Hello and a little info
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Hey Dana, sorry about all that has happened to you and your family. Prayers and thoughts are with you that all will go well.
Ben 
Forum Activity for @benjamin-w-barr-jr
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Hello and a little info
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You will be in our thoughts and prayers Dana. God bless.. Kevin.
Hello and a little info
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Wishing you the best. Waiting patiently for you to post more videos!
Hello and a little info
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Oh my, Dana. So sorry to hear all that! Hope everything goes well.... you know you're in my prayers as well.
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That's way too much to have to bear- may you forge ahead with gentle strength.
Sending you my haertfelt wishes for a strong recovery and hugs hugs to you, Dana.
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Dana, Mark and I both will keep you in our thoughts and send our love to you and Jim. I hope you will get some much-needed rest!Hugs,Robin
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Dana, I am so sorry for everything you are going through. Just know that we are all keeping you in our thoughts and prayers and wishing you the very best.
Hello and a little info
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Hello to all my friends on FOTMD I have informed most of my friends on FB but I would like to tell my friends here also about what I'm going though right now. I lost my sister unexpectedly on the 10 th of this month she was only 52. Then on Monday I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. Seems I have had it for a while but the good news is my cat scan showed it has only spread to one lympnode. I am putting my daddy in the nursing home on Monday temp. So I can get some rest before my surgery. At first they said chemo and radiation but after cat scan may not have to have it. Won't know for sure till consult with oncologist on the 6th and surgery. I have a wonderful support system in my dulcimer family. I'll still be checking in from time to time an keeping up I love watching everyone's videos and hope to post some more of my own soon. :)
updated by @dana-r-mccall: 08/03/23 07:47:34AM
i'm sure thats your problem. you have to remove the fret and deepen the slot in the fretboard. if the tang is crooked or.....the fret is beat up.....or filed down too much you will need to install a new one.
it's not hard to do. good luck. if you get the slot a bit too wide and the fret is loose use a little
super glue.
I've had it happen to me when I first started making MD's, when you hit the center of the fret 1st, it bends the ends up. Now I tap an end to get it started then move along until it'spartially seated then finish using a flat metal bar across the top of the fret and tap on that to finish seating the fret [fretboard already installed] or press them in using my drillpress. I've also started making finished frets when replacing or installing on a finished fretboard.
The builder may have cut the fret to exact length, cutting with side cutters or equivalent warps the tang, or it was a bit short from the kit maker to begin with.
Look for something that seems to make the strings to change [affects] length, for example, one string making contact at the rear of the bridge/nut [open] and the front when pressed or if there is a zero fret involved, a string that does not touch or is not bent over it. Flat is string too long, sharp too short from fret to bridge. The inside edges [fret side] of the nut/bridge should be taller than the outside.
The fret was probably bent up on the ends during installation and the ends were filed down to make them level
One other thing I can think of right now, make sure the 2 strings are the same gage.
Umm, that's pretty much an open ended question. Generally the tools needed, something to remove the bad fret with a minimum of tear out, cutter to cut the new fret material, file[s] for the ends/leveling/shaping, a hammer, a small block of hard cushioning material to minimize damage when installing the fret, a short straight edge to check the height across 3 frets, tape to protect the fretboard around the work. You also need to match the fretwire used so you may need a vernier caliper.
A question I have is what leads you to believe the fret is the problem for a bit of flatness in one string? I would look at the nut/zero fret/bridge/string first since the flat sound is more likely to be the cause in those areas. And just a note, it could be either string. A bad fret would more likely cause a buzz or dead sound [clunk]. Lay a straight edge [or press a string across the to adjoining frets] and examine the fret in question, light between the fret and straight edge/string verifies too low . The fret may have been flattened to match heights and never re-rounded.
updated by @skip: 02/08/16 03:30:43PM
Morgan McKay Dulcimer
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Anyone know anything aboutMorgan McKay Dulcimers?
A friend has lent me one she has never played ( an unwanted gift from years ago) with a view to possibly purchasing it. It's signed inside and dated Nov. 1977. Don't know what it'd be worth either...
Anne
updated by @anne-bowman: 06/11/15 07:42:49AM
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Like Dusty I buy both locally and from JustStrings. Never had a problem with them in all the years I've ordered from them. Often they send little extras, like string cleaning cloths or flat picks. I usually get a dozen of each of my most common gauges (18, 14, 12).
Banjo, rather than Mandolin, strings are the most common "crossover instrument" strings. I believe Jean Ritchie talked about using banjo 2nd and 3rd on dulcimer.
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I have an order coming from Just strings. the local store doesn't carry every gauge or length I'd need. i.e. they have mandolin strings but they are too short.
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
For the record, I've never had the "mess" Steve did with the ball of strings fromJust Strings. I just remove one at a time and the ball stays intact. It is quite compact, in fact, much more so than the individual strings in a packet. I keep it all in the ziploc bag they come in.
In general, steel is steel and strings are strings. The quality will not vary from one retailer to another, but there are variables for wound strings that might be a matter of personal preference. I prefer the tone of bronze wound strings to nickel strings, for example, but I would not say that they are better, merely that I prefer the tone.
I do indeed buy bulk wound strings and have done so from both Just Strings and Folkcraft. However, I try to buy as much as I can from my local music stores. You never know, but you might find yourself in a bind, with a workshop or gig the next day, and you need a string or two. If there are no brick-and-mortar stores around, you will be up that proverbial creek without a paddle. Strings are cheap, so even though it costs a little more, I buy as much as possible from my local music stores. Plus, you might just meet someone interested in the dulcimer.
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Monica, sorry. I forgot that Gary's website was hacked and down at the present time. I have never had any problem with Just Strings. Good prices and good service.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
The biggest difference is that JustStrings will send you a ball of strings. I did that once and saved money, but had a big mess! McSpadden's will be individually packed. I don't know about Folkcraft, but you could ask.
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
You can also check out bulk strings at www.cbgitty.com
I think all of them are the "ball-end" type with the brass rings, not the plain loops, but I use them here.
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Can't access their website
But you are satisfied with just strings?
Ken Longfield said:
Not to confuse things even more, have you checked the price at Prussia Valley. Contact Gary Sager and see what he sells strings for. I buy bulk strings from Just Strings.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Not to confuse things even more, have you checked the price at Prussia Valley. Contact Gary Sager and see what he sells strings for. I buy bulk strings from Just Strings.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
who to buy strings from ?
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
For a pack of 12 bulk strings,plain steel loop ends ,010 , the prices are as follows :
Mcspadden $12.50
Folkcraft $6.49
JustStrings $3.62
Wondering about the difference in quality?
updated by @monica: 02/26/19 01:31:20AM
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
This video showshow to turn them into loop ends very easily.
Tumbleweed said:
Hi Monica
I have the same problem with my local music stores and it didn't matter if I asked for dulcimer strings or guitar strings or asked by gauge. I couldn't get what I need. I need loop ends and in my area they just don't carry them. I was even told by one store there is no such thing, wow. I have to order them off the internet.
TW
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Thank you for the Suggestion Nicholas. The problem is that the music store doesn't carry all the gauges I want such as .023 phosphor bronze.
But today I put in an order at Juststrings,com
Nicholas Carey said:
IF you need loop-end strongs, it's pretty easy to remove the ball from a ball-end string to make it loop end string. Some strong, you can just pop the ball out:
Other strings might need an assist from a pair of dykes (side cutters) or needle-nose pliers:
http://www.frets.com/FretsPages/Musician/Strings/Loops/loops.html
You just want to ensure that you don't kink the wire as that makes a weak point at which the string will fail at significantly lower tension.
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hi Monica
I have the same problem with my local music stores and it didn't matter if I asked for dulcimer strings or guitar strings or asked by gauge. I couldn't get what I need. I need loop ends and in my area they just don't carry them. I was even told by one store there is no such thing, wow. I have to order them off the internet.
TW
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Excellent !!
Thank you
Dan
Dan Goad said:
Monica, you miht like this website.
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
My dulcimers are 26" And .012 .014 and .022 are just right but I missed your mentioning a 28" scale. In that case .010 .012 and .022 are better IF your tuning DA dd. If your tuning Daa then the heavier set will be better... Take Linda's advise... Bob.
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Monica, you miht like this website.
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Hi Linda,
At the moment .010 and .014, but its time to change the strings . All I could get here was .011, .015 and .026 loop ends. I spoke with the builder and yes the .026 will be too heavy. wondering about the other 2 now.
Linda W. Collins said:
Monica, For the top and middle strings, are you using .010 and .012? For your fret scale, those may be better than the .012 and .014; however, the instrument maker will advise you on which strings are best. What to watch for, if you use a thicker string, is that the tension not be too much, compared to the other strings. They should all have about the same amount of tension.
Linda
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
yes i am familiar with those as well
Thanks
robert schuler said:
Those are common size guitar strings, they should have had them. Ask for guitar string's, if you ask for dulcimer they probably don't know what your talking about. I always use D'Adario j64. They are .012 .014 .022. They are loop end... Bob.
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Monica, For the top and middle strings, are you using .010 and .012? For your fret scale, those may be better than the .012 and .014; however, the instrument maker will advise you on which strings are best. What to watch for, if you use a thicker string, is that the tension not be too much, compared to the other strings. They should all have about the same amount of tension.
Linda
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
Those are common size guitar strings, they should have had them. Ask for guitar string's, if you ask for dulcimer they probably don't know what your talking about. I always use D'Adario j64. They are .012 .014 .022. They are loop end... Bob.
a question about Strings
General mountain dulcimer or music discussions
My local music store doesn't carry dulcimers and they don't carry .022 or .023 strings. They only have .026 for the bass string. Is that to heavy for a 28vsl?
updated by @monica: 08/01/23 07:08:13AM
I have one of each also. The hourglass I have is a Folkcraft. The teardrop I made myself in a class. To me the teardrop sounds louder and better (could it be that I'm biased, sure). Both slide around in my lap even with the strap on. I think this is because when I play I'm usually on the couch and not sitting straight up so my legs are not far enough apart. But I use that strap to counteract this and can usually control the sliding around enough. Plus I usually tap my foot anyway so it's bouncing up and down too. Overall I would say I prefer the teardrop - again I'm probably biased but that's ok. 
The shallow bodied, slope shouldered, tapered scrollClifford Glen dulcimer in what is known as the 'North Carolina' patternis my absolute favourite dulcimer shape. It does surprise me that none of the larger workshops has ventured into this pattern as, in my book, it beats the Kentucky hourglass hands down for aesthetics