Forum Activity for @strumelia

Deputy Mo ejects Evil Spammer while Strumelia snoozes on the job!

OFF TOPIC discussions

Well there I was, lolling about lazily this morning in bed with my coffee and furkitties.... blithely oblivious to the DESPERATE PANDEMONIUM going on here due to unsavory messages from an evil spammer!Thankfully, in contrast to myself, there are *some* people around here who get up in a timely manner and are ever on the alert, ready to save our members from the perils of immoral internet debauchery. That person is 'Deputy Mo' (member Rod Westerfield).Despite Deputy Mo's limitation of having only one bullet, and the spammer this time signing on with TWO accounts..... did Deputy M. let that stop him? ...No! -He demonstrated Extraordinary Crimefighting Skills by dispatching both evil accounts with a single bullet!!! =8-oYay Deputy Mo!
updated by @strumelia: 01/13/19 05:09:18PM

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Carol, The possum board with a leg is mine and was made for me by Dave Lynch. He's known as Harpmaker on the discussion because he also makes those as well as dulcimers. You can reach him through his web site Sweet Woods Instruments or go directly to harpmaker (at) sweetwoodsinstruments (dot) com or at 660/ 747 8618

carol anderson said:

I just came across this thread; and wondered if the possum board w/leg is available to buy somewhere, or if it was made by the owner of it?

I'd really like to get one!

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Check with David Lynch in Missouri. He makes them. Google him for his website. I think he is also a FOTMD member.

updated by @joseph-besse: 07/28/15 02:59:06PM

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

It's funny, but I don't think of DAd and DAA as different tunings so much as different fret numberings. The scale notes are the same except for the 7th note using the 6. They're exactly the same using 6+. So DAd and DAA can play together in the major scale just fine. Never could figure out why people go nuts when someone else is playing the same note but on a different fret.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I agree with Strumelian and like to play with a strap holding the dulcimer on my lap. Here's a pic of the strap button I installed on my dulci. It does require drilling a small pilot hole so it is not for the faint of heart worried about their dulci

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Google 'harpkit' for an online tuner. It will get you through till you can get one. I just got a new SN8 (from that 'e' place). $12.00 free shipping. It has a larger, easier to see illuminated scale. I like it.

Dana R. McCall said:

Great Gobbs of Goose Grease I've lost my SNARK!!! and my dulcimer is out of tune. It is my favorite and most valuable accessorie. I can't live without it. I need to learn to tune by ear. What am I going to do till I get another one?

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

That Snark are actually a BooJum Model 666...

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Hunting the Snark ! Hmm, make a great title for a book , or poem, or something ??? ( you could always use one of those other dulcimers you have Dana ) A couple of years back I left my 'goodies' bag (couple of tuners, spare strings, hammers, tuning wrench etc) , at a festival, got it back intact !

hope it turns out OK for you !

John

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Judy, It lays across my lap flat down. Since the back has a large area covered with the no slip rubber shelf liner, I can angle it just like I angle my dulcimer and it doesn't move. Neither does the dulcimer as I've never lost a dulcimer off of a possum board.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Opportunity's knocking, Dana!

Folkfan's advice is great.

Dana R. McCall said:

Great Gobbs of Goose Grease I've lost my SNARK!!! and my dulcimer is out of tune. It is my favorite and most valuable accessorie. I can't live without it. I need to learn to tune by ear. What am I going to do till I get another one?

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Be a traditional player for awhile and tune the instrument to itself. Either start on the bass string or melody and choose a good pitch. The dulcimer will play fine without being at a 440 A exactly. And I hope your SNARK is found or that another arrives quickly. I love my tuners too.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Great Gobbs of Goose Grease I've lost my SNARK!!! and my dulcimer is out of tune. It is my favorite and most valuable accessorie. I can't live without it. I need to learn to tune by ear. What am I going to do till I get another one?

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Here it is Pop,

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

My favorite accessory item is my adjustable playing stand made by Gene Lamprecht of Corpus Christi, TX.Leave my dulcimer on it all day for immediate playing.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

My favorite accessory isn't really an accessory, but it's something I'm proud of. My husband built me a solid oak cabinet for all my instruments. I prefer to keep them in their cases and that is how they fit in the cabinet. He also built me a mini-cabinet that fits in our motor home closet. I call this my "entertainment center". I love my hubby.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

These boards were used for drying animal hides. The skinned hide would be put onto the board and stretched tight until it dries. Some animals were split open at the belly and were then sewed onto the board by punching holes in each side of the cut. The wire was probably used for sewing the hide. It would have been placed with the fur side against the wood and the skin side out. Some animals were not split, but were case-skinned, so they were like a fur stocking. I don't recall which specific animals were done in which manner, or why. Dulcimer use of possum boards is much a newer idea.Paul

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

A couple of dulcimer stands I have will hold a notebook when I'm playing but not the book and the dulcimer at the same time. It's a pain to have to take the notebook off to put my dulcimer down, so I designed a stand that will hold my music and hold my dulcimer at the same time. And it all folds down into a bag. Then I found this really light weight metal music stand so I designed an attachment that goes on it that holds my dulcimer. I really like dual purpose things.

The idea of a bag to hold an dulcimer on the back of my chair wouldn't be difficult to do though. I posted a picture of the canvas chair I take places with me. I could easily sew a velcro attachment system to the back. That way I could carry more than one dulcimer and know it would be safe. Thanks for the idea. Now back to the drawing board.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

My wife has a bag called a Ukearoo.(Not sure of the spelling) It's long enough to hang it over the back of a chair, and it holds her ukulele safely off the floor. It has velcro straps to fasten it to the chair, and to secure the uke in the bag. You might want to lengthen your bags and add the straps for the same purpose. Good for when you take a break at a jam or a gig and don't want your uke stepped on.Paul

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

If I got one order, it would be for more than I could handle. The trick to the bag is the flat plastic skirt hanger I use for the top which goes over the closet door. It doesn't have any effect on the opening and closing of the doors. It is, however, the type of skirt hanger that has a metal over the rod hook which rotates and I only have 4 of them. hehehehe. So I can make the 4 bags I'd need but wouldn't be able to do anymore until I could find a steady source for something that would function as well as these skirt hangers do and still be at a reasonable price. I got them for free with some slacks I bought.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Recently I've been trying to figure out how to keep some of my instrument in my computer room without hanging them on the wall. I've tried hanging 4 of them from a closet door, but I don't really like hanging instrument by their peg heads, especially if they are being hung with pressure on the tuning machine heads. Also though I don't use the closet that much, when I do open the door the backs of the instruments sort of clatter on the wood. Not a good idea. So here's a picture of a prototype of a hanger bag for hanging on the door. It's just roughly done as my good sewing machine that I'd use to finish off the edges is broken at the moment.One instrument is hanging from a skirt hanger, but by it's peg head. The next one is hanging on an over the door hook with the cord through the scroll and not pulling on the tuners. The third is cradled in a quilted fabric bag and doesn't bang or clatter when the door is open. I'm going to make up 4 nicely finished bags on this pattern and get my dulcimers off the floor. And if things go as they have been this picture will be sideways. I'm not sure how to turn them.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks. Here's an accessory I made for my brother, Dave. He is a luthier and does music festivasl and uses my quilts for table cloths. This one is long and narrow and made completely of hand dyed and batik fabrics.

Vicki Miles said:

Excellent idea and beautiful quilts!

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Well I've shown you my favorite pickin' chair for at home, but I will admit to finding it difficult to put in the car. So here is my favorite chair for festivals or for just going outside and sitting on the deck. It's a wooden director's chair that I cut the arms off of so my dulcimer wouldn't be always bumping into them. (Picture 1) However, the lack of arms made the back unsturdy and I used it as a stool for awhile with just the arms down. (Picture 2)But since I wanted to keep the use of the back, I added some wooden braces. (Picture 3). For extra back support I throw a small quilt over it and add a pillow for a more upright sitting angle.(Picture 4)

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Just a thought for those of you who are headed for outdoor festivals this year. Having had problems with damp ground giving under the leg of a chair and then the leg getting stuck, twisting and breaking, I came up with an easy solution. I saved 4 large metal lids from pickle jars, and stick one under each leg like a coaster. Being metal they don't bend or break like plastic lids and if you are only going to be using your stool outside on the one occasion they can easily be tossed. I keep mine though in a small bag with a drawstring top that I attach to the chair.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Just measure twice and cut once. I use the height of the books laid on the floor and make a pencil mark on each leg. Then saw across. If there is a slight unevenness this can usually be worked out using the small rubber nail/screw on leg caps or buttons.As for rests to put my feet on, for festivals where I'm not taking my chair, I use newpaper delivery bags tightly stuffed with other plastic bags until they are plump little pillows. I then tie them together with a cord that I can hang around my neck or over my shoulder. They also fit in my Lee Felt bags. And I can position them to fit my stance rather than have to adapt to the wooden stool. I've got one, but never use it for playing. It's nice when watching TV. The plastic bags are light and if they get muddy at an outdoor festival, they are tossed away at the end of the day. Many places now have bins available for disposing of plastic items. Stephanie Stuckwisch said:

My dulcimer teacher just introduced me to the folding foot stool made by Lee Felt (aka the Dulcimer Bag Lady). It fits just right for my stumpy little legs. I'm ordering one tomorrow. It'll be easier than sawing the legs of a chair (how does one get them all even?).

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

My dulcimer teacher just introduced me to the folding foot stool made by Lee Felt (aka the Dulcimer Bag Lady). It fits just right for my stumpy little legs. I'm ordering one tomorrow. It'll be easier than sawing the legs of a chair (how does one get them all even?).

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Today I noticed on eBay someone selling pine quilt stands very much like the one I adapted to make mine dulcimer stand. Here's the ebay # 190371996785.It isn't hard to do to relocate the bars and to drill the hole for the dowels and then cut the pegs from several dowel rods. Rosemary Bridges said:

Wow after looking online those quilt stands are very pricey so it is not likely there will be one in the goodwill shop. Looking at it though I think some pine shelving and boards will do fine to make one with my jigsaw and drill. I think I will put a slant on it too so they won't fall off. Oh the wheels are turning!!!!
Thanks again Folkfan.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I use a pick bags that I design and make myself. I love them because I cannot hang onto my picks unless I have a place to stash them quickly.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Rosemary, If you look closely at the picture, you'll notice that the top bars are farther in than the bottom bars. Both sets of bars are tilted, so the instruments do sit on a slant. I have the additional cross bracing using elastic pony tail holders as I have a very active cat who still does his cat crazies around the living room. Also with the elastic gently holding the dulcimer secure, I can pick up the entire stand filled and move it around the room for vacuuming, etc.If you want to go with a more extreme slant such as /\, then make sure that the sides are wide enough to keep the peg heads from bumping into each other. Rosemary Bridges said:

Wow after looking online those quilt stands are very pricey so it is not likely there will be one in the goodwill shop. Looking at it though I think some pine shelving and boards will do fine to make one with my jigsaw and drill. I think I will put a slant on it too so they won't fall off. Oh the wheels are turning!!!!
Thanks again Folkfan.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I finally got a photo of some of my stands and I can say that the quilt stand I modified to hold dulcimers is really one of my favorite accessories. One stand that easily hold 8 dulcimers in one smallish space. I've managed through the years to buy, make, or win at festival raffles a number of stands that hold one dulcimer, but 8 is the best

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I just last week got one of Ray Lynn Woods' deluxe playing stands, with the music rest built in. It's like a possum board on legs ... and cost more than the MD did. But worth it for the increased volume without compromising the tone.Also the rosewood noter I bought from Carrot Creek ... it's starting to get scarred up, but it's still pretty good, especially as my left hand gets lighter with playing. Still want to get one of those bone noters though.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Flint Hill said:

Lisa, I'd love to see how one of your straps works. Can't quite envision it from the description, and it's neat to hear of a way to do this without putting a strap peg on the instrument.

Ken, I was thinking of makming a fun little YouTube video showing how I make my 'button straps' for my dulcimers. I think I'll do that next! ...and next thing you know there will be button straps on dulcimers everywhere ! ;D

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Lisa, I'd love to see how one of your straps works. Can't quite envision it from the description, and it's neat to hear of a way to do this without putting a strap peg on the instrument.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

My favorite dulcimer accessories is the dulcimer 'straps' I make for each of my dulcimers out of braided ribbon or yarn and a big old button so I can 'button' myself in with one of the loops of the other end. They are pretty, and different. Plus I don't have to have strap pegs put on my dulcimers.

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

My favorite is my adjustable dulcimer stand by John Stockard. :)And I really like my double dulcimer bags made by the Felts. :)

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Not really an accessory, but for me a necessity: hard shell cases for my mountain dulcimers.Favorite accessory: capo.Michael

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Not quite what I had in mind, but for you, Autumn, we'll count it. ;-) Autumn said:

I would have to say my fiddle is my favorite accessory. Does that count? :)

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Thanks for posting the possum board. I'd never seen one close up before. Sort of looks like the end of an ironing board, which also makes a handy stand for playing an MD on. razyn said:

But the term "possum board" historically refers to a pelt stretcher. Also works for cats, btw, or any similar sized critter, the hide of which one wants to use. For several of the appropriate uses, verses of the song "Ground Hog" are informative. Here is an actual possum board; some dulcimer player realized long ago that it was also an acoustically useful accessory.

http://www.museumofappalachia.org/veWebsite/exhibit1/e10342a.htm

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

But the term "possum board" historically refers to a pelt stretcher. Also works for cats, btw, or any similar sized critter, the hide of which one wants to use. For several of the appropriate uses, verses of the song "Ground Hog" are informative. Here is an actual possum board; some dulcimer player realized long ago that it was also an acoustically useful accessory. http://www.museumofappalachia.org/veWebsite/exhibit1/e10342a.htm

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

And my possum boards have a type of rubber matting on the back which keeps them in my lap, but doesn't come in contact with the instrument. Each one has movable lifts which can adjust to the shape of the instrument by sliding back and forth. I usually don't have to do this as my instruments are generally all about the same length. But if I got a baby dulcimer the possum boards would hold that size equally well, and add volume. Robin Thompson said:

Rosemary,
A dulcimer rests on a possum board for play, allowing the back of the dulcimer to vibrate with greater freedom, thus producing greater volume.

One of my favorite dulcimer accessories is a section of rubber bath mat that's placed on the lap under the dulcimer. Since I don't usually use a strap on my instrument, I like the mat for keeping the instrument from sliding onto the floor. :)

Favorite accessories to go with MD

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Rosemary,A dulcimer rests on a possum board for play, allowing the back of the dulcimer to vibrate with greater freedom, thus producing greater volume.One of my favorite dulcimer accessories is a section of rubber bath mat that's placed on the lap under the dulcimer. Since I don't usually use a strap on my instrument, I like the mat for keeping the instrument from sliding onto the floor. :)