Forum Activity for @dusty

For string gauges, I usually send people to the Strothers' String Gauge Calculator .  You simply enter the vibrating string length (VSL, or the distance between the nut and the bridge) and the note you want to tune to, and the calculator will tell you what gauge to use. It errs on the light side, so feel free to use a size or two larger.

For a dulcimer with a 27" VSL, I would imagine a wound .022 or .024 for the bass, . 012 or .014 for the middle, and .010 or .012 would work for a DAd tuning.  I use slightly heavier strings than that, but you'll have to discover your preference.

The bass string is almost always wound and heavier than the others, but if you are tuned DAAA, then the melody string(s) and the middle strings would indeed be the same.

I don't really know what to say about the material for the bridge and nut.  Hardwoods work well but so does bone, and there are some synthetics that people are using these days as well.  Maybe one of the luthiers can chime in and offer some advice.

I am not going to be much help since I'm not really a musician.  But, I will note that all the 4 string McSpaddens I own or have seen have 3 different size strings.  So I am not sure that having 4 different string sizes they are the wrong strings.

Hi all! I recently bought a Cripple Creek dulcimer on eBay, and unfortunately, my email isn't sending through to Cripple Creek. I was wondering if anyone here would have the answer to my questions?

Are there any particular instructions on which strings to use and the preferred method of installation? I've put a new set on it, and it sounds great but would just like to know if there were any specific recommendations. The strings that came with it from the person who sold it were very obviously the wrong ones. They were even 4 different sizes.

I have another old, used, dulcimer and the bridge was either damaged or completely absent. I was wondering what the best material would be to replace it.

Metal or wood or something else entirely?

Oh my, I just saw your question....sorry.

His possum boards are comfy on the lap. He also puts strap pins on it. The only thing is that the dulcimer sits a bit higher on your lap, but you can get used to that.

 IMG_20150830_145323.jpg - 105KB

My first was a FolkRoots hourglass, spruce/walnut, purchased at Elderly Instruments. Beautiful tone and looked really nice. I have since purchased a FolkRoots with a shorter scale length that I have converted to a baritone and a Folkcraft Custom. Still loving their dulcimers. 

@majajog , that's a great story, and probably one that is repeated often, for one of the aspects of the dulcimer that we celebrate is how accessible it is even to those with no musical experience.  Thanks to the McSpadden salesperson who just sat you down and put a dulcimer in your lap!

 This is the one I like for the FOTMD Family! 

Our first dulcimers were a ginger for my spouse and a standard for me, both bought from McSpadden.  We sort ended up in Mountain View five years ago, basically by accident.  We had a good time listening to the music and eventually went to McSpaddens to see the dulcimers we fell in love with 40 years earlier.  Thought they were beautiful but knew neither of us had any talent at all so we looked around and left.  Went back a couple of days later for a last look before heading home.  The door to the shop has a sign that says "if you can to 10, you can play."  We both laughed at it, knowing that neither of us could ever play an instrument.  

This time, after looking around for awhile, a salesperson talked me into sitting down and holding a dulcimer.  I thought that was pretty cool but, I knew I could never play and I said so and besides I was left handed anyway.  She took the dulcimer away and laid a left handed dulcimer on my lap and said "here, play it."  I said "huh, I don't know how and don't have any talent anyway". She said you don't need talent just a desire and some tab.  I said "what's tab?"  She showed me some tab, explained the numbers and told me to try and play.  I got through the first 2 measures and could tell it more or less sounded like "Ode To Joy". Couldn't believe it.

My spouse then went through the same thing with the same outcome.  We promptly said we'll take two.  Spent the next couple of hours deciding on size, shape, woods etc., gave them a credit card and told them ship them to us when they were done.  Best thing we ever did.

They turned out great, at least to us, sound great and we play almost everyday.  Started our own little group that meets every week to practice, learn new stuff and play old favorites.  Unbelievably, my spouse and I even played at a nursing home with some members of our group.  The people there seemed to enjoy it so we were pretty excited.

We still don't have any talent, we will never be very good players but we have fun practicing and have met some wonderful people and hear music all the time now.  Best money we ever spent.

OK. Thanks for the advice.  We'll just have to give it a try.  It's for our own amusement.

You nailed it Strumelia. 

Dusty that dancing guy always reminds me of the Young Frankenstein movie with Frankie dancing in a tuxedo... 

The cat wagging its tail   is pure Strumelia, for sure!

Bob, I like the dancing pickle   but also the dancing guy silhouette  .

And Lexie, Smiley deserves his own smiley!   Let's pretend that's a hamster chew toy smiley.

Jan has pointed out the sweetest smiley of all  .  It almost makes me tear up.

Our thanks to Teri West for her creative dulcimer smiley!

Lexi- give a big pat to Smiley for us... he's a special feller for sure!  

I admit I'm particularly fond of these smileys:

                  ... lolol!

Dulcinina, a while back I asked my daughter to play the piano while I played my dulcimer. Unless you are amplified in some way the piano will overwhelm the dulcimer. I'm no expert but unless I was wired my acoustic dulcimer was no match for the piano, especially when my daughter hit those keys, LOL 

I'm a big fan of the dancing pickle.    And this guy 

His name is Smiley, he is my favorite FOTMD Smiley cause he loves to sing to your songs.

I used the new flute character  yesterday.

Ken, the  smiley was designed by FOTMD member--and my good friend, artist, and dulcimer-playing buddy--Teri West, of Louisville, KY.  Years ago, I found the design on Café Press and had a totebag made with the design and the next dulcimer event I attended she spotted it and introduced herself.  We live 100 miles apart, but see each other as often as we can work it out--and we're usually at the same events.  She'll be happy you like it--it's one of my favorites, too!

Some of my other favorites are:  ,   ,   ,   , and  .

A friend who plays piano wants to accompany me as I play the dulcimer.  Any of you have suggestions for suitable music?  I'm an intermediate/beginner so it needs to be simple.  I was leaning toward hymns but am open to any suggestions.  Dulcinina

  Not that I use this that often, but it is my favorite; wish there was a way to use it other places!

My first dulcimer was an hourglass Folk Roots dulcimer purchased in about 1985 or 1986 from Elderly Instruments.  While visiting one of the Toledo Metroparks I stopped to listen to a lady playing a dulcimer at a very small gathering organized by one of the park rangers.  I ordered my first dulcimer from Elderly Instruments shortly thereafter.  About three or four years later I organized a dulcimer club for students at the local elementary school.  By then I owned three or four dulcimers, so I sold my Folk Roots model to one of the students at a fraction of its value to help them obtain their own instrument.

I thought this might be fun.  Have you noticed the new smileys that Strumelia has made available to us?  Do you have any favorites?

It's  today and I just finished   so I thought I might ask if you guys   certain smileys or if they just make you want to  .

Congratulations Susie, While I don't have a high spirits Em. I have the maple from Ancient territories..if I had to grab just one flute It would be that Em. 

My HS Em Condor Bass in Spanish Cedar arrives on Monday. 

I went with cedar, because I have a mid-tone G in cedar, and I love its tone. I have a couple walnut flutes already.

Yeah I can see how DropC tuning would be good for singing and backup !

I really like this tuning when playing fiddle tunes too Strumelia, but when I'm singing folk songs in C or D and playing backup, I prefer drop C tuning gCGBD.  When I play this tuning in D, I like to start with open G, gDGBD, and capo the first three strings at the second fret and leave the 4th string open, capoing the thumb string to A.  This gives me aDAC#E, but I can use key of G shapes.

I use a capo for D rather than tuning up.  I'm a bit nervous about tuning up with the medium gauge strings I like to use.

My Grandpa has a robert mize dulcimer with 4 strings but 6 notches so that equidistant stringing can be used.

Thank you for all the responses.  Based on what has been said so far, I am going to build for 4 strings (double melody) option, but will be stringing for 3; unless otherwise requested. 

I agree with Dan. With wood pegs I would definitely prefer three strings. I also find it easier to play with the three string set up. If I had a custom made dulcimer I would have it set for three strings. I can see Rob's point with the four equidistant. I've not tried that yet but plan to just to see what that is like. Although, I do prefer to play noter drone. Some may say the double melody is better for noter drone. Well, I have two responses for that. The old traditional dulcimers didn't have double melody strings and when doing the semi tones, going in between so to speak, it's easier to press down a single string with the noter than double. It's easier for me. I think you will find that personal preference is the deciding factor on this topic. 

Oh, I loved music period in grade school! We sang Swing Low Sweet Chariot, She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain, my favorite Ol' Dan Tucker, I've Been Working on the Railroad, can't remember the title but the words were "make new friends but keep the old ones. One is silver and the other gold". My Bonny Lies Over the Ocean, West Virginia Hills, Tell Me Why, Red River Valley, Home on the Range, and of course, all the Christmas favorites!

Thanks, Ken. That makes sense!

Tuner beads DO work, even in a short area (depends on the size of the bead and angle of string slope.  Flat sided beads are best.  You can even carve tapered wedges similar to a reverse capo to fit between the bridge and the place where the string breaks over the end (or meets the pin).

Sounds like a plan. Thank you so much, Greg!

I don't have any experience with round beads, but I would assume they would not work as well because only a small amount of the underside of the bead would be in contact with the fretboard, so the bead would be more likely to slip.  As far as the length of the string between bridge and tailpiece, one-inch seems kind of short for effective use of tuning-beads.  The only way to know for sure is to give it a try.  Round and oval beads are inexpensive and you are not making any irreversible changes to your dulcimer by trying.  Try it on one string to see what happens.  If the bead holds and it can be wedged toward the tailpiece to make small changes in tuning, that's all you need.

Thank you, Greg! Actually, it was a photo of a Keith Young dulcimer that my friend inherited from her mother that reminded me to ask about the beads. My dulcimer does have the old friction tuning pegs (and might need some peg dope on one, too!) but there is only about 1" to 1 1/4" between the bridge and the tailpiece. (And yes, the strings angle down to the tail.) Would beads work in such a short space, I wonder? The distance between the two looks a bit longer on the Young dulcimer.

Also, I've seen both square and round beads ... does the shape make a difference? Just thinking round would be easier to locate.

Actually, most fine-tuning beads are simply very small blocks of wood with a hole drilled through the center.  They are placed on the string between the bridge and the tailpiece and require a string that angles downward slightly from the bridge to the tailpiece.  The tuning bead slides up and down the string.  The main idea is to wedge the tuning bead between the string and the fretboard as the angle of the string takes it closer to the fretboard.  As the tuning bridge is wedged between string and fretboard it increases the tension on the string slightly allowing one to fine-tune the string.  Tuning beads are normally associated with instruments utilizing wooden friction pegs, which can be difficult for beginners to tune.  Guitar-style geared tuning pegs and planetary pegs do not need tuning beads.  If you want to see examples of wooden tuning beads, try googling an image of a Keith young dulcimer.  Tuning beads were a standard feature of Keith's mountain dulcimers.

I don't know whether this is the correct forum for such a question, but friends, this newbie needs your advice!

I've been playing very tentatively with the tuning on my vintage 3-string hourglass dulcimer, which has wooden friction pegs, and I'm wondering whether fine tuner beads would help. I would like to add them if they are appropriate for this style of dulcimer. Where would I get some? Are they just regular wooden beads?

Soooooo many questions ... :)

Many thanks.

i remembr bert berry.  he ordered beginner books from  me a dozen at a time to give his customers when they bought a dulcimer.  i never met

him but we talked on the phone once a year or so.  he was very nice and we had interesting conversations.  i don't think he made a lot of

instruments.  finding one for sale would be a great find

Hearts of the Dulcimer Podcast - Episode 23
Richard Fariña and the Cambridge Folk Music Scene Part 2: A Conversation with Ed Freeman

http://bit.ly/hotdpodcast

Ed Freeman was part of the Cambridge folk music scene in the early 60s and interviewed Richard and Mimi Fariña on his radio show in 1965. We spoke with Ed about this and much more.

For episode resources, go to:  http://dulcimuse.com/podcast/resource/023.html