Forum Activity for @damon

Hi, I'm Damon. I'm a fisherman, tackle maker, filmmaker and composer. Totally new to the dulcimer world. The thing is I compose all the music for my YouTube channel. I want to add an electric dulcimer to use as a controller of sorts for my modular synthesizer. I'm not sure if I need a solid body dulcimer with a magnetic pickup, but I suspect a Piezo pick up would suffice as the synth has a signal amplifier and envelop follower to generate gates and control voltages to control the synth.

Check out this video to hear the kind of music I compose: https://youtu.be/Y8FyNbTsNKE?si=Gs_CvqYvixUxHywe

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Attached is a picture of my modular synthesizer. It's totally Frankenstein. You have total control over the sound. Everything has to be patched with a wire and tweaked with knobs. I've been looking for a way to fuse an acoustic instrument with modular synths.

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This is a link to his Facebook page where he plays his latest dulcimer. I don't know if all his dulcimers sound like this one.

https://www.facebook.com/1476972546/videos/pcb.10227628895016066/642826021478704

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I have seen a few posts of instruments built by Robert Worth.  I get the impression that he has been a woodworker/builder for quite a while. Does anyone have any experiencewith/opinions on his instruments.  As far as appearance goes, they are quite beautiful but I haven't been able to find much as far as their sound goes.  Any help would be very much appreciated.  Thx!

John's given you good advice. Just make sure any wax you use is silicone free. You can call McSpadden and ask them what they would do. Just do a search for The Dulcimer Shoppe or McSpaden and you will find the phone number. BTW, the obvious way to tell that you have four string rather than six string dulcimer is that you have only four tuning machines on the headstock. The FM12W is a nice instrument. Enjoy playing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Best wishes with your new to you McSpadden. I know you will enjoy it a great deal.

Hello!  Welcome to this site!  We're happy to help you out with your questions about your McSpadden dulcimer.

Regarding the light scratches on your fretboard, you could use some liquid wax polish on the entire top surface, applied with some fine (000) steel wool, let dry then buff off the wax. This would also shine the frets at the same time!

The wood is black walnut, and everything but the top, bottom and sides should be solid wood all the way through. Light sanding should be OK.  McSpadden didn't stain any parts-- it's all clear lacquer finish on the walnut.

Adding strap buttons is as easy as you say. I would center the tail button under the endpins.  Drill a pilot hole for the screw in the tailblock, put a dab of soap or wax on the point of the screw, and attach the button. The top button can be attached to the heel of the peghead, either at the end or on the right side. This is a solid block of walnut.

These McSpadden dulcimers always had 4 strings. The six slots are there in the nut and bridge to allow for two different stringing configurations: In the equidistant string set-up, you set the first melody string in Slot 1, the bass string in Slot 6, and put the other two strings in Slots 3 and 5.  In the double-melody set-up, you put the first and second melody strings in Slots 1 and 2, the bass string in Slot 6, and the last string in Slot 4.  So you play the first 2 melody strings as one string.

Have fun!

Hi All -

I'm new to the mountain dulcimer and recently got a great deal on a McSpadden FM12W from 1996. It sounds beautiful but I have some questions I hope folks here can help me with.

There's some minor scratches at one point on the fret board ( picture attached ) where a previous player maybe focused an unusual amount of attention.  It's not too deep but noticeable.  Would some combination of sanding / oil help polish it away? 

Looking at the wood, I think it's mahogany, but I'm not sure. Does that look correct and does there appear to be some other finish / staining that I'd destroy if I sanded it? I can't tell just by looking at it, but I'm hoping that someone with more experience would be able to look at the attached photos and know.

All this is strictly cosmetic, so not critical to address, but I'd like to take the best care of it that I can.

It would be helpful to add strap buttons. Is that safe to do? I'm not much of a woodworker, but it seems simple enough. Drill a pilot hole and then screw them in. Is it more complicated than that? Any advice would be appreciated.

Finally, while this is a four string, the nut has slots for six. There are even six grooves in the bridge and tail block. I'm guessing they manufactured those parts for either  four or six string instruments and so that's why they're there, but I was curious if there was some way to string this with six that I was missing.

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Dusty, that is AWESOME!  Thank you for delving into this.

Folks, I've recently learned that Randy Wilkinson is living in Arizona and will send a pdf of his books for a nominal fee.  If anyone wants his email, please send me a personal message.

Very helpful, thanks!

Thanks Ken. Master Works was wonderful to work with. They make beautiful instruments. I will enjoy it. 

Thank you very much Sam, that's really kind of you to say and I'm glad that you find it cool.

I think any "set" on the market will be fine on any more-or-less standard dulcimer in CGG, DAA, DAD and DAC tuning. There is no reason to try to out smart McSpadden, or the other industry leaders

That is assuming you start a bit low and carefully tune up to the note you want. A beginner can accidentally tune a few turns too high too quickly and break a string, and I think part of the selections used in making sets make an allowance for that.

I think you can go up to 14 on the melody strings if you stick to DAA, but 12 is safer for DAD, and 10 requires less finger pressure. DAD players typically finger about 3 notes on the 14 middle string, anyway, so 14 A is playable.

Finger pressure is also dependent on string height which is also a personal choice. Have you mastered checking and adjusting that yet? Builders often leave strings a bit high to allow easy adjustment with a small file if they don't use a zero fret.

OMG, Nate, not relevant to the topic of this thread, but that aquavina dulcimer is fascinating. Folks, check this out. youtu.be/ZpglYv9SxOU

@mark-gilston

That is a lot of food for thought and i have a  ton of respect for your opinion, so thank you very much for taking the time to share it.

The reason i associate dulcimer with 3 string guitar is because of the many 3 string cigar box guitars tuned to Dad that have essentially the same layout as a chromatic dulcimer, but with the string order reversed. I do agree that the tone is entirely different, but i have seen a lot of overlap of tabs and instructions between 3 string cigar box guitars and dulcimers.

To my understanding dulcimers were originally a "simplified" version of European zithers created with limited resources and the modern instrument has developed from that. I am sure that folks back them would have loved chromatic fretboards, if they were as easy to make as they are now.

Thanks again for sharing your opinions and knowledge 

Nate

I hear that Gale! I build aquavina dulcimers, which have only existed for a couple decades and I know of less than 5 people that have built them. What i build and play are at the edges of what could be considered a dulcimer, but i have noticed that dulcimers have more unique and distinctive designs than any other instrument i know of. To me, innovation is the spirit of dulcimer.

It's important to remember that any dulcimer sounds very different from a guitar, so the comparison of a chromatic dulcimer with a 3 string guitar is completely spurious.  In my opinion, a dulcimer is far more versatile than a guitar in terms of varying tonal qualities.  I've played both instruments for well over 60 years, and I can do far more with a chromatic dulcimer than with a guitar.  On the other hand, the dulcimer is easier for a beginner to pick up than a guitar is. 

Another important point is that many of the dulcimer like instruments from Europe are also chromatic and date from at least as early as the 15th century, so the precedent for a chromatic dulcimer is far older than any diatonic American instrument. 

I love my chromatic dulcimers and tend to play them the most out of my collection but I still like my diatonics. I see the chromatic as an evolution of the dulcimer. Just as other instruments have evolved and developed sub-types, so have the dulcimers as I see it. How many types of guitars are out there - do folks question those different types? I am not sure that is an equivalent comparison but maybe close. If you like traditional diatonic, great, play those and have fun. I don't see those going away as they are wonderful, but I hope folks will be open to others playing different types of mountain dulcimers. My newest MD is a chromatic Dulcivox from Folkcraft. It has a nice sound, lots of volume and resonance, and is a lot of fun to play. 

Different strokes for different folks....

Assuming I wanted to stay Ionian but three strings only, would 22-10-10 be a concern?  I haven't looked elsewhere, but the only Ionian string set sold by McSpadden for a standard mountain dulcimer is 22-12-12 (with an extra 12 if I stay with three strings).  Similarly, if I wanted to go Mixolydian would there be a drawback to 22-10-10?  The McSpadden Mixolydian string sets have a 23-14-10 (with an extra 10).  It seems that they consistently want different gauges on the 2nd (middle) and 3rd (melody) strings for Mixolydian, as opposed to, matched gauges for Ionian.  Is the higher gauge on the middle string intended to be more compatible with the increased tension in the 10 melody string when it is tightened to reach D?  Is there a consensus that a 10 middle -10 melody is not good for for Ionian?  I don't think so, but I thought I would ask.  The 10 is easier to fret in Ionian, so I hope the answer is "No"!  Thanks!

The chromatic dulcimer is one of the most contentious topics ive noticed surrounding dulcimer. The traditional significance and cultural value are some of the most interesting aspects of the dulcimer, so it makes sense to me that people dont want that to fall by the wayside in an attempt to turn dulcimer into a 3 string guitar.

Its hard to balance the unique characteristics that make dulcimer interesting with the standardized characteristics that make it modern.

Thanks, John. And thanks for asking.

The album is available at edelstondulcimer.bandcamp.com/album/making-waves , and you can even preview it to see if you like it.

No insult intended....just my attempt at humor.

And where, pray tell, is your album available?

s11141827 spoke accurately. Chromatic dulcimers are more popular than they used to be.

For people who choose to play only diatonic tunes - and especially those who choose to play only melody over drones - chromatic frets would be as useless as a third pedal on a bicycle.

However, for those of us who play contemporary music or Tin Pan Alley or jazzy stuff or classical, chromatic frets can be valuable. For those of us who get together with musicians who play chromatic instruments - such as guitarists who capo into keys like Bb and Eb - a chromatic dulcimer gets us into the room. For somebody coming to the dulcimer from guitar, chromatic frets make all the sense in the world. Personally, I believe that more chromatics will help dulcimers to become more widely known.

I released my first album last year, and half of the songs required a chromatic dulcimer.

Please don't insult something just because you aren't interested in using it. There's no reason we can't all be friends.

Perhaps Beef liver, or poison Ivy rashes......

"Chromatic Dulcimers are becoming more popular" Than what?

Many, many more new violins are purchased each year than dulcimers. Probably many millions more.

I play 3/4/6-string noter-drone dulcimer for simple fun even though I'm about as comfortable on the violin. I'm not aiming for mastery of either, just my own amusement.

Chromatic Dulcimers are becoming more popular

I recall Music Alone Shall Live as a 3 dulcimer round at our local folk club back before the turn of the century.
We used DAA tuning.

Music Alone Shall Live   -   German folk song

1 - All things shall perish from under the sky.
2 - Music alone shall live, m usic alone shall live,
3 - Music alone shall live, and never die  die.

That's a beautiful psaltery, Susie. Of course, I wouldn't expect anything less from Masterworks. I am sure it will give you many hours of enjoyment. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

hahaha Dusty!

This particular spot has very gourmet coffee, and not all that cheap. They do prepare exotic drinks like turmeric coffee and 'golden milk', etc, they do offer decaff espresso which i appreciate (after having already had my coffees at home).

Dusty, I bet the young folk listen to their playlists and also spotify on their phones with bluetooth speakers when out and about. But perhaps some of them like to leave their always-connected techy jobs and have their apartment to unwind in, all retro and low key and mid-century-modern... so they enjoy the tactile feel and sound of playing vinyl records that spin around all old-fashioned like ...and pretend to not have the constant pressures of work for an hour or two. Some of them are also into writing with typewriters, and keeping leather journals.

After selling my bowed psaltery several years ago, I decided to get back to it. I knew I wanted a Master Works, so I took the plunge. I ordered it in November and just received it about a week ago. This time, I'm learning it right....without the use of note guides. With their inlays at the C and G notes, it's going really well, and it's going to be more enjoyable doing it right. I'm loving its tone and feel. I knew I'd love a MW BP, since my sister had one years ago. This makes a nice little travel instrument too. So, here she is. Zebrawood top, Alder back, and Maple sides. 

Did you remember.."Going in Circles" and "Grazin' in the Grass" by the Friends of Distinction?

Just one correction, Strumelia: the coffee place was not hip until you arrived.  Wherever you go to grab your morning joe is the hip coffee place.

I find the current interest in vinyl curious.  Personally, I miss listening to an album (scratches and all) while slowly reading the liner notes.  With Spotify you can't even figure out the musicians who play on a given track.  But why young hipsters would prefer to buy big bulky albums rather than click a button on Spotify is beyond me.

Happily, I live in a place that has a lot of small cafes.  Some of them are enjoyable places to hang out. Each one has a slightly different vibe.  Some are genuinely social spaces, with lively conversation, local artists' work on the walls, poetry readings, open mic nights, and the like.  Others are quieter, clearly conducive to students and others getting some work done.  But I also share Ken's predicament of only wanting plain drip coffee.  The baristas are all disappointed when I don't order a lavender latte with almond milk or something like that.

Sounds like a fun time. It certainly brings back memories watching the Sam the Sham video. Although we have a small coffee shop in our town, it is not much of a hangout. It can seat about 10 to 15 people if that. While the owner roasts his own beans, you really can't get a cup of coffee there. If want a latte or espresso, that's fine, but ask for a cup of black coffee and the wait staff looks at you like you came from another planet. And decaf, no way. Needless to say, I've only been there once since it opened three years ago. Now if they had folk music, I might venture in, but what would I drink? Thanks for sharing your wonderful experience, Strumelia.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Yesterday my husband suggested we go to a hip coffee place that recently opened in our village. They also sell old vinyl records.
Lots of millenniums and hipsters with children go there because it's a happenin' place and they get to hear and browse 'vintage' music while sipping coffee and watching their toddlers play. Some of us seniors village residents like to go there as well, because it's relaxed and cozy, and the music choices are sometimes what we grew up with.
Yesterday, the owner (who usually makes their excellent espresso drinks), overheard a little table of us Old Folk mentioning songs we remembered, and the subject of Wooly Bully by Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs came up. Next thing we knew, the owner had secretly punched it up from behind the counter on the sound system from his phone, in all its thumping glory.

So everyone in the cafe got to see a group of grey haired Boomers doing the frug from our seats and belting out along with the song- "Matty told Hatty, 'bout a thang she saw...." and of course we all chimed in at exactly the right time (because every word and note is seared into our old brains) with "Watch it now, watch it watch it watch it!!"
We Old Geezers must have been quite a sight -but we didn't care! Which of course made it even more fun.
I imagine the owner, a wise young man in his 30s, must have felt like a cosmic puppetmaster, making us all sing and dance with a simple click of his finger on his phone, and bringing everyone there obvious joy.

Hi Nate, appreciate your comments about my oddball find. Yes I do still play dulcimer. Never been a good player but like the nice feeling it's sound gives. Still have my Romanian dulcimer made by Hora. Also have a Red Kite made by the Hagan family in Missouri. Also have a 1970's Homer Ledford instrument, which is a dream.

Though I have to confess I haven't been playing them much lately as I have been putting some time into learning 5 string banjo old style. I have a great instrument from ODE in Boulder Colorado . But I still love the dulcimer and played it at Melton Christmas Folk Festival in the UK where I had several requests to explain ' what's that you're playing, sounds sweet ! '

Great story, Jim. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That's an awesome story Jim. Thanks for taking the time to share it.

My brother Bob has a yard sale balalaika that he got a few decades ago.  Since he had no idea how to play or tune it and he got it before everyone had Google, he tuned it like the first string courses of his mandolin.  He figured that not many fiddle tunes utilized the 4th string anyway and he was right.

Bob's Balalaika