Forum Activity for @cheryl-james

I can feel your pain...I had purchased an early Edsel Martin dulcimer that the US Postal Service managed to maul through several protective layers. Though the seller had it fully insured, and the packaging was good/solid, the USPS workers declared that the damage was due to the seller's packaging of the instrument, even though one end was completely torn off and crushed. The seller refunded my money but in the end lost out on his end. After this very sad experience and others that friends have had it seems that UPS is a much safer ride for our precious instruments. I had a great talk with Aaron O'Rourke about this and an instrument I purchased from him that he had a guitar shop pack and send UPS. Triple layer protection in the packing, but even the box seemed perfect when it arrived a few days later. I think that they do take better care of their packages, but I also really like the idea of sending items in a tube...I would never have thought of this, thanks Ken!

When I ship dulcimers, I use the ultra heavy (1/2" thick) cardboard tubes used as concrete molds for piers and posts, which you can find at Home Depot or Lowe's. It costs a couple bucks, but that's not a problem. I cut the tube a few inches over length and make end caps from corregated cardboard and tape one in place with balled up newspaper or whatever for end padding. Inside, I roll the dulcimer up in bubble wrap until it's a snug fit, side it into place, then tape on the other end cap. Because of the shape, any weight place on it or shoved into it tends to be deflected. Either that or the carrier stands it on end.

I have one simple tip for shipping. It has served me well with my guitar business and so I do the same with the dulcimers I send out. Over the past5 years my shipping damage rate for guitars plus dulcimers is 0.25% (1:400) and I'm sure that is largely due to this little trick.

I put one of those heavy duty plastic box handles at the balance point of the box.

I find that the couriers naturally carry the box by the handle, load it the way up I want it loaded, and are less likely to drop or throw the box (it is easier to place the box than throw it once you have it by the handle). It is a bit of a psychological trick as well as a practical device - but it does seem to be working.

Robin

I have shipped many instruments here and abroad with out a single problem. I build cradles within the box to support the instrument, and add lots of buffer padding all around. It has worked great so far. By the way , what has become of the damaged instruments. I build and might would be interested in repairing or maybe purchasing.

Gentlemen:

Looks 99.9% like a McSpadden Sweet Song assembled kit to me. I've built a couple of them, and they look JUST like this one. (Of course, the fit and finish on mine were much better! ).

yes mine measures the same.....had some dry finish section so I hit it with a touch of Watco walnut dark over the dry bits ...mine had missing strings ....did yours have the sticker inside of who put it together ,,,,,I've been busy slowly convert a old small guitar case for it .....

Don Johnson said:

Mine has, to me, a great sound. It is a lage instrument, 29 1/2 inch VSL, and a 2 1/2 inch deep box. I have posted in another forum here about the strings. It was missing the #1 melody, and I replaced with a .012, but the other two are smaller, and appear oxidized. But I like the sound. #2 has a ring to it, and I cannot imagine why. I have read here that the longer VSL can create a problem because of the longer frets, but I do not believe it will hurt Twinkle Twinkle Little Star a bit.

Don hows the sounds on yours?...mine is has a great mid range voice to her

Don Johnson said:

I, too, purchased a simular dulcimer from a Goodwill in Seattle. It has no name, and is a very large instrument.

Looks like someone tried to fix an intonation problem. I wouldn't think that would happen with a Sweet Song Kit.

thank you gentlemen......47 bucks well spent ......

Awfully pretty grain in that wood. It does look like walnut. Congrats Rav.

Looks great, these finds are out there you just have to be patient.

the tuners are gotoh

how can you tell if its one?...I believe its made of walnut...its has a sticker inside that says alan and chet whisman....Dec 1997.....its sounds nice ....my digital camera is down...I got this off of goodwill.com some store in seattle ...

looks sweet Chuck

Workin on It,enjoy your videos.

R N Lackey said:

Nice! Will be looking forward to hearing it when you get a song or two "down."

Rob

Thanks I am on it!!!!!

Ken Hulme said:

Interesting. Veeerrrryyy long tuning head with a nice shape. Veeerrrryyy narrow waist, but that will make it easy to pick up in the center. Very long discontinuous fretboard. Looks like nice workmanship.

Now get busy playing!

Never let a dulcimer club tell you what you should or must or hafta to do! If they start that, find another club.

Thank you, You know you have to give credit to luthiers who not only have the skills and pour thier heart and souls into these intruments only to have to part with them. I couldn't I would want to keep them all.

carol anderson said:

That is truly a very beautiful instrument!

Thank you, I enjoy your videos and chats, learning a lot from FOTMD.

Carrie Barnes said:

Chuck, lovely! Can't wait to hear her! Congratulations@

Thank you, I am trying to learn how to read music too. A little overwhelming butgonna make it.

Jim Fawcett said:

Well, Chuck, That's one beautiful looking dulcimer. Great find on your part.

Can't wait to hear it...sooner than later...LOL

Thankyou and I will be bearing down on the lessons. Had a bad week at the dulcimer club I go to, in fact it was so bad that they wondered if I should keep "learning how to play the dulcimer on my bucket list" Just kidding they have been very helpful, I will keep pluggin.

Very pretty dulcimer!

Well, Chuck, That's one beautiful looking dulcimer. Great find on your part.

Can't wait to hear it...sooner than later...LOL

I found this dulcimer on craigs list and went to see it the next day. It was built in 1989 North Country Dulcimers Robert and Yvonne Hutchinson and is beautiful, never thought I would have one like this. A part of the nut broke off and he put a nail in to hold the melody strings apart is the only falt and I am going to leave it alone for now. I tell you it sure has a voice.

Interesting. Veeerrrryyy long tuning head with a nice shape. Veeerrrryyy narrow waist, but that will make it easy to pick up in the center. Very long discontinuous fretboard. Looks like nice workmanship.

Now get busy playing!

Tell ya what. That sucker is SMOOTH! I love those flowing lines and the obvious work that has gone into finishing it out. The peg head is pretty unique. I haven't seen one just like it, but I like it. That thang is purty!!!

Nice! Will be looking forward to hearing it when you get a song or two "down."

Rob

Just bought a dulcimer that I am very excited about, now I need to get serious about learning to play.

I have been a Folkcraft dealer for over ten years. I can tell you that a 25 percent discount would not leave me much of a profit. Perhaps if I sold a hundred of them a month I could do that, but I only sell around eight a year at the present rate. Of course I do not advertise nor do I do Internet sales. I do discount the dulcimers I sell. One of the reasons Folkcraft is behind on production is that almost all of the instruments being sold these days are custom instruments and not stock models. If I want to have stock models like the FSH series on hand, I have to special order it.

My sassafras dulci is 22 years old, and the smell is still there, though not nearly as strong as it was it was in 1990. A little extra humidity seems to bring the smell back somewhat, a couple weeks in Waikiki helped mine. Mine is all sassafras, it sounds nice, but it doesn't take well to hard strumming. It responds better to delicate strumming, and to finger picking. Other factors besides wood type may be part of that.

Now that is really going out of the way for a costumer. I will have to check them out the next.

I've built a dulcimer or two using Sassafras. A number of builders are using it very successfully. It makes a very good dulcimer whatever wood it's combined with, or as a total build. The Clemmer dulcimers I've heard are good modern deep-mellow instruments in comparison to the high-silvery sound of old time traditional dulcimers.

Sam's experience is exactly why I would rather deal with the maker, not a distributor who has no stock on hand (most Internet companies).

Actually, for a 1-2 month wait, you can get a custom dulcimer from a builder like Harpmaker Dave or John Knopf or others, rather than just another stock model.

Try to get a lock on delivery time. Folkcraft has been running 1 to 2 months behind. This goes for second party distributors too. I ordered a Folkcraft kit being sold by Jenny Wiley dulcimers on ebay a couple months ago. I got an email last week that it was being shipped. The seller and I had canceled the order over a month ago.

Ummmm that should read 25% or more... my fingers musta had a senior moment...

Unless there is significant savings (2% or more) I try not to deal with a middleman who doesn't make what I'm buying (especially in higher price items), but go directly to the source. The people at Folkcraft are good to work with.

I can't say as I have heard of them. So I can't say one way or the other about them. But I have dealt with Folk Craft. with the experiences I have had them I will happy order from the again. The price is about the same plus you would be dealing with the people that built it. and very nice people they are. No I don't work for them but when a company goes out of it way to help me I go out of my way to tell people. any way here is their link if you want to check them out.

http://www.folkcraft.com/fsh-hourglass-dulcimer.html

Stephanie, I would love to find a tab of Angel Gabriel!!!

DAc tuning is my favorite tuning (so far). I'm still learning how to play the dulcimer (I play noter/drone style). Here are 3 tunes I'm working on: Which Side Are You On, Yigdal, and Van Diemen's Land.