True. Good point. But that only displaces the question. Folkcraft doesn't specify what wood the fretboard is made of, but I would guess poplar. I am not sure it could hold up to heavy strings on a permanent basis.
I have a lovely Tom Yockie chromatic.My second dulcimer.However I'm glad that my first dulcimer was a standard mountain dulcimer with a 6+1/2 fret[Folkroots].I find the drones plus re-tuning strings to play in different modes is such a big part of dulcimer playing...I would have been confused by a chromatic and perhaps missed the dulcimer's biggest virtue-the drone and the[resonant] harmonies you can make.Easy for me to say,I grew up with guitar and fiddle so I don't have to turn anywhere for chromaticism.I wouldn't advise anyone to begin their dulcimer playing on a chromatic..wait,then mix the instruments and techniques.
Dusty -- the strings are only attached to the fretboard not the body, so the body would not have stress on it from baritone tunings.
Hi Kay. I hope you're doing well.
I was amazed when I played one of the Folkcraft cardboard dulcimers. They don't have much volume, but the tone is much better than I expected. I don't see it on the website now, but my memory is that Folkcraft used to have an option to buy them pre-assembled. Even if they don't do that now, as @ken-hulme explains, the fretboard comes pre-slotted and the fretwire pre-cut, so it's pretty idiot-proof. You wouldn't have to worry about intonation.
However, I am not sure the cardboard could handle the heavier gauges of baritone strings. You would have to ask about that. And they only have three strings.
If you look at your current dulcimers, I bet the nuts and bridges have extra slots in them that would allow you to play 4-string equidistant. You might not need a special purchase to try that out.
Thanks Ken Hume, Ken Longfield and Dwain Wilder for your responses. All helpful!
You might talk with Richard Ash at Folkcraft to see if he would make custom kits for you. Folkcraft does make a chromatic dulcimer kit, but all the kits are three stringed. So if you would want to experiment with 4 equidistant strings, he would need to provide different fret boards. Otherwise all your other requirements are possible with the two types of 3 string dulcimer kits from Folkcraft.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Oh I used a small wood clam p for the press ,a hammer being uneccesary I will haveto rub in some more Tru oil on the fret board and despite checking several times I ended up with two lefts and a right tuner instead of two rights and a left and they changed after the holes were drilled( dang poltergiests!) so one is backwards till I get another to match(.but nobody knows but us!) again thanks everybody
Well,I managed to fret and worked out well after all,the frets tang is smaller than I thought with the “ teeth “ .010 I’m measuring them right now so I guess it’s not my saws fault,I guess I assumed they would be sized about .030 ,I looked at another brand,a popular brand on Stew Mac they were sized for tang thickness at.037,not all of them have that dimension the tangs were also longer ,I guess you learn something every day wether you want to or not! Between glue and some fine scrap from my tables saw I got the job done and it seems strong.I also got the piezo installed ,a floating bridge,finished,the nut cut and finished and the tuners installed ,only thing left is strings, the piezo controls and Jack port holes and the tailpiece put back on,then I’ll hear what it sounds like,I’m still resizing the pics then I’ll put them up,all I can say right now is it’s a real purty piece of woodwork!thanks for your help guys
As a follow-up on Ken's note, if you intend to cut slots for frets, talk to the maker of your kit about which fret-wire to use, as there is a wide variety. The kit-maker may be able to supply enough fret-wire for all the frets you'll need, for a fee.
Regarding installing frets, I agree with Ken's advice. Make sure the ends are the same width as the fretboard. If you cut them yourself to size, make sure the ends of the fret are rounded so their corners don't snag (and maybe cut) your fingertips as you play.
One additional trick I've developed for installing frets on an assembled dulcimer is to get the fret started with a few gentle taps. Then pick the dulcimer up, just clear of the workbench, by grasping the fretboard by the edges while finally tapping it home. That ensures that the rest of the dulcimer doesn't become a 'hammered dulcimer,' possibly causing cracks in the top.
All of the cardboard dulcimers I've seen have very precise fret spacing. With Folkcraft kits you don't have to cut the fret slots yourself (the critical part), just tap the included frets into place the pre-cut slots.
None of the cardboard dulcimers are available with chromatic frets, you would have to calculate, mark, slot and install the extra frets yourself. To make a 4 equidistant string dulcimer all you need is a jewelers small triangular file and file a shallow Vs at equidistant marks on the existing nut and bridge. Baritone dulcimers are all about buying the right strings and tuning correctly to a baritone tuning; nothing else.
We are a group of 8 seniors playing dulcimers together. Several of us are interested in playing different dulcimers and are looking into purchasing inexpensive cardboard dulcimers to try out chromatic, or 4 equal distant, or baritone tuned dulcimers. I see several makers of cardboard dulcimers, Folkcraft, Backyard Music, Fireside Harps (are they still in business? I'm only seeing on Etsy), and Mountain Dulcimers for Children.
I'm not crazy about the idea of having to cut and install the frets ourselves as it seems Folkcraft kits require, but I'm interested in all your ideas and comparisons. Personally I care a lot about intonation, so want frets to be accurately distanced.
What are your recommendations? Ideas?
I cut my fret slots the saw cuts .031-.032 the frets I have are just about .030 so there is grab but they can be lifted out easy,will super glue gel hold them or should I use another glue like epoxy ,my first fret job ,I put in a couple with super glue gel and they held while filing and fitting which can be stressful my concern is will it keep holding or shrink later,the right thing is a wider tang fret or a crimper but I am attempting to do with what I have .Wider tang frets are about .037 maybe enough for more grab.appreciate any help. Thank you
Is your measurement of .031-.032 including the width of the barb tips? If you want a nice press fit, check the width of the tang, not the extent of the barbs. And the best width of the slot will depend on the fingerboard wood. For instance, I use fretwire with a tang width of .023 and barb width of .030.
I cut fret slots in black walnut (which is one of the softest hardwoods) using a .020" saw, and the tang pushes easily and firmly into those slots. But when slotting an ebony fingerboard I need a .023" saw, as that ebony isn't going to move over for nobody!
As I've written elsewhere, it helps a lot when sawing slots to fit the tang, to dress the edges with a small 45° chamfer, just a bit wider than the tang's barbs. This helps seat the frets vertically while inserting and also avoids grain pull-up and break-out when the frets need to be pulled.
One tip I learned for successfully using superglue to seat problem frets is to first apply a sizing coat to the slot walls. Easily done by putting a small bead of glue on an edge of a business card and drawing it through the slot. Let it dry, and it will keep the next coat, also delivered with another edge of that card, from wicking into the wood, creating a much better bond.
My own preference for inserting frets is a manual press. I made one out if scrap and fitted a shop-made swivel foot. By luck I chose just the right dimensions so I can actually feel when the fret is biting into the wood and when it has gotten flush down on the surface of the fingerboard. You can find a photo of it here: Using the Fret Press
And I follow that up with a check on fret leveling by using a collection of trusted straight-edges (the blades of machinist squares, in my case). The process is to start with the first three frets with a blade long enough to span them. If there is any rocking (I check both ends and the middle), I take that middle fret back the the fret press and give it a little more pressure, re-checking as I go so I don't over do it (which would make the next fret too high). Then I progress up the fretboard, checking each triad of frets for rocking on the middle one. I never have to dress frets with a file, using this technique.
Sorry, I may have written much of this before. My memory of what I've said before is lousy.
I was sadden to learn that DPN was shutting down the publication at the end of 2024. Ashley is doing the right thing by honoring those who have a subscription to the end of 2024. The publication was such a part of my life for many many years and I believe was the glue that held the community together. DPN will be missed by many.
As Ken sez, a little ordinary or thin superglue will work just fine. Ideally you'll find a fretwire source with a given tang width and buy a fretsaw with an appropriately thin blade. Before I switched to staple frets I often used a jigsaw with an appropriate blade.
Using super glue makes the frets a little harder to remove if you ever need to do that, but not impossible. I've used super glue, the thin kind, after seating the fret and wicking a little under the fret. I haven't had one come loose yet. I do use it sparingly.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I cut my fret slots the saw cuts .031-.032 the frets I have are just about .030 so there is grab but they can be lifted out easy,will super glue gel hold them or should I use another glue like epoxy ,my first fret job ,I put in a couple with super glue gel and they held while filing and fitting which can be stressful my concern is will it keep holding or shrink later,the right thing is a wider tang fret or a crimper but I am attempting to do with what I have .Wider tang frets are about .037 maybe enough for more grab.appreciate any help. Thank you
I am stunned to learn of this. I have been thus far a one-time contributor with an article that I wrote on Dulcimer Association of Albany's yearly festival Mountain Dulcimer Music Festival. I had written another article but that has yet to see the light of day from DPN. I've enjoyed what interactions I've had with Ashley and realize that this decision doesn't come easy. I was actually hoping to get to a point where I would travel around the country a bit and take in other festivals and maybe write on those. I do wish Ashley the best. If I were younger (and perhaps had a bit more money) I might have thought about taking this venture over; but at my current age (68) I'm trying not to tie myself down too much. This is sad news as since when I first learned of DPN in the mid 90s I have treasured receiving my quarterly copy of this fine magazine.
This is sad news indeed. DPN served an obvious need for several decades. But since we can now interact, share, teach, and learn online in real time and asynchronously, the role of a quarterly print magazine seems minimal. It would be nice to think it could still exist in digital form, as Acoustic Guitar Magazine does, but that wouldn't minimize the amount of work involved. I don't blame Ashley for deciding it's run it's course.
Well stated Ken.
Wishing all the best for the folks involved. Times have really changed profoundly. Sad to see this worthy magazine come to an end. What a noble run it had though!
Ashley is a wonderful person and I wish her all the best as finishes out her tenure at the helm of DPN!
On Facebook today, 01 February 2023, Ashley Ernst announced that DPN will cease publication in 2024. She did not give a volume or issue number, but I suspect the last issue will be the first one that comes out in 2024. Again, that is just speculation on my part.
Having been a columnist and contributor to DPN over the years, I will miss the magazine. I understand why Ashley made this difficult decision. Many print publications are ending that aspect of life and shifting to electronic (online) editions. There was no mention of this as a possibility for DPN.
In the early days of DPN it seemed the "newsletter" worked to create a community of dulcimer enthusiasts. It helped people share ideas, arrange meetings (festivals), and find places to buy instruments. It also kept us posted on what we were all doing. While these things continued over the life of the magazine, over the last 10 or 15 years the emphasis seemed to shift to teaching techniques or songs. In a sense it became a quarterly lesson for mountain or hammered dulcimer. The connection of getting to know "dulcimer people" seemed to have been lost. We knew contributors were good players and provided excellent lessons without learning what brought them to play the dulcimer, desire to teach, etc. I know that much of that community building happens at festivals, but with so many festivals going virtual what we are experiencing is group video lessons and little real community (but that is a whole other discussion).
I offer my thanks to Ashley, Dan, Maddie, and Phil for their hard work and dedication to DPN and the dulcimer community it created. Without them who knows where we would all be. So to those five folks and all who contributed to the magazine over the years, "So long, and thanks for the all the fish."
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Well, @Tim-Amburgey deserves an award for patience!
Oh my, what a wonderful tale! And how truly kind is @John-Gribble for making a dream come true. 
What a great story and wonderful ending. Enjoy your granduncle's handiwork.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Awesome. Glad you finally connected and now have the dulcimer in hand. Thanks for sharing your success.
Many thanks to this forum and specifically John Gribble. Nearly three years ago right at the beginning of Covid I posted a "in search of a Jethro Amburgey dulcimer" on FOTMD and was connected to John. Jethro is my ggranduncle and I had been on the lookout for one of his dulcimers. Almost immediately I was contacted by John. John was more than happy to put the dulcimer in the hands of a family member. The problem was that John, and the dulcimer was in Japan. We stayed in touch periodically waiting for the opportunity make the 'exchange". After a series of attempts John made it to the States two weeks ago, and last week I was able to hold a beautiful instrument built by the hands of a relative 83 years ago.
Once again thank you John and those that put me in touch with him many months ago.
I always made those ebony fine tuners for Walt, and still do. Message me if you need them. I also make cases that fit Sunhearths, but the are expensive and hard to find materials for. None on hand.
This is good to know Dwain.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Good! keep us posted on your work with this instrument. Know anything more about Davis?
Here is a tip on finding out how low to get the saddle:
First check to see that the frets are level. To do that, use a good quality set of machinist squares or combination squares. Choose sizes that will span the frets three at a time. Start with setting the blade of a square across frets 1-2-3 and see if the blade of the square rocks on the 2 fret Check on both ends of the frets and the middle.
If it does, that fret is high. Grasp the dulcimer by the fretboard (being careful not to let fingernails dig into the top!) and lift it slightly off the table so you can hammer the fret without having the top get the force of the blow.
Now give that fret a somewhat ungentle tap and test again. Remove the strings and file the fret down only if you cannot get it better seated. Then check the 2-3-4 fret, and so on up the fretboard, choosing smaller squares so the blade only crosses three frets at a time. If you don't have a square small enough to fit across only three frets at the top end, use a single-edge razor blade for a straight-edge or some other known and trusted straight edge (ground and polished machine lathe tool bits, for instance). I would not trust aluminum bar to be straight for this purpos, due to how it is formed.After you're sure the frets are all level, you're ready to see how low you can get that saddle.
Begin by replacing the saddle with the shank of a drill bit 1/64" less in diameter than its height, and tune the bass string to concert pitch, and check at each fret for buzzes. Don't worry about getting the saddle placement right during this. Keep reducing the diameter of your temporary saddle until you find some buzzes happening. Make sure the buzz isn't coming from just one fret that may be still a bit high. If you're getting buzzes from more than one fret, you now know that the saddle has to be at least 1/64" higher than that drill bit.
I like to shave floating saddles to height by putting a small plane upside down in a vice and using it as a one-blade jointer planer. You can get real fine shavings off and easily keep the bottom of the saddle straight. (By the way, make sure the area where the saddle is going to sit is flat before you start any of this work! A rocking saddle will rob the dulcimer of sound.)
Hi all,I want thank all of you for your responses,CGB is Cigar Box Guitar ,sorry I guess I am a CBGuitar guy,not to mislead you ,I am not a knowledgeable musician,but since I decided to build a guitar,I guess that makes me some kind of a musician,maybe! I am hoping it will help me,the build has taught me much,I believe the guitar will play as I’ve payed attention and learned a lot as I’ve built,as I said I have metal and wood skills and my other hobbies left me with tools,and hardware scraps to use,I have NO musical theory and music is still largely a mystery,but I know now what a scale length is,mine is 24”,and will be tuned in open G,GDG ,this guitar is actually MY teacher ,I also know frets are more than just wire and lines,as I told others,this is a new trail for me,I kind of wish I had some of my old friends who were and are musicians nearby to help .
I always made those ebony fine tuners for Walt, and still do. Message me if you need them. I also make cases that fit Sunhearths, but the are expensive and hard to find materials for. None on hand.
Shootrj2003 -- If you want a "true" dulcimer dating to 1840s there are a bare handful of photos of originals. "True" in this case means having a central raised fretboard -- a major distinguishing characteristic which separates dulcimers from the ancestral Fretted Zithers of the Pennsylvania "Dutch" -- Germans -- who were there in PA long before 1800.
The fretted zither plays basically the same as a dulcimer, but has a very low "staple board" on the straight near side of the body. The photo shows a replica of one which I built from dimensions and photos supplied by the Mercer Museum in Doylestown, PA. The instrument I replicated was made by a man named Jacob Gross, who built it sometime before 1865. It has a traditional diatonic fret spacing, three strings, the VSL is 24", overall dimensions 4" wide and 37" long and a maximum of 3.5" high. John and several other of our Traditional builders saw and played my replica at a Traditional Dulcemore Gathering we held in Kentucky a few years ago.
I don't know of any makers of the fine tuners on the Sunhearth dulcimers. Walt made those himself. One was missing on the Sunhearth I bought, but I had some little pieces of ebony so I made one for my dulcimer. If you send me a photo of the the fire tuners on your dulcimer and rough measurements, I can make one for you. Send me a private message here if interested. Click on @ken-longfield and then look for send message on the left hand side of the screen
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Hello All
I took my Dulcimer to the Illinois Guitar Show over the weekend.
I had the only one there that I could find. As soon as I unwrapped it a man came right over and wanted to see it. He said years ago he made them and was impressed with the quality of workmanship and conditions mine was in. He was selling cigar box guitars now but would like to get back to Dulcimers. Most people I spoke to, had little knowledge of dulcimers, (It was a Guitar show)
I spoke to Steve Scorfina, early REO Speedwagon member, who now collects vintage Guitars, Banjos, etc. was also impressed in the quality, but never collected them because he was head deep in guitars. He was very interested in purchase and or trade buy we did not have a value to start at.
I told him the next show I attend that I know he would be at, we will talk but not seeing another one at this show and not seeing a W. Martin up for sale online, they must be special, and I would more than likely keep mine and buy a guitar from him.
So, know I am looking for a protective case to store it in.
Also, just before the bridge, there are some black sides, Is there a place to purchase them, I am missing one.
Thanks for reading along.
Bob R.
I think the original poster meant Cigar Box Guitar, CBG and just transposed the B and G. I'll be interest to see his new cigar box creation when he finishes it.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
There are two diff ways to add pix to a post- you can try either 'attaching' one, or 'embedding' one. Check out the little buttons available in the editing box when you are typing your post- there is one for embedding pix or media.
Dwain
I think you are spot on with your guess. I need to get the bridge adjusted a little lower but changing that to the back side puts it very close to Equal temperment. I could not see the obvious, I was getting pretty frustrated! Thank you
Bill R
Sometimes those size estimates for uploads are 'off' . At work I can only upload 50mb or less, I often have to split pdfs and unless I split into less than 45-46mb increments they still trigger the upload cap.
This is a weird fretting scheme. The octave (at which an instrument would have been intoned) corresponds to a scale length of 28.12". That just does not make sense in a kit.
My best guess is that the nut is misplaced. To find out if that is true, tune the dulcimer's strings so they are all correctly tuned when fretted at the octave (7th diatonic fret). Then see how well they are tuned at the second octave. Then check whether the octave harmonic tones match the fretted tones (if you're not familiar with plucking harmonic tones on a string see Guitar Harmonics w/Fretted Notes - Lick Of The Week - Guitar Lesson - YouTube). If those are not in tune with the fretted tones, move the saddle until they are.
Then check whether the fretted tone is right at each fret all the way up the fretboard. If they are all in tune then only the open string is off —meaning the nut is not in the right place. Get the nut placed so it too is in tune.
My guess is that the nut is .12" too far back. And the whole fretting job may be problematic. If you don't want to re-cut all the frets, you could simply put a piece of wire about the same diameter as the fret height and tape it in place once you've found where it sounds best with the surrounding frets and any chords of interest. Then mark where that wire touches the fretboard and make your cut there for the 6-1/2 fret.
Several of the members here (including me) specialize in reproducing old dulcimers. They are very different than the ones you see and hear today. Some make replicas of certain historic builder's dulcimers, while others make replicas of other builders' work. And some now make dulcimers inspired by the old ones, but with original twists to the designs.
