Forum Activity for @dusty

Michael, you will want to remove whichever of the double melody strings gets you closest to equidistant.  Usually that is the outside string.  But it's easy to measure or even just eyeball it.

My local music store carries single wound .020 strings.  As @jost shows, so does JustStrings.com.  Folkcraft carries both bronze wound and steel wound in that size.

If you have to go up to .022 it won't kill you (or the instrument). I use a .026 on all my standard-sized dulcimers.

Thanks, Jost!  I appreciate it!

Hello,

GHS has them: https://www.juststrings.com/ghs-d20.html?cmp=nextopia&kw=ghs-d20

Best regards, Jost.

OK, here's a follow up question.  The string information that came with my dulcimer states that the strings are standard music wire, with the bass string being an LW-20 light wound .020 diameter and the other strings are all L-12 light plain .012 diameter.  D'Addario offers .012 strings, but I don't think I've seen a bass string that is .020.  Any help on where I could find this bass string would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks.

Michael

Hey, all, 

This may sound like a "well, duh" question, but here goes.  I've been talking to a fellow dulcimer player who sings the praises of using only 3 strings.  I am about to re-string one of my dulcimers and thought I would give it a try.  So, if I want 3 equi-distant strings, I would remove and not replace the first (outside) melody string, right?  Thanks in advance.

Michael Willey

Just another brief thought. I was surprised when attending festivals that many folks had never heard of DPN. One would mention the magazine in a workshop and people would ask "What is that?" And it wasn't just new players, but also players who had been playing for years. Did anyone else ever encounter this?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks, Dusty, Ken, and Lisa for your comments. As you gathered, my post is a way of dealing with my grief of losing a friend after 49 years.

Dusty thanks for your suggestions about tablets. My wife sits next to me on the sofa and uses an iPad to surf the web, read email, etc. Over the years she has had different sizes and has settled on the one that is about full page size (8 1/2 x 11). I do read books on my Kindle and may some day switch to an iPad for reading. I'm sure part of it for me is just developing new habits. When I referred to "the small number of people on the web," I was thinking about only those who have an interest in mountain dulcimer history which is a small number of the general mountain dulcimer enthusiast population. I agree that the web reaches many more people than print media ever did or would. Obviously I participate on the web and enjoy the camaraderie here and at the other dulcimer web sites. I think the future continues to be bright for the mountain dulcimer and look forward to new days and adventures ahead. Festivals and gatherings will continue in person and on the web. People will discover the mountain dulcimer and start playing or building.

Ken, I appreciate your comments. You pointed out some things I hadn't considered and agree that they contributed to the demise.

Lisa, I appreciate your continuing to offer FOTMD to the dulcimer community. I'm here everyday (sometimes many times) and enjoy our discussions and sharing.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Dusty, you expressed it so well. I agree about your coffee table comment, and thank you for the input about tablet size- very helpful!  KenL, I'm glad you posted your timely final tribute to a great publication that enriched all our lives for many years.

It does still feel odd and somehow 'not right' that now both the original (Bruce Ford's) EverythingDulcimer site and DPN magazine are both gone. They were together the very backbone of the dulcimer community. I realize that there is now an entire new generation (or two!) of dulcimer players who never even experienced DPN or the 'real' ED in their heydays. Perhaps we sound like old geezers lamenting the past.

To me, facebook groups are rather pale replacements, since 1) they are not conducive to in depth discussion, 2) they tend to consist largely of ads and self promotions, and 3) the info posted on them just kinda disappears after a day or two and it's almost impossible to search for any past content. Not to mention you have to join FB  ( lolol)

I have to agree with Dusty.  Electronic dulcimer media are sending the same message as DPN to thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, more people today than DPN ever heard of.  DPN was the wonder of its time, it brought together players and builders across the country, and encouraged many, many people to take up the art and craft of dulcimer.

But as the song says, "the times they are a changing..."   I too miss the old DPN.  I always wished it could have been a monthly not a quarterly.  Back in the day, 'newsletters' were quarterly mimeographed publications of a few pages sent to a small list of subscribers.  The most successful newsletters graduated larger mailing lists and published monthly. The very best became full-fledged glossy magazines.  DPN seemed to stall half way between.  It went gloss and included ads, but never went monthly.  Knowing a bit about the history of publications, I suspect that that was the first step 'downhill' -- it failed to continue to grow.  Readers demanded more, and more frequent, information (a trend which electronic media are especially good at), but DPN never made that leap.

Ken. I appreciate your thoughts and share many of them.  Neither Acoustic Guitar nor Flatpicking Guitar Magazine are available in physical form anymore. When a new issue comes out and I get a pdf in my inbox, I skim through it once and never look again. It's not like a physical magazine that you leave on the coffee table and return to again and again.

Personally, I find I do read a bit on my medium-sized tablet.  If you don't already, you might consider getting one, and pay specific attention to the size.  Some are too big to hold comfortably, and the screens on smaller ones are too small. Find that goldilocks just-right spot for yourself.

But I question why you refer to the "small number of people on the web."  There are more members of this site than there are subscribers to DPN.  There are more dulcimer players engaging on Facebook than there are subscribers to DPN.  To be blunt, the market has spoken.  I think the first sign was when DPN stopped including classified ads.  Websites such as this one are simply much more efficient and timely for selling used instruments than is a quarterly magazine, and yet those ads were a major source of revenue.  That change was the first bit of proverbial writing on the wall.

So while I also lament the end of the hard copy of DPN, I would like to see the sunshine rather than the clouds. As you point out, the great achievement of DPN was to create and sustain a dulcimer community that was spread thin across the country.  It brought us together.  The people are still here. Dulcimer festivals are still happening, both in person and online.  While we have seen many luthiers pass away over the last few years, many are still around and lots of new ones are making wonderful instruments.  Pat Clark gets 100-200 people joining her Send in the Music dulcimer jam every single week!  DPN played an important role for many years and created the connections that have made possible the flourishing of the dulcimer community online.  Let's celebrate it for what it accomplished and what it has meant for us.  And let's celebrate the dulcimer community. We can all make music by ourselves at home, but sharing that joy with others is why we read DPN or interact on FOTMD. In the end, it's all about the people, and we're still here.

I just received the last the glossy printed issue of DPN. The next two issues, the final ones, will be printed using a Risograph machine which is a step above a mimeograph. Ashley Ernst, the publisher/editor of DPN, explains the reasons for this in this issue's editorial. I understand the reasons for this decision as the magazine folds. The editorial made me not only wax nostalgic about the early days of DPN, but also speculate what a future will be like without the quarterly journal showing up in my post office box. Almost from the inception of DPN it has been a constant companion on my dulcimer journey both hammered and mountain. It was the place I turned to for information about other players and builders. It connected me folks who shared a love of these instruments as well as kept me abreast of the what was happening in the dulcimer world. My chosen vocation kept me from attending any dulcimer festivals until late in the 1990s. Contact with other players in those days was infrequent. The magazine was there to encourage me and sustain. 

Times have changed; we all know that. Many print publications have ceased to exist or gone digital. I have to confess that when something to which I subscribed has converted to digital editions, I've stopped reading them. It's probably my age, but I find it difficult to sit with a computer on my lap to read for any length of time. The same is true for sitting in front of my desk top computer. It is more tiring on my eyes than holding and reading a paper magazine. I do read a good amount of material online, e.g., here at FOTMD, TTAD, and ED as well as at non-dulcimer related websites.

Beyond the nostalgia, I wonder what effect this will have on dulcimer makers, players, instructors, festivals, etc. One avenue of getting the word about performances and products will disappear. The sharing of dulcimer history. which for a long time was a feature of DPN, will occur now only among a small number of people on the web.The exposure of the larger dulcimer community to these niche interests will be reduced. So will the exposure of the builders, performers, merchants, and others involved with various aspects of the dulcimer world.

I know we have this site, TTAD, ED, and various social media outlets to discuss and share news about and our love the dulcimer. I participate in those, but it is not the same. The information on social media sites is transient. For the most part you can't go back and look up something that caught your attend. Websites are a little more permanent but not like the archiving of a magazine. How often does one try find a link, photo, or other file on the web only to discover it has disappeared? We live in a world of impermanence.

So what does the future hold? I don't have a crystal ball. I do have some more thoughts. We will adapt. One door closes and another one opens. I don't really know what that will be. I'm sure those who desire to share knowledge about the mountain dulcimer (and the hammered dulcimer) will find effective ways to get the word out. I'm not sure how that word will be preserved.

Lately I've been reading a few books about the Civil War. What strikes me about these books is the amount of material that comes from written diaries and letters.What will the biographers and novelists who write about our time use as primary source material?

Well, if you have read this far, I commend you for sticking with me. I am interested in what you think, so perhaps you will share your thoughts here.

Finally, thank you to all those who contributed to DPN over the years; from the publishers, to the writers, to the advertisers, to the subscribers. All you have had a tremendous influence on my life. I wish you all the best andI look forward to our next chapter whatever that may be.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Gorgeous!!    Love the singing, the song and the instrumentation!!!

Wow, Randal, you have a beautiful dulcimer and a bargain at that. I wish you well as you learn more and learn how to enjoy your special find.

Mr. Templin died at age 65, and his obituary described him as a "folk instrument builder".  He was buried from Usrey Funeral Home, Pell City, AL.

Gentlemen, I am most appreciative for the courteous and informative responses from your collective of esteemed luthiers. As of early morning this very day, I had never seen the word "luthier."

And I did peer through the sound holes I was able to see the following: Made by C. Earl Templin, Calera Alabama. How fascinating.

Apparently Mr. Templin passed away in 2008 and lived less than an hour from where I presently reside. His wife, Linda, passed away in 2021 and apparently was fond of playing the dulcimer herself, as well as the harp.

That’s all I’ve been able to gather so far on the history but I’ll keep researching and also see if I can locate a luthier in my area who can help with fashioning a bridge for it. Thanks so much for your help and Mr. Hulme, I’ll definitely take a look at your article.

Thanks again,

Randal

My esteemed colleagues John and Ken have helped you as well as I could have. I agree with John that the bridge/saddle is missing. It may have been made of bone if that is what the nut is made from. In order to make it playable you will need a new bridge. I also agree with Ken that the dulcimer is all walnut. And you really did find a great bargain on that instrument. Enjoy. Oh, and maybe someone on FOTMD from Alabama will recognize it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Looks like this dulcimer had a floating bridge, which is missing.  This type of bridge can be a challenge to deal with, but if you need help, one of us can walk you through the procedure.  You are truly fortunate to have found this beauty!  Best wishes.

Thanks, John.  

What a beauty!   I'd  say that top and fretboard are walnut, as are the walnut shell sound hole covers.  That ET/TE brand is certainly distinctive but I don't know who it is.  Is there no label to be seen inside the sound hole(s)?

FYI the instrument has a true Diatonic fretboard layout -- with no 6+ or 13+ frets.  Appropriate tunings would be (bass to melody) DAA or CGG. both are 1-5-5 tunings and use the same tablature.   

Here's a link to a booklet I wrote several years back called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?   which is an illustrated glossary (so we all speak the same jargon) plus answers to many beginner questions about the tuning, playing, care and feeding of your acquisition...  The link to the article is at the bottom of this discussion:

Ken Hulme's "I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?" Article - Strumelia | fotmd.

You're welcome to red, print and distribute it as you see fit.

Randal, that's an eye-popping dulcimer you bought!  Such beautiful wood, graceful lines, and walnut shell soundholes, to boot.  If it sounds half as good as it looks, your $3.99 was WELL invested!  Works out to about a 99% discount, or so!  I don't recognize the design or the builder, but obviously he or she has a lot of talent.  Good for you!   PS:  Look for labels inside the soundholes if you can.

Nice to read about you David!  Welcome to FOTMD. 

Now that I have been a member for a couple of months, I better introduce myself.  I am David Wheeler and I currently live in Bainville, Montana (hence the BVmaestro user name).  I am the K-12 music teacher for the local school.  I teach all elementary music, JHS and HS bands and choirs.

I have heard of the dulcimer throughout my lifetime, but never took a nibble at the hook...until recently.  I am at a point at which I need to foster my own music making activities to continue being useful in my job.  I got so busy preparing and helping students make music, I was neglecting my need to do the same.  So I bought a banjo, mandolin, and new guitar so I could study bluegrass and learn to play it.  I reread about dulcimers and decided to rent both the mountain and the hammered dulcimer.  Needless to say, the banjo, mandolin, and guitar are sitting safely in their cases whileI have been focusing on both dulcimers.

Since starting I have already accompanied a student on a folk song using the mountain dulcimer, and at the upcoming Spring Concert, I will be using the mountain dulcimer to accompany 2nd graders singing Shenandoah.  I fell in love with the instrument.  As soon as I am able, I will be purchasing my own mountain dulcimer from June Apple Dulcimers (my deposit and rental fees go towards the puchase).  As I have been preparing for starting my Doctorate degree in music education, I also decided to include dulcimers in my music program.

I grew up a brass player, expanded out to other instrument, and began playing with guitars, bass, and keyboard when I started implementing Little Kids Rock into my program.  I love the sound of bluegrass and folk music.  Dulcimers are the next step and I love them.

I also teach Drivers Education during the summer (this is my last summer), and I enjoy camping, hiking, photography, and music composition.

If there is anyone who is in Northeast Montana or Northwest North Dakota, I would be interested in connecting.

Hi I’m new here having never owned a dulcimer … that is until now.  I live in NE Alabama and a couple weeks ago I was out shopping at a local thrift store when I ran across the one I’ve included in this post. It was on a top shelf out of sight and I didn’t notice it but the lady with me did and said hey what’s that. Being lanky I reached up, pulled it down and it was very dusty, probably sitting atop that shelf for a long time. Having played some guitar when I was younger I knew what a dulcimer was, however; I’d never held one in my hands and know little to nothing about them.

I thought it was a beautiful instrument and that it would clean up nicely. And at a price of $3.99 I didn’t think I could go wrong even if I wound up just displaying it. Anyway I got home, blew the dust off of it, wiped it down and said Wow this is really nice, it just needs restringing. Now whether this is really a nice example I can’t say .. so that’s why I’m posting. I was hoping the collective here could provide some insight into its style, origin, maker, age, wood type, value etc. for me so I’d know what I had. And if I paid too much lol.

There’s a makers mark on the upper neck under the tuners that appears to read 186 and below that either TE or ET, as the letters are written together as one. Any insight into this dulcimer would be greatly appreciated. And thank you for allowing me to post.

Thanks in advance,

Randal

 IMG-0575.jpg - 511KB

Michael, it's an encouragement to small-time luthiers to hear from our satisfied customers from time to time!  I know Terry appreciated that phone call.

Well, it took me two months or so, but I finally reached out to Terry Pattison just a few minutes ago.  I told him how much I have appreciated my Darcyhorse dulcimer over the years.  He was very nice and really appreciated my call.  We discussed strings (I STILL haven't restrung it yet) and he told me where he buys his strings (Stewart-MacDonald - stewmac.com).  Really cool website if you build/repair instruments.  Mr. Pattison said that he is currently building a dulcimer for a friend, but hasn't really been building dulcimers for a while.  I think and hope that my call was a nice shot in the arm on a Monday morning.  

Nate,

Good to be back.  I fell down the rabbit hole of trying to master the use of 3D printed components to produce dulcimers with sound characteristics similar to wood.  After several years of exploring a lot of dead ends, I have developed techniques that yield the acoustic and visual results I was seeking.  I will be posting more details on my website, at stephenslutherie.com soon.  You can also find my most recent blog post there, which discusses the smart dulcimer prototype I just completed.  It incorporates a HyVibe System developed for guitars.  The system is designed to give many sound shaping tools to acoustic guitars.  Additionally, it gives onboard capability to record, loop, overdub up to four tracks and do a few more cool things.  All of the features work well on my dulcimers since they are constructed more like guitars than traditional dulcimers.

The octaver effect tries to simulate shifting the played note a specified amount up to an octave above or below the note.  In the process, there is significant loss of tone quality.  If just adding a bass line it could be acceptable in some circumstances.  What I am finding with most of the effects is that they can be added in small amounts to the basic sound of the dulcimer.  Since you can layer two or three effects on top of one another the possibilities are endless.  In fact, you have to limit your playing with the effects so that you get on with actually playing the dulcimer.  Once dialed in and stored, however, the effects are easily recalled for use as appropriate.  Some EQ, reverb and a touch of chorus can really warm up the sound and more than make up for any slight loss of character the 3D printed body may have caused (note that the tonal purity of the printed body can also be an asset).

I think you would enjoy the freedom a 3D printer provides to rapidly prototype ideas.  They are starting to show up on craigslist for very attractive prices.  In a few cases, ones that need repair are virtually being given away.  Even a small printer can make instruments in sections.  The software for designing and slicing the model are free downloads as well.  With or without 3D printing, keep up the creative designs.  They keep us all questioning what we know about the humble mountain dulcimer.

I think Dusty pretty well nails it.  If you can't reach the chord, the tone is irrelevant.  Tone can be altered in many ways that are independent of VSL.  All the dulcimers I make have a 25" VSL.  My basses and baritones have a very rich tone with plenty of overtones.  I attribute that to the fact that my tops do not contact the neck and all my dulcimers have an inner or double back.  You are certainly not afraid to think outside the traditional design and building constraints, so I think you can get the best of both worlds with a little experimentation.  I have also made solid body electric micro basses with VSL's in the 23" range that sounded pretty acceptable.

With the use of electronics, virtually any sound is possible at any reasonable VSL.  My latest smart dulcimer has an "octaver" effect that puts in overtones up to a full octave above or below the note you are playing.  Plus eleven other effects to alter the basic sound.

A new mountain dulcimer society was formed in the Chicagoland region in summer of ‘22.  The Windy City Dulcimer Society welcomes players of all levels for a monthly jam, and occasional public presentations.  We have a private Facebook page (by invitation only) that provides timely information about upcoming events.  If you have interest in joining our group, or knowing more about our society please send an email to:  

windycitydulcimersociety@gmail.com

Just saw this thread; what a great idea! In between playing dulcimer, if you have Apple TV, I can highly recommend Ted Lasso if you haven't seen it. Also, here is a photo of some happy chickens! 

 Al Pacino and the girls 2023.jpg - 286KB

Thanks friends!  Yep, it went well and I do notice things are definitely faster.
There will be some software updates coming up in the near future, and those may not be quite as smooth.  🚧 🚒

The best server maintenance is the one you don't even notice. In this regard the move was excellent

I have not noticed any problems. Sounds like a wonderful move to the new server.

No problems here.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song,"

The deed is done. All seems fine to me. Please report any noticed problems here.
If you notice any initial loading glitches, first just refresh your page, OR restart your browser.
All should be fine after the cache catches up to the latest state. Thanks!

So far so bueno!

Hope it goes smooth as buttermilk.

Thanks for the "Heads up" Lisa. Best wishes for a successful move.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

We'll cross our fingers for ya!

Hi everyone. I thought I'd let you know that on tuesday morning April 18 we will be moving to a new server and there might possibly be temporary glitches on fotmd for an hour or so. Not to worry, it should go smoothly and this move likely won't even be noticed.  -the Management.  :)