Thanks for all of the ideas. I think I can make one of these work for me. I'm going to try to talk my teacher into loaning me his for a month or two, but I doubt that's going to happen!
You can use a keyboard stand. I use a single frame X stand. There are double frame models for heavy keyboards, but no mountain dulcimer would be near the weight of a large keyboard. Mine was on sale at Sam Ash Music for $9.95 several years ago. This is what they look like http://www.sweetwater.com/c508--Keyboard_Stands?utm_source=MSN&utm_medium=PPC&utm_campaign=keyboards&utm_term=keyboard_stand
It can be raised for standing players, or lowered for sitting players. Good luck with your knee replacement, I am investigating it myself.
Gail, no, the Rae Lynn stand isn't adjustable and that's probably my only beef with it. A few years ago my wife insisted on "gussying up" my office/music room. She wanted a "dressier" pair of chairs and I ended up with a couple oversized and overstuffed parson's chairs with the seat about 17-1/2 inches off the floor. This stand works well for me at that sitting height, but I've also used it with regular kitchen/dining type chairs and it was comfortable. I've often though that I'd just trim a bit off the legs if I found a chair that I wanted to use exclusively for playing my dulcimer.
Those walkers are height adjustable so you can use them sitting or standing. The ones I've seen, the player uses something like a rubber band or bungee to hold the dulcimer in place "just because". Bubble gum and string might also work.
There are all sorts of solutions if you put your mind to it.
Barbara, thanks for offering to cheer me on. I had my right knee replaced back in 2008 and it has done great (although the recuperation and therapywas no fun). I just got surgery scheduled today for December 2nd to do my left one - it was down to bone on bone on the x-ray today. If I need encouragement during this one, I may call on you!
Barbara Gill said:
Gail, I don't have much to say about the stand but I can cheer you on about the knee replacement. I had my right one done last December and the left in March. I love my new knees and being able to walk without pain again! If you have any questions I can answer, feel free to contact me.
Barbara
Mark, the walker is an interesting idea and I already have one from my other knee replacement a few years ago. I want to play in a sitting position - could you do that with the walker? Also, what holds it in place?
Mark Richardson said:
My partner is 2 weeks into her New Hip... she uses a walker, but I've been using one for years... $5.00 at Goodwill
I use a 'walker', in a different discussion, we talk about stands. The walker does dual purpose...you can use it with your new knee in the healing process, and it holds your dulcimer just fine. I've decorated one and use it on stage...I DON"T have to strap it down, and I can play pretty fierce
sometimes..
Ivan,
I looked at the ones on Rae Lynn Woods site and like those. Can you use them sitting and are they adjustable? If you don't know, I can contact them and ask. Thanks for the info.
Ivan Bradley said:
Then, if you want to go fancy, there's this one: Rae Lynn Woods
I have one of these and like it pretty well. I added more felt than what they included, but it might just be over-cautiousness on my part.
Then, if you want to go fancy, there's this one: Rae Lynn Woods
I have one of these and like it pretty well. I added more felt than what they included, but it might just be over-cautiousness on my part.
It looks like I am heading to a knee replacement soon - going to see my orthopaedic surgeon this afternoon. I think I would like to be able to play dulcimer during recovery once I am up to it. I would like a stand to place the dulcimer on (rather than my healing left knee)! Folkroots made a really nice one (my teacher has one) but it's no longer available. Does anyone know of a good dulcimer playing stand? I have seen one on line that is wood and cloth with a place to put your music, but didn't really like the looks of that one. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks
Better late than never, Frank! At 68 you're just at the right age to start learning to play!
Sounds like you're on your way! Have fun, and post any questions you come up with. Someone here will be able to answer.
My dulcimer is one I built from a kit over 40 years ago. I had it all done except for the wood finish and strings. Well life got in the way somewhere alone the line and finally last year I ordered strings and a tuner for it. This August (why hurry) I finished the wood with a satin urethane, strung it and tuned it. I added learning to play it to my bucket list and at 68 years decided it was time to get started. I noticed that the higher frets were really hard to get the strings to contact. After searching these forums I found that the height at the nut end was OK but the bridge was over 5/16 inch. So I trimmed it down some and it is much easier to make contact with the frets now. The bridge was glued in so I used a band saw to trim it. I can't remember what company make the kits but it about 1970 -72 time frame. Next improvement may be geared pegs - the friction one are hard to fine adjust. I make a forked stick to help with the fine adjustments. - take care folks
LOL! Thanks Phil! 
phil said:
John Loved the Video. Now I have that tune stuck in my head. But that's ok I like it.
John Loved the Video. Now I have that tune stuck in my head. But that's ok I like it.
High Spirits and Dana Ross flutes are usually right in tune with a tuner. We've experimented with some that were okay with other instruments, but just a little off when played with the previously mentioned flutes exclusively.
Garland Coulson said:
Do you run into tuning issues, John?
We find Native American flutes are usually a little out when compared to keyboards and stringed instruments.
Do you run into tuning issues, John?
We find Native American flutes are usually a little out when compared to keyboards and stringed instruments.
Dulcimers and Native American flutes go GREAT together! We use them all of the time. We threw in some percussion and didgeridoo for this one:
Ah, those two videos of NA flute are so wonderful. I think I see a flute in my future. Thanks for posting.
Two awesome Videos. After hear the flute and the guitar together I know the flute would sound great along side mt 12-string guitar. I need to look into getting some recording stuff so I can record more than one track.
It this your Web page? http://www.peacefulspiritflutes.com/
And here is a video I put together of my wife playing her Native American flute to pictures I took of a renaissance festival.
Hi Phil,
Happy to oblige. Here is a live performance at a Native American flute festival in Seattle called Flutequest.
could you get a video of your wife's group playing some time would love to hear them. When it comes to the flute I think you could call mine meditatively too.
My wife, Terry Mack, is an amazing Native American flute player. Her guitarist tunes his guitar to his flutes which makes it easier and now more of our musical friends are doing the same because they love the flute music so much.
A group of them just did a big concert as a fundraiser and it turned out great. I play, but usually more meditatively and I don't perform in public much.
Hi Garland,
I play the NA flute myself. Never had anyone to jam with that had to be awesome. I don't even have a flute circle near me. so it's just me and all my instruments.
Hi Garland,
I, too, love NA flute. Need to play them more, but love their improvisational style. I'm impressed at your jamming with it. Our flute circle tends to improv in related keys and on a rare time or 2 a guitar or other instrument may follow along, but that's as close to jamming as we've tried.
For years I didn't think I was musical. My wife seemed to have a natural gift for flute-like instruments so I got her a Native American Flute for Christmas.
It sounded so lovely for her, that I waited till everyone was out of the house one day and picked up the Native American flute so see if it might sing for me. To my surprise it did.
I have played for a few years now and really enjoy it. My preferred way to play it is to go out into the woods and play meditatively.
But last night I went over to our friends place. There were a lot of very talented people there with lots of guitars and various percussion choices.
The jamming was fantastic. At one point, I had a friend start a simple beat on the cajon and I started playing my flute and we got really going and suddenly all these guitars came in and it was magical!
The mountain dulcimer is new to me but it seems to have similar intuitiveness to the Native American flute so I am hopeful I will one day have a similar experience with the mountain dulcimer.
Fotmd received your donation- thanks so much Pamela!
A small price to pay for a great site!
I'm going to do some listing, and when I sell and get the funds in hand, I will make a donation to this site.
Thanks for the notice. Very fair, and deserving. Will gladly donate.
Thank you so much and hope you sell your dulcimer quickly. :)
Strummelia, I consider that a perfectly fair (and lenient) request. I for one will be happy to comply. Thanks for the "wake up call". Sometimes we take the hard work and expense of people like yourself who provide us with things on the internet for granted.
Dewey
Please read before posting an item for sale:
For Sale forum listings must be for an actual currently existing item for sale (a CD or book, a specific single instrument, a music stand, photos of some specific dulcimer wood pieces for sale...) and the ad must include a photo of the item being sold. In other words, no open-ended, ongoing listings like "I make dulcimer stands", "I will make you a custom dulcimer", "Music lessons available", "I make bamboo noters", "Selling various wood for building", etc. It needs to be the actual existing item for sale, with its photo and price. Large items like instruments are limited to ONE item in an ad- small items like noters or earrings can be 5 items per ad...with photo and set price of actual items for sale. For complete details of what is or isn't allowed in the For Sale Forum ads, see the site rules HERE .
For years this site has provided a: For Sale forum ... free to use for all members. Over the past few years, our site maintenance costs have slightly increased, and our total member donations have slightly decreased.
To avoid falling into the red, I'd like to ask that anyone who uses this forum to advertise and successfully sells items totaling more than $100 to please make a $5 donation to Friends of the Mountain Dulcimer , to assist in keeping up with our 'rent'. This applies also to items sold on Ebay but advertised here on FOTMD. I ask that you please donate $5 for every completed Ebay sale of over $100 that you have listed here to our members.
I do not ask this of sales of less than $100 -unless you've sold enough of them to make more than $100, such as having sold ten or more CDs for example- however no donation will ever be refused.
FOTMD's Paypal Donation Button is located at the bottom of our site's Main Home page. You need not actually have a Paypal account to use the donation button- a credit card works fine with it. Donations are processed through Paypal's secure server, so no worries there.
Though it's easy to keep track of who has donated and who has not, I don't really want to have to remind or notify people, so this request is based on the honor system. Please do remember to click on the Donation Button and make your $5 contribution to the site after selling goods or services of over $100 that you have advertised in our For Sale forum.
With your help we can keep FOTMD running smoothly and all paid up!
Thanks so much,
-Strumelia
Dennis, almost all luthiers will install a pickup if you request it. I have a MMD with an internal pickup and will probably have my Blue Lion retrofitted with one as well.
I don't think you should buy a dulcimer simply for the pickup. Find the dulcimer that most meats your needs or whose sound you prefer and have a pickup installed in it.
Dennis, Folkcraft makes many dulcimers with internal pickups. I really like the Folkroots line with the Fishman pickup. It has a built in preamp so you do not need one as is the case with piezo pickups. I like that you can adjust the volume right from the instrument once you have your amp set up. Check them out on the Folkcraft website.
Can anyone suggest builders that include internal pickups in their dulcimers. I am looking for one that I can use when I perform in public and need to use with an amp. Right now I am looking at Modern Mountain Dulcimers but was wondering which other builders are internal pickups as well.
Thanks
Dennis
Marg, many dulcimers are made with a nut and a bridge that can be configured for two different arrangements of strings. One is the standard three-course instrument with a double melody string. The other is four equidistant strings. I assume that is what you are talking about.
marg said:
Looking close up at the hourglass, it looks to have slits in the fretboard end for several strings . Could you put 5 or 6 strings on this dulcimer?
Looking close up at the hourglass, it looks to have slits in the fretboard end for several strings . Could you put 5 or 6 strings on this dulcimer?
Rob N Lackey said:
The hourglass one looks really nice. Not a bad price but shipping is a touch high. I think the teardrop is way too high, because, I think, and I'm not sure, it's what they call their beginner model, which wasn't that expensive new (If I remember correctly.)
Sounds like the mud from the flood was all around and got into their basement. Maybe the closing is do to the clean up.
It does say till further notice, so maybe they will - with some time they be able to continue with their life long passion.
Rob N Lackey said:
Well, that's a shame. It's hard to imagine such an established company as they had having to close.
