@shannonmilan -- you do realize this conversation is over two years old, don't you.

While I'm not familiar with Mike Clemmer making a specific hourglass instrument like yours, the features you described—wooden pegs, a 5-string configuration, walnut construction, and wheat head engravings on the scroll—suggest it's a finely crafted piece.

Hi all. does anyone know if Gary Gallier still alive? OK just teasing but really I have emailed him a few times and I get no response.  Has he gone into hiding or something.

It sounds like you're describing a finely crafted dulcimer with unique features. The elegant headstock, heart-shaped soundholes, and mahogany neck contribute to its distinctive appearance. Modifications have been made to improve intonation, such as replacing the nut and bridge for conventional spacing. The innovative removable pin at the bottom end adds to its functionality. Overall, it appears to be a quality instrument with some special touches.

Thank you Dan!

I was hoping to find a/some Homer Ledford-made tuners specifically - but very much appreciate the suggestion.

I considered Warren May (used to visit his shop in the early 1990's) and actually thought about contacting you as well!  (I found a post where you mentioned acquiring an older Homer Ledford dulcimer and making a peg - so I knew you understood the subject).

The dulcimer world is a small one!

I may very well end up contacting Mr. May - but thought I'd see if there was someone who perhaps switched their friction pegs for mechanical tuners, etc. and could part with one or more (nice to have a backup).

I did find today however, that the peg dimensions are different on two different Homer Ledford dulcimers I own - looks like the pegs on the more recent one wouldn't fit through the small/opposite side of the pegbox of the older dulcimer...  Hmm...  I didn't investigate too much as I was trying to respect/enjoy my Sunday - but that's what the caliper indicated...

Well, worse comes to worse, I'm comforted by a photo of Homer playing a dulcimer live that is equipped with mechanical tuners - so I suppose I can always go that route if necessary and not feel like I'm doing something he wouldn't approve of.

Thanks again!

I still miss Larkin.  She was a staple in many of larger dulcimer festivals and her classes were warm and helpful.  My copy of her book, which was part of my first dulcimer purchase, usually went with me to festivals.  While at the Memphis festival in 1996 she signed my copy which has made it more valuable to me.

I met Russ at a local event in 1995 or 1996.  I had obtained my first dulcimer from the Flat Creek dulcimer shop in Hardy, Arkansas and was looking for an instrument for my wife.  He did not have a dulcimer with him to meet the need so I made an appointment to meet with him at his shop.  We spent 2 or 3 hours with him selecting a dulcimer and he offered to give me a tour of the shop.  Russ and his wife were gracious hosts.  I left with enough information and inspiration to start building dulcimers.  We looked forward to seeing them at local vending events.  His fretboards were a little narrow for me but Russ had no problem with it and his fingers were about 1.5 times the width of mine.

I'd contact Warren May in Berea. His pegs are replicated from the Homer pegs and I know he has plenty of them on hand.

Warren May

Hello all, new here/first post. 

I've owned a number of instruments/have changed tuners on instruments in the past, so am aware of replacement options, but I have a Homer Ledford dulcimer that is in need of a friction peg, and I (perhaps like others) would like to have an original/Homer Ledford replacement.

In a book on his dulcimer making, Mr. Ledford noted that '...any peg he's made will fit any of his dulcimers...'

So...  I'm wondering if anyone happens to have one (or more) of his friction/tuning pegs available that they would be willing to sell.

If so, I'd appreciate hearing from you.

Best regards -

Thankee kindly, friends!  The new owner is one of our members here.  Hope she loves it!

Nice looking Melton Style Galax John. I am sure the new owner will be well pleased.

That is a truly drool worthy Galax dulcimer!  I love my all-cherry Galax. Cherry sounds good and is a nice choice. The new owner should be tickled pink!  

Three cheers for the new owner! That person is receiving a beautiful instrument.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It's a beauty, John, and Ohio is a nice place for that Galax.  

This is a new Galax dulcimer I finished yesterday.  It's mostly cherry, with a spruce top and mahogany "inner back".  It's made like Raymond Melton of southwestern Virginia used to make them.  The new owner lives in Ohio.

I'm afraid that I can shed no light on Russ Green. But I recently acquired one of his dulcimers. I agree with your assessment. Really, a high quality build, quite lovely to behold, and sounds even better.

Thanks for sharing that article, Ken.  What a great way to honor Rob's life! 

I use a Myers Pickup, which is a microphone not a pickup. It connects to the instrument in a variety of ways. I use the long carpenter clamp. Specify "long" as the standard will not likely wrap around the instrument. I put the tiny mic inside the f hole, so, yes, it will pick up vibrations from the box, but I could just hover it over the strings. It has it's own little volume control, but doesn't like phantom power.

@marsha-elliott I went in the opposite direction. I started with the bodhrán almost 20 years ago and sat out the slow airs and laments. Two years ago I was given my first dulcimer, and I am almost ready to take it to sessions. It is a good combination, as the dulcimer gets lost in the fast tunes, and people who try playing the bodhrán over the airs and laments are the ones who give it the bad reputation it has. Drum On!

Hi Nate,

You describe a common problem. And different string makers use different core diameters (and some use hexagonal core wire, so it bites into the winding for improved performance. And I too sometimes find that in a tuning such as DDAd I have to compensate the A string at the nut. Curiously, this is not on every instrument.

And I find that choosing string sets that operate at equal/similar tensions minimizes compensation of the saddle, as well as producing brilliance in each string that is in a similar 'brilliance envelope', so that playing a scale across all the strings does not sound different from playing the same scale on a single string.

I have a spreadsheet that computes string tension for sets of strings, given their operating pitch, string diameter and whether plain or wound. It turns out that the the fudge factor "k" needed to compute the tension of wound strings is very similar for most of the strings I've encountered (GHS, DR, etc.), so an average can be used for a given manufacturers' strings.

PM me if you'd like me to email the spreadsheet. Requires MS Excel. At present I can only supply it in Mac 64-bit word (Catalina OS and higher), but soon will have it available in the more widely used 32-bit word version. Either one should work in a PC Windows environment also...

Hey folks I was hoping to get some clarification about how string gauge affects intonation. I have noticed that an unwound middle string needs to be compensated about 1/16th of an inch longer than a wound middle string. If I don't compensate the middle slot differently than the others, it can often be up to 15 cents sharp at the octave, when properly tuned.
I remember hearing in passing a long time ago that wound strings need to be intonated to compensate for their core diameter and not their wound diameter. Can anyone verify this?

And if so, does anyone know what size core corresponds to certain gauges of wound string? For example, what is the core gauge of a .18 and a .24 string that are wound? Maybe I can use the digital calipers at my work and measure some cores.

I have noticed that in order to correctly compensate for my middle strings, the bridge needs to be shaped differently depending on whether the string is wound or not. Is this a common issue? and is there a better solution than just having two separate bridges with the two different compensations?

Thanks for any info, and sorry if the questions aren't asked very clearly,

Nate

You could ask the builder and try the dulcimer out. 

As for price, I would suggest you play the instrument, ask the builder what it costs, and decide for yourself if it is worth it. If you are a beginner, it is important to get some basic matters clear about what makes a good music instrument.

I have a buyer's guide on my website at https://www.bearmeadow.com/models/ordering/html/buying.html

Hope that helps

I'll check out the Wittner violin pegs and consider the measurements you provided. Ensuring proper contact points and alignment across the bridge is key. I wonder what other parts are cross compatible to violins.

Thanks Ken for pointing us to that article about the jam honoring Rob.  @jim-fawcett , i like what you had to say in the article. I also liked the description of Rob as so much more than a musician, but also as a 'community builder'.

I've seen a fairly basic walnut teardrop dulcimer for sale locally, but can't seem to find much about these instruments except what is on the builder's website. Can someone please give me a general opinion about how these compare to other makers and what the range of selling prices might be (either new or used).

I'd appreciate some input. Thanks.

 pawpaw.jpg - 159KB

Thank you for sharing this cool video from '73, @ken-longfield !  I really like Mr. Nicholas's dulcimers and it was really something to see the other folks making creations of some type or another.

Thanks for the tag, @dusty -- except for brief times away at grad school, I've spent all my life in O-H-I-O.   

FYI: https://bnnbreaking.com/world/us/fairmont-state-university-honors-robert-lackeys-legacy-with-memorial-jam

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for sharing this, Ken.  I want to make sure our Ohio patriot, @robin-thompson sees it.

In another dulcimer site a member shared a link to a video about folklife in Ohio. It was produced by Ohio Bell and does show some dulcimer information. Ralph Rinzler from the Smithsonian Institution is the narrator. Besides my interest in the mountain dulcimer, I am interested in many aspects of folklife and suspect others here are too. Simple Gifts Enjoy!

Today, it's the first Saturday in March.  The last Saturday in March will be International Appalachian Dulcimer Day.  

Looking at the picture of the head which shows the pegs, I would say they were installed poorly and the strings are incorrectly installed, both in terms of the sloppy winding and on the wrong pegs.They also appear to be unevenly spaced.

Some of the holes are too big, as evidenced by the amount of peg extending through the hole and some may be too small, The pegs also look too short to me. They may be drilled in the wrong place.

Some of the string leads are incorrect. They should pull the peg into the hole, not out of it.

See the photos toward the end of 

The Best Way to Change Violin Strings [9 Simple Steps]

https://violinspiration.com/how-to-change-violin-strings/

I think a complete refit of the pegs is in order, perhaps substituting larger viola pegs for violin pegs.

Using geared violin tuners like Wittners might be worth considering for your violin, especially if you prefer not to widen the peg holes. Keeping the Sam Carroll with its original pegs is also an option. You could use wood filler for the stripped hole to ensure a secure fit for the replacement pin.

Thanks for the input Nate.

The bridge is actually set into the fretboard in the traditional way. It looks like it has feet because it is wider than  the fretboard. But it is loose enough to shift if the strings didn't come in square and it was notched. Based on that, I think I will leave it alone and install a new spacer bar using standard bridge material. 

I expect I will play it with a single melody string as I do with my current unit, but I was wondering if I could run a double melody through the same hole in the tail. At this point I have no interest in 4 string equidistant.

That is a really nice looking dulcimer Art.
I believe the little feet on the sides of the bridge are to brace it to keep it from slipping to either side from uneven tension of the strings. This feature is useful for dulcimers that can switch between 4 string equidistant and 3 course with paired melody strings. The four string anchors in the tailpiece of the instrument are equidistant.
If you wanted paired melody strings, because the string anchors are set up for 4 string equidistant, the inner melody string would want to pull the entire bridge sideways, and the little legs on the sides of the bridge would brace it to prevent this.
The only issue is you would need pretty deep slots so make sure the strings cant pop out of them.
The benefit of a spacer is that it has very deep slots so that the strings put tension on the sides of the slots and are already the correct distance apart before coming in contact with the bridge.
It might be worth considering to make a nicer looking, more precise spacer rather than not have one, if you are planning to play with a doubled melody string, and not 4 string equidistant. An advantage of having a spacer (and corresponding slots in the nut) is that you can switch between 4 string equidistant and paired melody strings more conveniently.
Also, as Ken suggested, you should check that the action height and bridge placement are correct, especially before reducing the height of your bridge by making slots. 
Good luck!
Nate

Art, it looks like the tuning pegs are traditional violin pegs. When tuning you need to push the pegs in to the peg box as you turn them. They stay in place by friction. There are now geared violin pegs that look like the pegs you have. Do at search for Wittner violin pegs. Some of us who build and repair dulcimers use these measurements to set action: The strings should just touch the top of a dime placed on the bridge side of the first fret and top of a nickel placed on top of the seventh fret. I think Canadian coin are about same thickness as USA coins. If you haven't already done it, it would not hurt to make sure the contact point of the bridge should be the distance from the nut to the 7th fret doubled. The StewMac fret calculator says that the break point for the strings over the saddle (bridge) should be 72.159 inches for a non compensated bridge. I agree that eliminating the crude space would make the dulcimer look better. If you put notches in the bridge, just make sure to keep the touch point (break point) of the strings in line across it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

You are right Ken. That was one of the things I wondered about. 

My major question right now is the spacing of the strings. The spacer behind the bridge and the nut are notched for a double melody, but the middle string does not have a notch in the centre. I want to replace the rather crude spacer, but I wondered about eliminating it and notching the bridge.

While I am playing with the bridge, the action is significantly higher (5mm vs 2mm) at the last fret. I am assuming that is not ideal. The intonation gets progressively sharper as I go up the fretboard. The bridge itself is removable, but weirdly wider than the fretboard.

BTW, a neighbour makes guitars and will have all the tools we need for the above adjustments.

And lastly, for now, can someone comment on using the tuning pegs if you have them. Tuning it was a major task.

Thanks everyone for your input. This is going to be a fun journey.

Art

very nice

I agree with John. Nice find. I suspect you will ask about the cracks in the back. Those can be fixed easily with some CA glue or wood glue and clamping.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That would work out to just about $95 in the US!  Talk about CHEAP!  You got a great value there, Art!  And an interesting piece of musical folk art.  I'm glad it plays well.  Good for you!