I think some furniture or paste wax might be the best option. There are tons of suggestions available in various woodworking/luthier forums.

On the website, entitled "Luthiers Mercantile International", I did find the following info: 

•  If you are working with minimal equipment and working space (possibly a small area or table in your home) your instrument can be effectively finished by either brushing water-based lacquer, French polishing shellac, or wiping on an oil varnish.  Each of these finishes is non-hazardous and can be safely applied in your home with no more equipment than brushes or cotton cloths.  The oil is the absolute easiest to apply, brushing the water-based lacquer is slightly more involved, and the French polishing requires the most practice and skill.  The resulting instrument finish from any one of these materials can range from merely adequate to true professional level depending on your experience and skill.

As far as the tung oil is concerned, I do use Formby's low gloss tung oil finish; which is not 100% pure. I take the surfaces of the dulcimer to 320 grit. I then use a cloth pad to apply 3 to 5 coats, depending on how it is working with the particular wood I am using at the time. I lightly scuff the surface with 320 between coats. Final is with #0000 steel wool and a wax polish. 

I would like to do that experiment sometime, but not sure my ear is attuned sufficiently to tell a difference.  Nice instruments you are making.... :)

No, actually, I have done it with other features, but not comparing oil to lacquer.  The times I have used oil, I was just not happy with the results.

That is a good suggestion Matt.   That would be the only way to know for sure, of course both the top, bottom, and sides would have to be out of the same piece of wood, on both dulcimers.  Have you already done sibling dulcimers; one with tung oil and one with another type of finish?  Is that how you know oil finishes dampen the sound?

When asking such a question, I always build sibling dulcimers.  Cut the sound board and sides out of the same piece of wood.  Then finish one with tung oil and the other with lacquer or shellac.  That should answer the question.

I have been using tung oil exclusively and am not aware of any sound 'dampening'.  There are some posts on the web that allude to a slight dampening effect, but i cannot find any serious research addressing the dampening concern. If anyone knows of such a study please let me know. Maybe my ear is not sufficiently 'tuned' to notice any 'damping'.  

I am not a fan of using oils on any part of an instrument.  I find they soak into the wood and deaden the sound.  As Bob Schuler said use wax.

Personally I would not use linseed oil: 

Wood finish [ edit ]

When used as a  wood finish , linseed oil dries slowly and shrinks little upon hardening. Linseed oil does not cover the surface as varnish does, but soaks into the (visible and microscopic) pores, leaving a shiny but not glossy surface that shows off the grain of the wood. A linseed oil finish is easily scratched, and easily repaired. Only wax finishes are less protective. Liquid water penetrates a linseed oil finish in mere minutes, and water vapour bypasses it almost completely. [5]   Garden furniture  treated with linseed oil may develop  mildew . Oiled wood may be yellowish and is likely to darken with age. Because it fills the pores, linseed oil partially protects wood from denting by compression.

What is the original finish on the instrument?

Just polish with a good furniture wax. Oil might gunk up over time... Robert

I just bought this dulcimer guitar used (but very new). I am wondering since it is mahogany would rubbing it down with boiled linseed oil every so often help it stay new or kill it instantly? 

Gale, you have gotten lots of good responses. I have a condenser mic made, according to the box for vocals (lavalier clip on) or an instrument microphone.  It comes with a pinch type clip for a guitar sound hole. 

Ron Ewing  ( http://www.ronewingdulcimers.com) sold me mine probably 10 years or more ago. He made the clip-on apparatus for the dulcimer, which looks a lot like his capos, just longer to span the body of the dulcimer. Sounds great though it takes some experimentation to find the sweet spot for mounting it. It is a pretty nifty set up.

It runs on one AA battery. The power pack attaches to your belt, pocket or music stand. You will need a cord with female XLR on one end and 1/4" male fitting on the other to attach to your amp. I use a cheap (legacy) karoke amp which has a cassette deck and it sounds pretty good. I am sure it could sound better with a higher end pre-amp and amplifier.

 Mic 3.jpg - 52KB

Hi  @fordferguson . I don't have any personal experience with Black Mountain Dulcimers, so I can't offer the kind of information you seek.  But let me point out that we have a whole Forum discussion devoted to specific instruments and luthiers .  That might be a better place to pose that question rather than this discussion where people share stories of their first dulcimer.

Your welcome, Don. I figured it was easier to post the link rather than try to summarize all the information here.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I would appreciate any input related to Black Mountain dulcimers by David Johnson