I'v found a lot of MD tab/smn is written an octave higher than it is played. Many new folks miss the fact the melody string(s) tuning [DAdd] is D4, the D one whole step above middle C [C4].
I suspect ellozz has a rather long VSL, maybe 30" or more, and probably needs to use .009/.010 on the melody string. If this is true, smaller gauges on the other strings may be in order also.
DAA#d is another. It effectively gives you a chromatic capability This tuning can be retuned to DAAd, DGA#d, and DAA#c. Janita Baker, Mark Biggs and John Sackenheim are some folks using these tunings for fingerpicked arrangements. I have messed with DF#AA and DF#Ad, they allows bar chords, some 7ths and some minors.
I built my own banjimer. It's fine to play, and not a particular bother to others. If it does bother someone, just play softer. :) You may end up not wanting to play it like a regular MD, there's something about them that leads you to expand your horizons. You don't have to get a 'custom' MD, most all makers have standard models you can choose from.
As far as your current MD, a piece of credit card under the nut [1st] will probably help and let it be more or less playable. Ken gave the fix/trouble shooting on them. It being that old does not necessarily mean it's cheap or poorly made, especially if built by a recognized early builder.
DT: I removed the cup just like the instructions given. The only slight problem was moving the innards enough to get to the screw. I'm still working on finding a good way to mount it on my MD's.
I would add that the confusing part would be why the 1+ [1 1/2] is not 2 when the MD is purchased with it already installed. The same 'numerical order' problem exists with the 6+and 13+ as well as any other additional frets in 'dulcimer speak. :) You may want to consider some sort of handout and/or recommend a good beginners book explaining this when selling an MD with additional frets to new dulcimer players, especially those who [will] depend on TAB.
I have 4 of his books. He also has a lot of retuning and some 4 equidistant choices.
I do some light work on MD's when I come south for the winter, mostly restringing and adding 1+ and 6+ frets. I think at least 1/2 -3/4 of our bunch here [at least 35 in the group] have the 1+ fret. All of my MDs have the 1+. I also build my own. It is probably the 'new 6+' of mods/fads. You probably should have the capability to easily add it.
The Roland Micro Cube and Orange Crush Micro are a bit smaller, size and power, and both have pretty good reviews. I've been considering them and the Danelectro Honeytone, a really inexpensive and small amp. I have a Crate 15 watt, but it is larger and, heavier, than your Mini.
I have similar tuners. Can you tell if the tuner is slipping in the wood or the shaft turning in the housing. Put a piece of masking tape on the body and a separate piece on the wood and a pencil reference mark on both, tighten and check the reference mark. If it's the body turning, the nut may be loose or the pin anchor protrusion on the body/wood interface may be damaged [which probably cannot be fixed]. Not sure what can be done if the shaft is slipping in the body or the adjusting screw or the gears inside are stripped except replace the tuner. The only other thing I can think of is to remove the button and see if there is a friction washer that is wear polished.
Since a 7th chord actually consists of 4 notes both of them are abbreviated 7ths. We, as MD players, use short chords quite alot. With that in mind both can be considered dominant 7th inversions, D7/A7, as you say. An easy way to figure a 7th [dominant] is to add the note name 2 half [1 whole] steps before the root note of the basic chord triad; ie., D= DF#A; 7th = DF#AC. A major 7th is formed if the 4th note is the same note name a half step before the chord root. The player has to determine which combination of the 4 notes works the best for them in each case.
From what I'e seen doing a search on 'dulcimer capo' $18-20 is about normal for a wood capo. I do suggest you don't get one of the plastic ones, I did for my first one and it broke fairly quickly. I would assume that most MD dealers/luthiers would have them available.
There should be no problem using bass strings as long as you accept the nut and bridge need bigger slots. the fretboard can be considered a big brace and, if the anchor points are in the tailblock, the body acts like a big, hollow, square tube which is also very strong. If the anchor points are on the fret board the system, fretboard/body, is somewhat weaker, but probably not enough to matter. I would suggest you check with a string calculator for the sizes to use for your [its] VSL. The ones you propose may not be good [apply too much tension]. I also suggest you not use a double melody as it will be pretty stiff to use. As an aside, I've installed bass strings on my regular dulcimer [home built] with no problem. Dan-goad has a valid point on the effect changing to a bass may have on potential value in the future, although you could replace the modified nut/bridge with new replacements if necessary.
This is probably heresy but I play a drum in our group. It allows the new/not as fast/proficient players to set the speed, helps all players to get used to playing, adjusting to a metronome, helps tremendously in learning those songs with out of the ordinary, difficult, timing and every one usually starts/finishes at the same time.
A bass or guitar could do the same thing.
My first is a McSpadden kit dulcimer which I still have although I don't play it much anymore, I have others I've built since.
I had retired and become involved in fly tying. I was at a show and my wife and I were invited to go to the area semi-final fiddle contest at Mt View. We had to drive by the Dulcimer Shoppe to get to the center where the contest was held. I remembered I had seen an article in one of the Foxfire books when I was in my 20's and thought it would be interesting to try building one. We went to the shop and I bought the kit and wad hooked. Getting that 1st one ignited a desire to learn more about music, in which I had no interest until then, and gave me my second major hobby.
I'm the complete opposite of Ken, I went chromatic [the big change], no singing, prefer to fingerpick/flatpick/chord [backup] and settling into DAd as my primary tuning. I use my bass and what I call my 'Arkansas bass' [a big TMB an octave lower than the bass] about as much as a standard MD. It seemed to me that everyone was playing the lead melody and few, if any, supported the melody.
I've have one of the wonder wheels carts. I used it for several years. I just figured out how to use it as a stand up playing station with a homemade music/tablet holder and it carries a small amp also. Ya gottaa be a bit on the taller side though [I'm ~ 5'11"]. :)
The box moves up automatically on my p900. on the nook hd+ I just drag the text box up to clear the keyboard.
And, in DAd, E/C#m at fret 1 [since the modes are not being considered] . Also I would suggest 2 MD's, one in CGc and one in DAd because of possible tuning time constraints.
I would look for the normal things applying to any used item, unusual wear and damage, primarily. The company did change hands some years ago but that was ownership only as far as I'm concerned, same employees, etc. There have been some changes over the years just like in any other business, but I don't think it affected their instruments to any significant degree. I've had 2 of them, still have 1, but make my own now.
Some splitters have the ability to join pages also. I don't remember which one I used.
Didn't realize a 'strummer' is a stick dulcimer which, i guess, is played like a guitar. 
I was thinking of a base under the 'body' to mount a holder.
How about making a combination possum board/tab holder?
You could use a pdf splitter. I have just the books so I made pdf's of each page.
Thanks for bringing that up Dusty. I didn't think to mention that, I was on a tablet and a bit pressed for time.
I've also tried DF#A and DF#AA [4 equidistant]. It may be better to describe these tunings with numbers in order for them to be translated to other keys [135 or 1355, etc]. Bing Futch teaches some interesting things in his book 'Blues method for MD 101' that uses 'boxes'.
If the bass string is .012-13. It may be set up as all strings the same size, dddd. which is also compatible with DAdd.
I've had it happen to me when I first started making MD's, when you hit the center of the fret 1st, it bends the ends up. Now I tap an end to get it started then move along until it'spartially seated then finish using a flat metal bar across the top of the fret and tap on that to finish seating the fret [fretboard already installed] or press them in using my drillpress. I've also started making finished frets when replacing or installing on a finished fretboard.
The builder may have cut the fret to exact length, cutting with side cutters or equivalent warps the tang, or it was a bit short from the kit maker to begin with.
Look for something that seems to make the strings to change [affects] length, for example, one string making contact at the rear of the bridge/nut [open] and the front when pressed or if there is a zero fret involved, a string that does not touch or is not bent over it. Flat is string too long, sharp too short from fret to bridge. The inside edges [fret side] of the nut/bridge should be taller than the outside.
The fret was probably bent up on the ends during installation and the ends were filed down to make them level
One other thing I can think of right now, make sure the 2 strings are the same gage.
Umm, that's pretty much an open ended question. Generally the tools needed, something to remove the bad fret with a minimum of tear out, cutter to cut the new fret material, file[s] for the ends/leveling/shaping, a hammer, a small block of hard cushioning material to minimize damage when installing the fret, a short straight edge to check the height across 3 frets, tape to protect the fretboard around the work. You also need to match the fretwire used so you may need a vernier caliper.
A question I have is what leads you to believe the fret is the problem for a bit of flatness in one string? I would look at the nut/zero fret/bridge/string first since the flat sound is more likely to be the cause in those areas. And just a note, it could be either string. A bad fret would more likely cause a buzz or dead sound [clunk]. Lay a straight edge [or press a string across the to adjoining frets] and examine the fret in question, light between the fret and straight edge/string verifies too low . The fret may have been flattened to match heights and never re-rounded.
Noah ; first to answer your last question, 28.5" is not the perfect VSL. If it were that would be all that would be available. There are some folks that not afraid of changing strings, they just don't want to bother with it for various reasons. That is good for a few of us to make a few bucks doing it for them.
If you're able to tune your melody [.012] string to the g above middle c without breaking you're having pretty good luck, most break around there. You also are putting a bit of strain on your MD by doing it, the tension is about 3 times the rest of the strings. It would also help if you could sort out your use of 'modes', 'keys', 'string tuning' and 'overall tuning' for us. Basically;
A mode is an 8 [7?] note scale defined by the configuration of steps/half steps between the adjacent notes. The Ionian scale starts on the 3rd fret and has nothing to do with the tuning.
A major key is an 8 [7?] note scale using the Ionion mode configuration. The Aeolion mode describes one of the minor scales, etc.
A string tuning is the open string tuning of a single string.
Overall tuning is the open string tuning of all the strings to achieve a particular sound or capability. These are called 'modal tunings or just 'tunings'.
I loosen the inside one and pull it over the side, makes a spare if needed. This gives me an even spacing between strings.
I use DF#Ad [1358], equidistant, for now, along with DAD [I have 7 MD's], and have found it pretty nice. It's been fairly easy to learn to fingerpick/flat pick using DAd tab, I don't read SMN. You can also tune the melody D down to 'c' and have bar chord 7th's [or play 158 DAC]. 135 is really not for noter drone though, but is really good for chording and fingerpicking. I do use a slightly heavier string for the F#. I prefer the 4 string DF#Ad to the 3 string DF#A, which also allows using both tabs, 135 and 158. I also tried CEGc, which allowed me to get Dm [DFAd, 1011].
There's a bunch of us here using TablEdit.
Probably because they are basing their discussion on the notes available in the key of C. A diatonic fretboard basically means that not all notes are present on the fretboard for one string, those are the wide spaces. If you tune the middle string string on your MD down to G, the third fret will be C. Checking all the notes on that string on the whole number frets will show that there are no sharps or flats.
When you base the discussion on the notes of the key D [G on the 3rd fret], the diatonic fret spacing produces an F#, the key of 'A' [D on the 3rd fret] produces a C# and F#. You only consider one string at a time.
I make them as needed. I have so much junk laying around I don't need to have a collection, plus I've even used shavings from a hand plane.
marg said:
Do you have some ready made or just when need one. Seems could have a few in different thickness, a collection of shims. Thanks for the info. on the 'glue', I have seen that mention in some areas & wondered about it. Never thought I would like to put glue on my dulcimer,
Just about everything you may use can be cut with scissors. Hard business cards or the hard plastic bubble pack for thinner shims. Most of this stuff will curl a bit as it's cut, but that won't hurt anything. I don't think I would use glue.
