Forum Activity for @robert-schuler

Monica, if it sounds and plays great. I would mark the bridge with a knife edge... Best of luck with your new dulcimer... Robert.

Monica. I inlay a wood stripe where the bridge is centered, so the owner can always start off right. I'm sure your dulcimer has something similar... Robert.

Some folks thought it too complicated to adjust the bridge, so now I  only use fixed bridges unless requested movable. I cut a 5/16" saddle slot and install a 5/16" rosewood bridge. Then I have 5/32" north or south to carve in compensation if any is needed. The bridge is still removable so it can be changed out or raised for N/D playing... Robert.

 I still play the old wood and brass Marine Band models. Never tried the new fangled plastic models. The old wood models would swell up from playing and gave them that distinct sound you hear on old recordings from the 50's and 60's.... Robert.

Those little round pitch pipe tuners work for me. Never need batteries, almost impossible to break. As Ken said, tune from the dulcimer. First use pipe to get your low D and tune from that string.... BTW. I tune my 46 string hammered dulcimer that way... Robert.

A psaltery bow would be just right. Here is a pic of one of my black walnut bows... Robert

Here is a tune called West Fork Gals played on this dulcimer. If this dulcimer had legs it would follow me around where ever I go.  ...

Thanks Lexie, I hope your coming along well in your playing too... Robert.

Back in 2011 I built a teardrop that became my favorite dulcimer. I would go to it first to learn a new song, or when I needed a dulcimer fix at 3am, or whenever I played in public. Its a dulcimer I don't have to worry about getting dented or scratched. Since I started building for sale dulcimers with Just intonation JI. I fell in love with that special sound and it renewed my interest  in the very rich but  much ignored and maligned 155 tuning. 

So last week I ripped of the old tempered scale fretboard and replaced it with a JI scale. I like the old timey look of partial staple frets but don't care much for staples. So I used conventional frets. I also like to jump over to the bass and play the last four notes of the scale so I added full frets at the top. 

I have been playing this dulcimer so much in the last couple of days after completion that Im behind on my farm work. I need a little discipline, but playing music is just more fun, especially on my new rebuilt friend. H ere is a before and after pic... Robert.

You might have a gem. Does it play well, does it sound good enough to you. Red stain is standard violin varnish in most cases. Not a bad thing. Light weight better than heavy, because light instruments resonate better. . Robert. 

After listening to a number of versions of Erin's Shore, I settled on John P version. I play it in Eaa  tuning n/d style. Yup you have to drop down to the bass for two notes but its worth it...A mixolydian tune at its best... Thanks Sheila for turning me on to this song... Robert

Scott, 155 tuning on a just intonated  dulcimer is as close to musical heaven as it gets in our world. Playing dulcimer without drones is like playing bag pipes with only a chanter. Its just not right... Robert.

Ken, I didn't make myself clear on my response. I can play the song easily in Daa. No need for lower strings. The point I want to make in a general way is that I like to skip over and finger the bass notes. It adds a little color to some tunes... Robert. 

I simply reach over and play the bass notes with my finger. Robert...

A 1.5" wide fingerboard set up with three equaldistant strings should be more than enough. You don't need four strings. When I got my fiddle I was shocked because the  4 strings are only 9/16" appart  at the nut and .75 at the octave. Where there is a will there is a way... Robert

Thanks everyone for your comments. I build and sell mountain dulcimers and thought it would be nice to offer a possum board to fit my instruments. I mostly play off a table top and use the possum board to keep the dulcimer off the table. Makes a fancy way to display them as well. I used to use scrap wood sticks to support the dulcimer but  a possum board looks and sounds much better.

It generally does not slip around on my lap. On my newer models I added two holes to attach a strap. I play up to the last fret so I need a board that can be shifted left and right real fast. Gale, I would be happy to make one for you, I charge $35.00 plus shipping. But Kens point about building your own is a good idea if you got the time... Robert. 

Almost half the volume and tone of a dulcimer comes from its back. Raising the instrument just a millimeter off your lap or table top is all you need to do. I wanted to design a possum board that not only evevated the instrument but reflects the sound up and away. The model pictured here with a new butternut dulcimer I completed yesterday elevated the instrument about an inch. Its made of solid core cabinet grade birch plywood. finished with a mix of walnut oil stain and red dyed shellac and lacquer. Once you try a possum board you will never want to be without one... Robert

James if you go with a wound third string you will have to widen the slot on the string guide. Utility knife works well for that... Robert.

James I like DDdd. It sounds more robust. Even on my Galax I like a low D in the mix... Robert

Don, welcome to the wonderful world of Daa tuning. I spend most of my time in this tuning. Although I constantly retune to other modes I always come home to Daa.... Robert.

Not all luthiers are luthiers, most are wood workers who build dulcimers but dont actually play them or even have any knowledge of music. Pretty to look at but impossible to play. Old time noter drone style instruments were built with very high action, but were meant to be played with a noter stick not fingers. With the many varied styles of playing today a dulcimer should be easy to play in every style... Robert.

Just before boxing this dulcimer up to ship I played one last tune... Simple Gifts or some variation thereof... Robert.

I really REALLY! like playing on a just intonated scale dulcimer. I seldom play in DAd anymore. This model is made of poplar and is light as a feather. Here are a couple sound clips. first in Daa the second is Daa, Dac and Eaa... Robert.

Here is a picture of this dulcimer and its almost identical twin. Both were cut from the same poplar log. You can tell by the birth mark over the upper bout sound hole ... The one on the right is just intonated the other is tempered. Gave me a great opportunity to compare the sound with two instruments that are almost acoustically alike in every other way. This was a fun project... Robert

Here is this dulcimer tuned ddd bagpipe. Although this dulcimer is clearly optimized for 155 tuning it can play well enough in any tuning. Advice I would give to all is if you can afford a second dulcimer, try to order one in just intonation it is well worth it. Ill be building a few for sale this year, and there are a few other guys on this site who can do the same.Thank you for listening... Robert.

So what if you take your JI dulcimer to the club and everybody is boiling there cabbages in DAd ?. You can tune to DAd. The only note thats really sour is the E at the first and eight fret when played against the drones. Others like f#, d, a are sweeter than a Jersey peach...Here is a clip of sweet & sour liza jane... As I play the scale note the E, and the C is natural since no half fret. One trick I learned from fiddlers is to play fast and nobody will notice if your out of tune ...

What about Chords?. Mostly they sound ok just a bit new age . The A is a bit sour. In the clip Bile them sourkrauts down, I play the A as 1-0-1 then with the C# 1-2-1 followed by D, built up 5 ways followed by G 3-0-0 and 0-0-3. Anybody who plays more than three chords is just a showoff . Im a lifelong dedicated ND man so my chord playing is a bit sloppy. But I think DAd tuning is not out of the question on this instrument... Bob.

Here is a clip in DAa that takes in the entire scale top to below bottom. Note how well melody played the low D string harmonizes with two droning A's, and how D at the 17th fret stays in tune with the drones. One thing I get from playing in just intonation is a calming, soothing, healing feeling. Probably from the lack of dissonance inherit in just intonation... Robert.

Thanks again , here is the Aeolien mode DAc tune in just intonation. I really love the sound on the root note D...BTW there is no 6.5 fret on this type of dulcimer... Robert.

Thanks Cynthia and Lexie... Here is a tune in the Dorian mode... DAg. Again you can hear the nice way the melody and drones harmonize together... Robert

Here is a sound clip of this dulcimer tuned DAa using one melody string. I used my finger as a noter. I'm not sure the name of the tune, it probably has a dozen names, but is a good demo tune. Forget the tune and just listen to how the drones harmonize nicely with the melody. This is what makes just intonation so special. BTW my cheap recorder is no substitute for hearing in person... Robert

Thank you Robin for posting an excellent just intonation tread and thanks to Bob for the calculations. I spent three days working out the math to design a 27" scale JI fingerboard. I finished the dulcimer yesterday based on my AW Jeffrey's pattern after spending 12 hours in the field planting asparagus then spent almost all night to dawn playing this dulcimer.

I expected this instrument to sound different than my equal T models but instead I was totally blown away by the sound. After over 40 years playing countless dulcimers, this was the best I ever heard. The intonation is PREFECT!. I can fret the D at the 17th fret and its in perfect tune with the open D.

I can fret the A at the 14th fret and its in tune with the open A. And here is something you can't do on equal T dulcimers. I can fret the D note on the A string at the 3rd fret and its in perfect tune with the open D and I can fret the D on the 4th fret and its in perfect tune with the open A. On equal T dulcimers your forced to choose tuning between the A or the D you can't have both. My JI model has it both ways and you can difference. Folks after you play a Just intonated dulcimer you will never want to go back to plain old equal T again...Here are a couple pics... Thanks... Robert

When we were kids and self taught musician wannabes we thought a given instrument only had one correct tuning. It was quite a joyous revelation to discover we were wrong. I'm constantly changing tunings. Although you can go through life tuning a dulcimer to Dadd, the dulcimer being a modal instrument cries out to be played in many tunings. I love experimenting with modes. Its amazing how changing the pitch of one string can evoke emotions of joy sadness or excitement. This is a gift we receive from the dulcimer... Bob.