Forum Activity for @aditi

Deodorizing, for lack of a better term

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Hi FOTMD! I recently drove up to Connecticut to acquire a well-loved and well-played McSpadden—all cherry wood as far as I can tell, M12CC, Nov 1999, George Looney signature. The dulcimer belonged to a man who recently passed away at 100, so I'm not sure how much use it got over the last few years, or if it was mostly in its soft case.

Both the case and the dulcimer smell pretty strongly of dog (there was lots of dog hair in the case, I've vacuumed it/lint rolled it as best I can). Do you have any tips on how to safely deodorize them? Charcoal? Baking soda? Air and time? 

Pic of the McSpadden attached, as well as the McSpadden next to my cardboard beauty and the custom 5-string Grant Olson dulcimer I acquired a few months back. 

Stringing a Cripple Creek dulcimer - tail dowels?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Thank you! I ended up drilling four small holes and hammering in escutcheon pins. They've held up so far.

Stringing a Cripple Creek dulcimer - tail dowels?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Hi all, I just purchased a vintage Cripple Creek dulcimer on eBay. I was looking at the tail end and noticed there are no pins like I'm used to—instead there are two thicker dowels (attaching the image). 

What kind of strings would you recommend for this apparatus? I've only ever used the loop end ones before and am a little stymied. 

Thank you for your wisdom and expertise!! 

Good dulcimer for busking?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

Amplification is allowed if I get a license for it (which I assume many of the musicians who busk in the subways must be doing, there are tons of people with speakers!). Thank you both for your suggestions—I may look into a louder dulcimer.

Good dulcimer for busking?

Instruments- discuss specific features, luthiers, instrument problems & questions

I'm thinking about starting to busk in the NYC subways in the next few years (if/when I ever get the courage). Right now I have two Backyard Music dulcimers with cardboard soundboxes—one diatonic, one chromatic—but would love to acquire a more grown-up instrument with a built-in pickup that isn't TOO nice to the point where I'd worry about it getting broken in the subways. Do you have any recommendations? Should I instead get a guitar pickup for the cardboard dulcimers I already have and do my best with one of those?