Sorry all, spent the day at the old place at Brooks yesterday, very poor cell signal so I didn't even try to call the number I was given. I'm at the house in town today to attend grandson's Christmas program, I'll try to call today and see if I can learn any more.
The one I've heard of most is called a Beat Buddy and I think they make a small verson called the Beat Buddy mini. Basically the device comes with a bunch of preset rythms that it can play but I think you can also record one of your own. You can also sequence them so, for example, you can have a quick drum turnaround sequenced in between two rhythms, and you click with your foot to move from one to the next.
My feeling about this stuff is mixed. I've seen some great performers make use of these devices, and if that keeps the costs down (by not employing a percussionist) and allows venues to hire solo acts that still want to rock out, I understand. But I'd rather just hear a musician play. Don't get me wrong; I dig the groove Butch Ross or Bing Futch tries to lay down, and I'm a frustrated rock and roller myself. But for the dulcimer? I'd rather hear the dulcimer alone and see what the player can do without all those devices.
If you go to you tube and type in Beat Buddy demo you'll find some clips of how the device can be used. I'm sure there are other brands out there, too, but that's the one I remember most.
Do you have any experience with drum electronic devices or other types that provide backup rhythm
pros ànd cons?
Nellie, the head of the screwdriver should be as wide as the slot in the screw head. It can be little wider if the screw is not recessed in to the top of peg. If it is narrower, you can still use it, but it is more likely to damage the screw head. I am guessing that you have mechanical friction tuners that use a flat head screwdriver. If you have open geared guitar tuning machines, you will need a Phillips screwdriver. In that case you will need a #2 Phillips head screw driver.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I've heard back from the owner of the restaurant and the dulcimer. He has another next door at the inn he operates. I haven't seen it. He didn't have much info but told me that his dad might have more. His dad is the purchaser of one of the dulcimers, I'm not sure which. The owner very graciously gave me his dad's name and number. I'll try to call him today and see if he has any further details about the dulcimer or it's builder. Here's part of the owners message back to me.
"We have 2 one was build in Boone North Carollina 30+ years ago the other is local but I don't have any info on it. My dad may he was teh one who bought it".
Thanks Robin, I got a message off to the restaurant owner. Hopefully I'll get a reply and go from there.
Happy anniversary, Sam!
Hope you are able to learn more about the instrument!
Want to thank everyone sooooo much for the input and info. I love old handcrafted dulcimers and I don't get to see that many right in my own back door, so to speak. I'm going to try to arrange a visit to the restaurant when the manager is there.
Very cool. It sure does look old. It has a lovely shape to it, and the top end of the box is very interesting... not like most I have ever seen. The heart cut-outs are so lovely and scream "folk art". Hopefuly you can get more info on it! Love to see more details (particularly the peg box!).
Thanks for sharing this. (What State are you in?)
Bob I did try to get a more detail shot of the tuning head. It was dark up in that corner and if I used flash that close it just burned it out. Still hoping to get more details and more photos. Thanks for your response.
I'm in Southern WV. The restaurant is near Pipestem State Park.
thanks Ken on the naming of the "weeping hearts". cool. These are on a book that I got years ago on Dulcimers. aloha, irene
the bottom hearts look very much like a dulcimer that I got at an antique store in S.L.C. for $40.00 and fixed it up and put banjo tuning machines on it. It was his first one. I've got that on loan and I'll see her tomorrow and see who it's made by. I also got another one at the same place for same price, it was the maker's #4......it's not as good as the first one. Finding old dulcimers is soooooooooooooo fun!! aloha, irene
The soundholes are called "weeping hearts". I made a few dulcimers with those holes...
It's cool, and it looks pretty old, but using the guitar-style frets is a relatively modern twist. Looks like a few frets are missing from their slots.
Maybe the restaurant manager will let you carefully remove it to try it out? They probably stuck it to the wall with screws driven through the soundholes.
That's how an old John Maxwell dulcimer was attached to the wall of a T.G.I.Friday's, before they tore it off and sold the wrecked dulcimer on eBay. I won it, and carefully reglued the splinters back together. I should think somebody would have had the sense to look for screws attaching it to the wall...
Very cool. It sure does look old. It has a lovely shape to it, and the top end of the box is very interesting... not like most I have ever seen. The heart cut-outs are so lovely and scream "folk art". Hopefuly you can get more info on it! Love to see more details (particularly the peg box!).
Thanks for sharing this. (What State are you in?)
Thanks Strumelia and Lexi. It'd be great if I could get it off the wall for better photos to post here.
Happy Anniversary Sam. Wow that is an interesting dulcimer. I hope you connect with the manager and let us know what you find out.
That is just wonderful, Sam! Good luck with your connection with the restaurant manager. 
Yes, Ken. Especially if it was locally built.
Interesting discovery, Sam. It would be good to know more about it.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Rob, it shows a good bit of age. I'd love to get a little more of this instruments history. I plan to contact the restaurant owner.
I agree Sam; I'd love to hear her sing.
... yesterday evening hanging on the wall in a restaurant. Oldest son and his fiancee took us out to dinner for our 40th wedding anniversary and this was on the wall over our booth. The dulcimer is a 4 string and appears to have a pretty long VSL. I would LOVE to get it off the wall and look at it. The manager wasn't there so I didn't even ask our waitress.
The wood looks like oak, but it was pretty dark in the place and I couldn't get as close as I wanted. I did see some cracks in the top, I think, could have been grain in the wood. This dulcimer appears to be hand crafted and very well made. It has a carved 'fiddle head' tuning head with carved friction tuners. The sound holes seem huge to me. I'd love to hear this grand lady hum!
I've got their single hard case. Real nice....it protects the flutes very well. I took the case and 3 flutes to Mackinac Island for the inaugural trip. Nice shoulder strap too for the hiking we did.
I just ordered the large hard case from high spirits with the 25 Percent off and free shipping on orders over 100 it was worth it. (I ordered three of his spiral bound music books/cd to make the 100) and I'm so exited for it to come. They say depending on the flutes it could hold about 6 flutes
take care and enjoy playing
Sng4prt, The tall leg is 29" long.
You can also just string it as a standard dulcimer, and it will have a really deep, mellow tone. The first couple hundred dulcimers I built to my own design had 3" deep bodies and with 28" VSLs, ran 40" or more overall length.
Being a wood worker, I thought that I'd cut a LITTLE CIRCLE from my sticky sandpaper. Then I take off the thin paper, fold that little circle of sandpaper on one edge of the pick and that pick NEVER flys away. aloha, irene
Hey John! If I were you, I would cut 2 triangles of sandpaper and connect with a dot of superglue right through the hole!
I'm discovering I have a pick problem as I get older. My skin is dryer than it used to be. I thought a hole in my big triangle pick would help, but it doesn't do the job for me. I'll try some of the other suggestions.
Sng4prt, I bought the stand online. I forget where, but it was one of the main suppliers... Then I removed the cloth that came with it and used it as a pattern and sewed up some leftover material I had made curtains from. It's nice and thick. I hope this helps
A bass dulcimer is tuned exactly one ocatve below a standard dulcimer. So the bass string of a standard dulcimer and the melody string of a bass dulcimer will be exactly the same tone.
It's a big one, 44 inches long, 12 inches at it's widest, 3 inch deep body, 6 string, touted as a Bass dulcimer made by Milford Blevins, South Fork Dulcimers,Number 277. Looks to be very well made, no idea on wood, but all I've owned up to now are "standard" dulcimers, looking for tips on tuning this up, Will try and do a sound clip of it at some point, but I need to bring someone in to help with that, otr to be more precise, to do it for me because I haven't a clue!! Thanks all!
There are (or were) a couple of books of tab of Randy Wilkinson's arrangments. They are really hard to find. I've been looking for a while.
There are a couple of older Forum threads on this topic:
http://fotmd.com/forums/forum/dulcimer-resourcestabs-books-websites-dvds/18835/looking-for-elizabethan-renaissance-arrangements
http://fotmd.com/forums/forum/general-mountain-dulcimer-or-music-discussions/8582/elizabethan-music-for-dulcimer-randy-wilkinson
Yah.. I'm 68 and with 40 years of playing have never needed an "additive" either. Just call me gecko-fingers!
Thanks for the info, Ken. I've never needed to use that or and other grip gimmicks. Even at 70 (as of 8:36 a.m. tomorrow) I have never suffered any sort of hand problems.
Blow_the_Candles_Out_DAD.pdf - 53KB