The answer is a resounding YES! Most folks, I think, tune a banjimer like the dulcimer that it is. But there's no reason you couldn't string and tune it as a banjo -- except all the conventional banjo chords would be 'backwards' more or less.
So, I came into another rescue, will require some work like the Blue Lion I recently acquired, it was worth the effort.
My question is, it's the first equidistant strung dulcimer I own, a June Apple Banjomer, I have another banjo dulcimer but it is strung as regular dulcimer, so it gets tuned in standard tunings, does anyone know if this should be tuned with the matching drone strings, or should it be tuned to banjo tuning?
Thanks everyone.
The 'bright' sound is probably not caused by the strings, but by the simple fact that you have a very short VSL instrument which may be tuned to a higher pitch than a standard dulcimer.
What is your current tuning? Try tuning down one notch. If you're tuned GDD or GDg, try FEE or FEf; If you're tuned DAA or DAd, try CGG or Cgc. Be aware that the short VSL Ginger dulcimers often "sing" best when tuned up and bright.
Is your Ginger set up for G or D? If you're set up for G, swap your strings (one at a time) for a the standard McSpad Ginger D strings -- .012 plain steel melody strings, .016 plain steel middle drone, and .026 bass string.
You can certainly buy loose (individual) strings .02" larger than your existing strings without bothering things too much.
"All the sites"?
The For Sale section is here:
If you click on Forums at the top of the page, then scroll down, you'll see it also.
Hey, Unclekb! Welcome to FOTMD! Here are some of my thoughts on "used dulcimers":
Hope some of these suggestions are helpful!
Jan (who is thinking about starting to reduce her collection!)
that's a true statement!!
So far I think it's okay now....I'll have to see as I play it and tune it.
Thanks for the tip too
Maria
If it ain't broke now, don't fix it. However, if you find the outermost (closest to you) melody string breaking often, try reversing the peg attachment for the melody strings. That way the outermost string will be attached to the farther peg, making it bend less.
Hey folks, it wasn't my intention to derail this discussion by offering my fictional version of a dulcimer discovery. I really enjoy hearing about everyone's first instrument and hope people continue to post.
well I guess I could do all that but honestly if I spent the money for a new instrument then I don't want to have to fix mistakes. plus now I already bought my "new" old one and I don't think at the moment I need both. In fact the skinnier neck would now mess me up so I'm happy learning on the Walnut Valley one.
but thanks for the suggestions
Maria
well so far with changing the strings a bit and fooling with that screw I've gotten it tuned to dadd and it seems to be holding!! But thanks for the advice and compliments on it!
Maria
Dusty, you had me going. What great story. 
Both versions of your story are excellent.
You should try playing with one melody string using the tuner that works best. The dulcimer is really a three string instrument after all. Looks like you have the old friction ukulele type tuners. If they continue to slip you might lower your tuning to Cgc. Looks like a pretty dulcimer.,. Good luck... Robert
Oh wow.....thanks so much!! it's prettier than the pics on ebay show and for that I'm glad!!
Maria
Okay that's good news!!
Thanks so much
Maria
The strings should go over the top of the peg as you tighten them, not underneath, otherwise the won't stay tight. The picture from the tuning head end seems to show them winding around correctly. With that sort of tuning head it's quite common for the melody strings to cross each other, at it does not usually cause a problem. The inner melody string rightfully goes to the tuner at the far end, and the outer melody string goes to the closest tuner.
You can set those string spacings any way you want, by adding new string slots. The melody string couplet should be about 1/8" apart. The non-middle string is an easy fix with a fine saw like a jewelers' saw or even a V section needle file. The grooves don't have to be deep, but they should be deeper towards the respective end of the instrument.
Dusty, was you possessor of any of the early John Fahey albums?
Thanks Dusty, glad you liked the video. Yes, that is a mic that you see. :-) And thanks for listening to the podcast!
I was watching that one on Ebay. So glad that it went to a good home.
Haha Dusty. That's how we all wish we had found our first dulcimer. Even better than winning the lottery and buying up a whole music store...
I don't know why the above repsonse is on the side but if you could read it and look at picture that would be great
thanks
Maria
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Okay so I unloosened both of the melody and then somehow popped the one that was closer to the middle which mean the peg was the further away from the fretboard so I had to reverse the strings and I was able to get them both back on. BUT I may have screwed up the direction and does it matter?
Right now the bottom bass d and the middle string a get tighter as I twist the peg UP, and the ones I just put back the two top melody strings get tighter when I twist the pegs down. IS that wrong? or maybe I'm right now and had it wrong before......also here's a new pic and no matter how I try the strings do cross each other but it seems like it's a bit better. what do you think?
Maria
AHHHH the lightbulb goes on lol...Thanks then I don't risk popping the strings too...thank you thank you thank you!!
Maria
Thanks Dusty...
I already did send them the picture I will post here so you will see what I mean and no matter where you fit it (meaning their are extra grooves in the nut) the spacing is not correct. the two dd strings are too close together and the a string is not in the middle it's closer to the bass d string.
I sent them this picture and one of a mcspadden that I got off the internet to show that. I will have to wait now and see what they come back with and then if they give me more trouble I will do the "intonation" check. Even If I lose money I'm getting rid of it and sticking with my old new Walnut Valley..Thanks again
Maria
Well, during the infamous "Blizzard of '78" I had had enough of the New England cold. At the age of 13 I sold my record collection to get enough money for a train ticket to the west coast. I traveled with nothing to eat but a jar of peanut butter and a couple of apples. But I had an old Marine Band harmonica to keep me entertained. The train across the country seemed to take weeks, but it was my first time leaving my native land, so I was entranced watching the scenery roll by. The train dropped me in Los Angeles, but Union Station did not look like California to me. Somehow I found some local buses to get me to Santa Monica, which looked just like the movies: bikini girls playing volleyball, muscle men roller skating, you get the point. I still had no place to sleep and no food to eat, but I was adopted by a group of evangelical surfers. Yes, these folks claimed that G-d spoke to them through the ocean waves. I never learned to surf with these folks, but they did feed me and offered me a ride up north. We drove up the California coast, and on the drive I got to practice my harmonica, for when they weren't surfing, these kooks were smoking weed and singing a mixture of gospel tunes and Hawaiian surfing songs. Indeed, I smoked my first joint with these kind folks, but also ate my first tofu and seaweed soup. I have to admit that I learned more about music and food than I did about the Bible.
We eventually got to Santa Cruz, but that's where they left me. One day we were hanging on the beach and I fell asleep while they surfed the waves. But when I woke up, they were gone. I figured I'd check some of the church soup kitchens, which they frequented, but while I lay there on the beach I saw a small dark object in the ocean. I couldn't tell what it was, but in the haze of the sunshine I kept watching it as it slowly moved to shore. It must have taken a couple of hours, but when it was just beyond the break in the waves, I waded out there and found this soggy, weather-beaten wooden canoe paddle. At least that's what I thought it was at first. After it dried out I could make out a label on the inside that said "Capritaurus Dulcimers." I knew nothing about astrology, but I had heard of a dulcimer before. I traded my harmonica for a hamburger and a set of guitar strings, strung that thing up, and began playing. I just sat cross-legged on the Santa Cruz boardwalk and started picking out simple tunes. And what would you know? People started giving me change! Yes I was busking on an instrument I didn't know how to play. But people saw this 13-year-old kid playing a weird instrument and dropped money and sometimes food in my lap. I don't know whether those surfing hippie Christians led me to this instrument or whether it was astrological fate, but I knew at that moment that my life would only have meaning because of the dulcimer.
Oh, you know the rest. I was discovered by Ry Cooder, given a recording contract with Atlantic Records, hired as VP of folk music at Mel Bay Publishing, appointed by the President to be Curator and Artist-in-Residence at the Smithsonian, yadda, yadda, yadda.
OK. None of that is true at all, but it's better than my telling the truth: A middle-aged, balding man living in the suburbs and driving a mid-sized sedan, I saw a dulcimer on YouTube and then bought one for myself.
I'm nervous because when I tune it now it feels like if I tune it differently (like I want to change it to daa for a music book my son gave me ) then it will pop those two double strings.
I'm guessing you are currently tuned to DAd, in which case you need to tune the melody strings down to A, not up.
Thanks so much for getting back to me and the info you provided. I will try and "unloosen" the screw a bit as I thought they were supposed to be tight...now I know...also I agree with the way they lay...maybe I will "attempt" to straiten if I can...worse case scenerio I will try to see a "professional"
and thanks so much I really like it so far
Maria
I think it's safe to say that at best, the Roosebeck dulcimers are inconsistent, which would make sense since their construction seems to move from one country to another, presumably wherever labor is cheaper. Some folks have gotten lucky with nice instruments and others have what we call dulcimer-shaped-objects, more appropriate for hanging on the wall than for making music.
Sleepingangel, don't beat yourself up over this. I was pretty lucky in finding a good instrument for my first dulcimer, but it can be hard to know what to do. I really wish McSpadden and Folkcraft would make an entry-level instrument, but since their base models start at over $400, beginners look elsewhere. Many of us suggest the student model dulcimers that some luthiers such as David "Harpmaker" Lynch sell for about $125. But without that advice, many people look to the less expensive instruments out there, which is hit-or-miss.
What do you meant that the "spacing of the strings is wrong?" Are they too far apart? Too close together? Either way, a new bridge and nut should fix the problem. A more important question is whether the frets are spaced correctly. You can test that with an electric tuner. Tune your open strings and then check each note as you move up the fretboard. If the intonation is off, you can definitively tell the seller that the instrument is defective.
It is difficult to tell from the photos but you may have the melody strings a little twisted where they pass over each other. Getting as straight a line as possible from the white string spacer to the tuners may smooth up things a little. Also, those tuners are not that easy to use. They work on friction and the little screw on the ends of them sets how stiff they are to turn. You need to set them so they turn easy but will still hold the strings at the pitch you want. It takes a little trial and error to get that screw tension correct.
The first fret is actually a 'zero fret' - this is quite a common set-up on dulcimers. The white 'nut' just spaces the strings correctly as they cross the zero fret. All in all, the instrument looks lovely and should play just fine once you have the tuners sorted to the correct tension. If you continue to struggle with the tuners then a guitar luthier should be able to swap them for either guitar or banjo tuners with gears.
Hi thanks so much for your response. I will try the suggestions. What do you mean "attaching them nearer to the center of the peg box?" is that something I can do or is that what the luthier has to do?
thanks
Maria
You might have tightened the screw a little too much. Try loosening it just a bit. A little WD 40 on the outside of the peg assemble can't hurt. But don't get it on the strings! A guitar luthier could defintely help. It looks like the outside strings bend too much when going into the peg box. Attaching them nearer to the center of the peg box would help.
Ok so I've now realized that the Roosebeck has issues......(c'mon where are the "I told you so's" lol)
I didn't know it as I am new to the dulcimer but basically it was made incorrectly. The spacing of the strings is wrong and can't be rectified.
ALso I can't use my new Ewing Capo with it because it buzzes.
I bought a used Walnut Valley for $150 in mint condition and it's NIGHT and Day. I made another post in another forum here on this site asking about the tuning pegs if anyone would help me out I'd appreciate it.
The spacing is the way it's supposed to be and the capo works!!
NOW I HAVE TO FIGHT WITH the company that sold me the Roosebeck because they are calling my return buyers remorse and I don't agree that I just changed my mind. There's a reason. They want to charge me a 30 percent restocking fee and have me pay for return shipping.
Even if I do I'm still going to sell it back because after playing this 30 year old dulcimer for 4 days I realize I will NEVER play the other one. so I may have to bite the bullet and lose the money.
My dear departed mom used to say "education is expensive"
Take care
Maria
On Friday I re'cd my ebay purchase of a 27 year old Walnut Valley Smoky River Dulcimer.
The seller is the son of the original owner who bought it new. The condition looks to be outstanding and I think it sure has a "sweet" tone. I am in the process of trying to "return" the Roosebeck (meeting with some issues as they want to charge me a 30 percent restocking fee and return shipping) The Roosebeck's fretboard was made incorrectly. The middle string was not in the middle which created an unusually large space between it and the double d strings which also were spaced too far apart to hit both comfortably. Adding to that is that I couldn't use the new Ewing Capo which I bought. The instructions said if the strings buzz it's the dulcimer not the capo. SO with that I found this little beauty. It was packed in two boxes. The inside box is the original that it came in and the dulcimer had the original manufacturer's warrranty with the serial number. It was made in 1989 and it was the 86th instrument made that year. I did research after but heard mixed things about it. but I took a chance because I felt the price was right and it looked really good from the pictures. The truth is it looks BETTER than the pictures as the pictures did NOT show the correct color of this dulcimer. It's a deep walnut. Anyway my biggest and only concern is this: The tuning pegs are really tight. I did use a screw driver to tighten the outside part of it (it's the old fashioned kind with the gear I guess inside the white head of it)
It does slip a bit when tuning although since I changed the strings (as soon as I got it) and have played it for the last 4 days it seems to be holding the tune.
I'm nervous because when I tune it now it feels like if I tune it differently (like I want to change it to daa for a music book my son gave me ) then it will pop those two double strings. Those seem to be the "tightest" it's kind of got a weird thing going on at the nut. There is a space after the 1st fret and then the nut and the a space and then the strings go into an indent into the wood and up into the scroll. But the two d's seem to almost cross each other to get where they need to be (another concern like the rubbing might make them snap)
Also is there some kind of thing like wd40 that I can use?
Lastly would a guitar luthier help? I don't have any dulcimer people here in my town that I know.
Patricia, I love the video you posted of Erin. The audio quality is amazing. Is that your little mic I see attached to her dulcimer? It was nice to meet her on her trip to Cali this summer.
After I finish a little work and pour a glass of wine, I'll be listening to your latest podcast. Thanks for all you do to celebrate the dulcimer!
I'm a little embarrassed to say :) A few years ago I wanted to learn dulcimer, and my husband came home with a First Act. God love him, he has no idea about instruments - he just wanted to make me happy. I was learning on it when life began to act up, and I had to set music aside for a while. These days I have a Cedar Creek teardrop and my Christmas present is one ordered from Ron Gibson. I still have the First Act however, it's great for little ones to play on during our group jams. For sure they can't hurt anything if falls out of small laps, and with new strings it doesn't sound too badly.
