Monica, what is the outside diameter of your HS bass flutes? I know it's 1 1/4" for the 1" bore flutes. Was curious how they compare. I'm tall, have pretty good size hands and have 43 years experience playing stringed instruments. So I'm thinking I could handle the bass flute size (even the non-1" bore). Sounds like you have no problem with the size. What woods are yours?
I have the condor bass D and C, not the 1" bore however. I have no problems playing them, infact they play with ease and sound beautiful. The larger bore has no squawking but I do have squawking with the smaller bore flutes( Gm, F#) from high spirits.
Thanks Maria. I'm thinking seriously about the 1" bore Em flute (walnut). I love the low tones and this would fit nicely into my mix.
[quote="Susie"]
Has anyone purchased a bass tone flute or more specifically, a HS 1" bore bass tone flute?
[/quote
Yup Suzie. I have their Dm and Em 1 inch bore flutes. I love both of them but the Dm took me much longer to be able to play without squawking. I was silly and it was only my 2nd flute after the Jonah Thompson Am that I learned on...but now after 10 months of playing the NA flute I can play it just like the others. Both of mine are in Walnut as they are much more durable (and I seem to always whack my instruments onto something lol)
Good luck
Maria
Has anyone purchased a bass tone flute or more specifically, a HS 1" bore bass tone flute?
Thanks, Jan. I knew the different airlines were talking about these changes but haven't flown lately.... Good to know. There are also new regulations (Federal? International?) regarding traveling between countries with rosewood (endangered). I had a luthier tell me to have a receipt with me for any instrument that I travel with, out of the country, that has rosewood or its cousins (fingerboard, bridge, etc). - the receipt proves I purchased it within the United States and I did not buy the instrument 'out of the country' and then am bringing it into the U.S. illegally (without paying the penalties). Sorry I don't have all the details on hand at the moment...but something to look into if you're going out of the country.
Cute, John! I don't think I knew that many songs at that age?? You seem to have control over the group LOL!
thanks, Ken, for your info and encouragement !! I will be sending Robert Force a note about other players .
I'm still reading Thomas Jefferson The Art of Power. I just received the latest issue of The Fretboard Journal, so I'm reading that as well.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Younger Next Year truly has changed my life, so now I've moved onto Thinner This Year. I'm also reading 'Tis a Gift to be Simple and am enjoying it, though I wish more were written on the subject by people living in poverty. There's a whole idea to this concerning judgment and acceptance I don't know how to explain... Lastly, I'm reading the third of a multicultural fantasy series (The Dragon Songs Saga) by my acupuncturist, Dances of Deception. I've never liked fantasy, but I have trouble putting these down once I've started!
What an amazing and thoughtful gift~she will treasure it! Did you also get a case? That's the only other thing I can think of....
Here's some that we do right now!
You'll really like that Pritchard! FWIW, there is a hotbed of mountain dulcimer in western WA. Dulcimer godfather Robert Force lives in Port Townsend. Although as the osprey flies it's close, I know it's not easy to get from Camano Island to Port Townsend -- probably faster by boat than car. But if you get in touch with him (through his website www.robertforce.com, he can certainly connect you to other players in the area.
Actually, Ken, I wanted mellow for hymns and slower songs, but ringing strings and noter squeeks are also fine with me. My fingers on the left hand have some problems, so noter playing is great. Having had years of piano and autoharp, singing duets at church, loving many types of music, I drive myself crazy going around singing and whistling constantly. The dulcimer is a sanity saver. I think I've picked up enough in the past couple of months to graduate to a real instrument, so I've asked Kevin Messenger to build me a Pritchard which should be on it's way in a month or so. I hope to "grow into" this instrument as I continue to play. This website is so motivating.
There is very little dulcimer activity in this area (Western Washington State) so internet is the best I've got for now. And I've found quite a bit of info, fascinating stuff!!
I was a single father of two 3-7 year old sons for about 4 years. The songs they loved us to sing while driving in our truck were Mama's Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys, John Prine's Spanish Pipe Dream (which they called "that Blow up your TV song") and Gene Autry's Cowpoke Pokin' Along.
Here's a START!
Pre-school through Kindergarten (in Michigan) I remember learning:
[quote="marg"]
I went through Gold Tone in buying mine. I think if they spent a bit more time on fixing their design they would have a great instrument but it seems to be a hit & miss still.
[/quote
For whatever reason (time, money, ego issues, whatever), I think you're correct that consistency just isn't there. I know that my supplier does not have the instruments shipped to him; he personally goes to the factory and hand selects the ones that he will take home and work on and get ready to sell. I guess they need to have someone like him on staff--someone who knows how a dulcimer player, who buys this, is going to want it set up. As far as looks go, they sell themselves. And if you just strum it a few times you may think WOW, this is for me! I know not everyone can sit and play an instrument for several hours (I played this one throughout the entire vendor set up hours at DulcimerU), but take as much time as you can to decide if an instrument is really for you when buying at a show or a store. Of course if the instrument changes considerably after you've brought it home....ACK! No one seems to have the answer for everyone about how--or whether--to display or store dulcimers...I think it depends on the humidity and temperature changes at each location. That being said, I have some I always store in cases and some I never put in a case!
I don't have a 'scalloped fretboard'
My dulciborn was part of the new models they were hoping was going to fix some of their earlier problems.
My only issue was the action & that was corrected. I went through Gold Tone in buying mine. I think if they spent a bit more time on fixing their design they would have a great instrument but it seems to be a hit & miss still. I do like mine & have had it about 2.5 years now. It is much easier to play if it is out on a stand and not in it's case, I wonder if location has something to do with leaving them out or putting the back in their case. It is a very nice case, one of the nicest cases I have for any of my dulcimers.
Hi betm -- welcome! You're right that those of us who write about dulcimer regularly, may not have mentioned the "strumming up the fretboard rather than in the strum hollow" effect very much; it's one of those things that folks mostly discover for themselves as part of learning about their instrument. I'd guess most people strum up around fret 12-14.
As you can see from this discussion, there are other techniques for getting a "mellow" sound, by changing the kind of pick. When you're ready to step up to a wooden dulcimer, one of the factors you want to look at is the volume of the sound box -- more volume equals more mellow. Two dulcimers with the same top shape and dimensions - the one with the deeper side will sound more mellow. Just something to watch for.
I used to like mellow 'baritone-ish sounding dulcimers, but over the years have come to appreciate more the "high-silvery" soundof the narrow/shallow traditional instruments. Each to his/er own!
hi marg - yes, it's one of the scalloped fretboards, and it warped into bumps and valleys. the factory did an excellent job fixing the problem; however, their customer service skills were not as well honed. i now leave the dulciborn in its case when not being played, and throw in a moist sponge inside a two piece soap dish w/the top perforated. seems to work well.
as a postscript to dusty's welcome share about frets, i need to add that mike clemmer was nice enough to work on my bridge to improve the intonation on this dulciborn a great deal, which further illustrates the need for an excellent luthiers help to make this a truly playable instrument.
Hi All, Totally new here...but I was looking for info on mellow strumming. Actually I have found by experimenting that if you strum on the fingerboard and not in the strum hollow, the sound is vastly different. I haven't seen this mentioned anywhere but I haven't listened to or read everything yet! So now I have two sounds on my cardboard beginner's unit - dulcimer and mellow dulcimer. Makes my practicing even more fun !
alan,
( keep it hydrated and cased)
What happen to your fretboard & is your dulciborn one with the scallop fretboard (like in the videos below) or one that fits flat to the body, a newer model?
I think Alan touches on a couple of critical issues here. The first is that nearly all of these instruments need some kind of work on the fretboard to make them playable. Why is that? A weissenborn guitar does not have frets. You don't play it like a guitar. You play it like a dobro, meaning the strings are lifted up above the fretboard and you use a slide--or tone bar--in the left hand to create the notes on the strings. So when modifying this design for a dulcimer, we have a big problem, don't we? We have to add frets to be able to fret the strings with a finger or noter, which mandates carefully plotting the frets on the fretboard and also getting the action right so that it will both be comfortable and also have correct intonation. This makes a hybrid weissenborn/dulcimer different than those banjo/dulcimer or ukulele/dulcimer hybrids since those other instruments also have frets and are therefore build with appropriate action.
I personally love the sound of the dulciborn, but I think that's because I grew up on guitars rather than dulcimers, so I am still attracted to that deep, rich, round tone rather than the traditional high silvery tone of dulcimers. And people like FOTMD's own Christine Shoemaker demonstrate clearly what this instrument has to offer. However, I think Gold Tone dropped the ball by launching the sale of these instruments before fixing the action/intonation problem. I would encourage anyone buying one (even used) to contact Gold Tone and have them fix the instrument rather than paying someone at your local guitar shop.
In terms of organology, we have always been taught that instruments in the zither family are strung across the box, whereas instruments in the lute family are strung along a neck. That is what Matt Berg refers to below. But the weissenborn itself is already a hybrid between the two because the neck is hollow, and therefore a continuation of the box, allowing the sound to vibrate within. So it is already a hybrid zither/lute. Removing some of the frets for a diatonic fretboard is a minor change to what is already a mutt of an instrument.
Of course, I use the term "mutt" in an endearing way, as my own little furry guy knows. 
WOAH, this was some hard news. I FINALLY have one of my 14 kids that works for the airlines.....and I'm going next month down to Palistine, Texas in March for the music festival there with my banjo playing brother....he lives only 1/2 hour away and I'm soooooooooo excited. I'm going to be taking my new TMB. I can see that I better check that...BUT.....I'll be on standby. ooooooooooops, I wish I had a better car, I'd drive there. A few years back I took some flights to Hawaii and it was cheaper to send my things in the USA mail then to check 'em at the airport. When I had little kids and wanted to show them off to my parents in the Mainland, I used to fly United for free while DHL would attach 10 huge bundles of stuffs to my ticket. ahhhhhh days of old have all passed away where customers were treated kindly and all hoped to "see you again". I've taken harps, banjos, ukuleles, dulcimers autoharps....all just getting on and mostly with a happy smile. All to and from Hawaii when I raised our big family there. aloha, irene
Thanks for the warning, Jan. I guess we're going to have to be careful to assure the ability to board early.
I travel Southwest a lot for work and have priority boarding for at least another year. Southwest has open seating but gives people a boarding number. I am usually between 25 and 30. I would encourage everyone to try to stick to a single airline and join their mileage plan. They just seem to treat you better when they think of you as a repeat customer instead of someone they'll never see again.
And it might not help specifically with getting an instrument in the overhead bin, but if you fly more than a couple of times a year it might be worth it to get a known traveler number from the TSA. It costs $85 for five years, but you get to go through the TSA pre-check lines and don't have to take off your shoes or your jacket or take out your laptop or your shampoo or any of that stuff. You fly (hee hee) through an alternate security line and get right to the gate. I also think the airline personnel treat you better when they see that TSA pre-check indication on your boarding pass.
I think I'll hitch-hike 
...but, seriously, I stopped using flying as a means of transportation about 20 years ago due to overcrowding, restrictions, and general discomfort. And things haven't changed much with the airlines except now there is (are) MORE overcrowding, restrictions, and general discomfort!
Steven
Eye opening for sure. I think that with the increased security check-ins and all the red tape that goes with that has been cause for my preference to travel by car to my destination.
This is terrible!!!! Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know!
hi - i also play a dulciborn because i enjoy it's richer tones and sustain. bought it from john hawk 3 years ago and play it every day. before it was a year old it needed to have the fretboard re-engineered by the goldtone factory; there are several different editions w/attempts to fix this nearly-universal problem; all w/limited success. if you can find a good used dulciborn, keep it hydrated and cased, once you get used to its larger body i think you'll come to appreciate this sweet instrument, whatever people want to call it.
alan
The main thing is to know what you're getting for the price you're paying. But I can imagine people getting "caught" at the gate not realizing what this means for their "stuff"--including instruments. I generally get the lowest price ticket that's going where I want to go, but now I'm going to be extra careful not to caught in one of these messes.
Christine Shoemaker dulciborn: : &
Frank Ledgerwood or flwoods1 playing his dulciborn: &
John Hawk dulciborn: :
There are many more videos of the dulciborn, each piece played sounds so different. The players above are or were members here on FOTMD. The range of sounds you can get with the dulciborn is what let me to getting one. I usually just play mine at home on my patio over looking a small lake, it is heavy to carry but have taken it out. One of the players in the group I play with will use hers to lead us into a song.
Best would be if you could play one before buying to check it out and see if it's what you want. I got mine from Gold Tone & told them I wanted a low action but still it came high, so I needed to set it up before I could play. I sometimes wonder if they were set up more for a guy's hands, ones having more strength. The bridge is bone so sanding it down took some time but it is easy to play now & I enjoy having it.
Good luck
Your Brit friends probably haven't bought one of these economy fares, but in case it comes into question, ALL musicians should be aware that the new Economy Fares do not allow use of the overhead bins. See my newly posted discussion on this: http://fotmd.com/forums/forum/general-mountain-dulcimer-or-music-discussions/26492/new-airlines-rules-affect-those-traveling-with-instruments
New Economy Fares Do Not Provide the Use of Overhead Bins! Some of you may have missed changes made by several airlines this winter for their lowest fare classes. With Delta, you'll board last and may find there's no room for your instrument. But with both American and United, you'll need to read up and see how purchase of a low economy fare ticket will impact your carry on decisions. With American Airlines, you can buy an online ticket, but you can't select a seat or do an advance check in. You have to check in when you arrive at the airport and you will be instructed to check ALL your luggage , since the economy fare does not provide for use of the overhead bins ; you may only carry on a small purse or jacket that fits under the seat in front of you. If you take a carryon bag (or an instrument or a bag of gifts from one of the airport shops) to the Gate, you will be required to gate check (valet check) your items at a cost of $25 for each, plus a $25 penalty for each. Since the people who paid this Economy fare board LAST, they will see upon boarding that ALL THE OVERHEAD BINS WILL BE LATCHED SHUT BEFORE THEY BOARD THE PLANE...so don't look for help from sympathetic passengers! Since the rules changed awhile back and allowed instruments to be carried on board-- if there is room in the overhead bin when you board the plane--some musicians will no doubt buy one of these NEW Low Economy fares and not realize this now means they cannot bring their instrument on board. Please do not overlook the implications of traveling with an instrument if you buy the new low fares. Check with your airline or Read more here: http://www.businessinsider.com/american-airlines-united-basic-economy-carry-on-bag-ban-2017-1
Ken
If I was gonna play this tune I'd play it something like this. No tab but you can see the frets?
Tuned EBe. Key of E right? I use octave high bass string.
Sorry I'm not centered in the picture...I'm a pretty piss poor videographer
One additional note to Gale is to purchase one you can see and play... or buy it from someone who sets them up right before selling them... The strings are usually a little high on the original set up and they lower the action if that is the case... I don't know John Hawk who sold one to Jan in the note below, but he may be a possibility for you if you decide to purchase. You get a lot for your money in this instrument. Including a nice hard case, a pickup, etc.
Paula, yes, I'm playing with just one melody string, having removed one of the 2 it came with. That's the way I usually play (thanks to Don Pedi who first encouraged me 5 years ago to take one off!). Mine does have a pick up, but I didn't want to go looking for cords and amp, etc., so I just recorded the audio clip using the Voice Recorder on my laptop.
I purchased my Dulciborn from John Hawk, who works really hard at getting the set up just as perfect as possible before bringing them to a venue for sale. Mine didn't need any extra work when I bought it 3 1/2 years ago. But I hadn't played it in awhile when I got it out yesterday, and the action did seem higher than what my Gallier has. When I made the recording I had been noodling around on it for several hours and had gotten "used to it" again. I know when I bought it back in 2013, I sat and played it for 2 or 3 hrs before deciding to purchase it. Mine also has a 1.5 fret--which is something I like to have on ALL my dulcimers!
I am going to remove my one melody string. I can hear when you play the melody string ring out crisp which I like. Mine also has the 1.5 fret as well, and I like that too. Paula
Paula, yes, I'm playing with just one melody string, having removed one of the 2 it came with. That's the way I usually play (thanks to Don Pedi who first encouraged me 5 years ago to take one off!). Mine does have a pick up, but I didn't want to go looking for cords and amp, etc., so I just recorded the audio clip using the Voice Recorder on my laptop.
I purchased my Dulciborn from John Hawk, who works really hard at getting the set up just as perfect as possible before bringing them to a venue for sale. Mine didn't need any extra work when I bought it 3 1/2 years ago. But I hadn't played it in awhile when I got it out yesterday, and the action did seem higher than what my Gallier has. When I made the recording I had been noodling around on it for several hours and had gotten "used to it" again. I know when I bought it back in 2013, I sat and played it for 2 or 3 hrs before deciding to purchase it. Mine also has a 1.5 fret--which is something I like to have on ALL my dulcimers!
My cousin built one in the early 70's. I tried it but I wasn't crazy about it. I went back to it about 10 or 12 years ago after a car accident & I could't play the guitar anymore. I was able to take a workshop with Aubrey Atwater. I am a singer first & use my instrument as a bsck-up to my voice. During her workshop I found out I can play chords on the dulcimer! I was off & running! I'm now with a Cavil War Living History group and I sing and play period correct songs.
