I sure there are better ways of telling a person But I can be pretty blunt at times. I am kind about it. He may be good with the Guitar but sounds like he still has a lot to learn on the mando.

Oh you have shaved that cat. I don't know how they do it but it will some how find away to get one hair in that Shellac. Just kidding don't shave the cat.

I agree with Ken When it comes to a nice finish Shellac is hard to beat.

wavy I like it. Ya got a nice one there. How the voice?

thanks for the information Paul. I need to sit down and re-read this to soak in all the information.

what a great find. love how it looks,

Hey Cool we have the same type of Dulcimer. Guess I am like Geekling I am always catching new bugs to but never seem to get over any of them.

Mandy said:

Cool thanks Geekling. Hey that's my dulcimer too (bought from elderly). the model 58 deluxe, I like it. I'm super bad about bashing things into other things and breaking stuff (but at least my hubby is too). It's not that we're careless I just think we are both driven (yeah that's a nice word) and want to mess with something until it breaks. Hahah. I have dings a few dings already in my new dulcimer from dropping stuff on it or banging it. I'm super careful about my $$ banjo, so I don't mess with it as much. I'd rather get the play-time out of it and not worry about dripping a drop of water from my drink or anything else on it.

Glad to hear that everyone thinks this will work well.

My wife is a retired sithcher used to make rain wear. Now she a full time quilter. Let me talk to her and see if she has any Ideals. IN the past she has made case for my Flutes. maybe she can take the same Ideal an apple it to a dulcimer. Don't be afraid to PM if I forget to get back with you.

Carter sounds like a great little dog for you Dad. I have a feeling he was not stealing that fruit, but was invited to have some too.

Just seen this story on FOX News. on how some Hospital and a growing number are using Music therapy.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/22/little-music-goes-long-way/?test=latestnews

Strumelia Thank you for adding this to my post. I wish I had this information when I received the link from a friend.

I have been going to the nursing home and playing for my Mom. I don't think I am that good yet on the dulcimer but it sure seemed to draw a crowed around her door last week. I normally play my flute or guitar for her. I have been learning a lot more of the old hymns for her.

As musicians we sometime don't realize how the music we make may effect someone else life. If you have ever had the opportunity to play in a nursing home you can see it upon the face of the peple that live there.

I was not sure where to post this video. but it truly show the power of music.

(Strumelia edit):

Here is a link to Music and Memory , a non-profit organization helping the elderly through music, where you can find out more about their wonderful programs and you can help!

http://www.musicandmemory.org/

if I may be so bold I would like to post a link of John Hartford. here is a quote from the person that posted this series of video.

"Shot in a studio with TV cameras, and no audience, John sings many favorites on this video.
Never released on DVD, and no longer produced on VHS, this OOP video is getting harder to find.
I was lucky enough to obtain a sealed copy and encode off the 1st play of the tape."

John Hartford - Learning To Smile

I know what you mean about listening to John Hartford play. I feel the same way. he was one of the great ones.

Val I really can't add much to what Ken has already told you. We'll help ya where we can and get ya on the road to playing.

Hmmm I have always been a bit supices of her when it comes to 'shrooms

Sam I trained my Ol' Black and tan Coon dog to sniff out. Try as he might he just never seen to find any.Then when I would bring him home he would not eat his supper.I got so worried about his not eating after hunting them I finely gave up taking him. I just could not stand to see him punishing himself for not finding not 'shrooms. Wait you don't think he may have been ...... Nah surely not

the 'Shrooms are up here in Indiana too. Does me no good to go looking for'em I always seem to walk right past them. Was out by the lake this weekend and the cars where parked along side the road and the woods was filled with 'Shrooms hunter carrying there 'Shrooms hunting sicks.

Thanks Ken I'll have the Chestnut Next week.

My question is how does a dulcimer sound made out of Chestnut that's not Wormy Chestnut, I have found some old barn wood that over a 100 years old and have not found a hole in it. We have andAntiques store here that has a load of barn wood they have been trying to sell. This wood is 2-inches thick, so my band-saw will be busy when I get it

OK time for me to get my eyes checked I blew the Pics up a bit and I see what your talking about. Boy is my face red.

Geoff Black said:

Phil

It's actually a very light instrument and, although I can't measure the thickness of the sides, I would imagine they are similar to the thickness of top and back - which are only 1/8th. I think you are looking at the incised marks on top and back (think Homer Ledford-type simple incised decoration).

Patrick

Yes, I was sceptical before it arrived, but I agree it does sing out really well. Think it needs a little work still before it's possible to play in modern fashion...or I may decide to leave it as it, a supreme example of traditional craftsmanship.

Geoff can I ask you about the sides of that dulcimer? can you tell me how thick they are? it looks like they might be a 1/4" and the sound broad looks as if it set down inside of them.

I know them books well Don. The one that had the Dulcimer was Book number 3.

I got the band saw. Without going to messure I know I can run a 4" wide broad through it I thinking it will go a bit bigger. If only we lived closer together I could cut it down for ya,

Don Moores said:

Phil

I made a dulcimer about 10 years ago with wormy chestnut top, rest of walnut. Got an old piece of barn beam that was grey and weather checked on two sides, and about a dozen coats of paint on the other two. When I put it through the planer,the wood underneath all that paint was beautiful, golden. I still have some left ... plan to make another. Problem is that every time I use my table saw 1/8 inch blade to cut a 1/8 inch thick piece, I'm losing half of the wood to sawdust, and it isn't being made any more. Before Imake another I need to find a friend with a big band saw!

phil said:

what great looking Dulcimers. I would love to find some Chestnut wood to make a dulcimer from, It would be so fitting for me considering my last name is Chestnut.

what great looking Dulcimers. I would love to find some Chestnut wood to make a dulcimer from, It would be so fitting for me considering my last name is Chestnut.

Thanks Robin. Don't worry I wont give up on finding something funny to post. It makes my day to know that I put a smile on someone for a while,

AHHHh Nuts I hate to repost something

Jam Etiquette - Rules To Pick By...

The Ten Commandments of Jamming (with a few apologies to the Old Testament)

I Thou shalt not come to the jam to impresseth others with thine own talent for this is an
abomination. The music shall be the star around which all musicians rotateth and not viceth-verseth! Attempts to make thine own star shine, shall surely lead thee into darkness!

II Thou shalt not forsake the beat. Thou shalt not speed up nor slow down accidentally when playing
a tune for this shall be considered an abomination.

III Thou shalt arrange thyself in a small circle so that thou mayest see and mayest hear all the other
musicians. Thou shalt listen with thine ears to the songs and shall attempt to play in one accord with the group. Also, thou shalt lift up thine eyes to look about thee, lest there be some visual sign that someone endeavoureth to render unto thee.

IV Thou shalt play softly when someone lifteth his voice in song, when the guitar taketh a break, and when thou knowest not what thou art doing.

V Thou shalt play in tune! Tune thine instrument well and tune it often with thine electric tuner lest
the sound that emanateth from thine instrument be unclean!

VI Thou shalt commence and cease playing each tune as one, so that the noise you make be a joyful
noise and is not an abomination. Whensoever a musician sticketh forth his foot, as though he were
afflicted with a cramp in the fatted calf, thou must complete the rest of that verse and then cease. Thou shalt stick out thine own foot or else lift up thy voice, crying, "This is it!" or "Last time!" if thou hast been the one to begin the song and it hath been played sufficient times over. If the one who beginneth a tune, endeth it not by one of these signs, then the music goeth on in repetitious fashion until the
listeners shall say, "Hark, it all soundeth the same!"

VII Thou shalt concentrate and shalt not confound the music by mixing up the "A" part with the "B"
part. Most songs, but not all, proceedeth by the ancient law: "AABB". But, if thou sinneth in this regard or make any mistake that is unclean, thou mayest atone not by stopping, nay, but by reentering the song

at the proper place and playing on. Thy fellow musicians will support thee in this regard.
VIII Thou shalt be ever mindful of the key that the dulcimer is tuned in, and shall play many tunes in
that key, for the dulcimer is but a lowly instrument and must needfully be retuned every time there is a key change.

IX Thou shalt speak gentle words of encouragement to those nourished on the milk of folk, gospel
and bluegrass music, but not the meat, lest a harsh word turn one again to the darkness that is pop
music.

X Thou shalt not, by thyself, commence noodling off on a tune that the other musicians knoweth
not, unless asked or unless thou art teaching that tune for this is an abomination, and the other
musicians shall not hold thee blameless, and shall strike thee from their computer lists, yea, unto the third and fourth generation.
- Author Unknown (credited to initials L.P.)

Boy I hope someone out there can help me. I am looking for a bread recipe for a bread that is made in Germany. Our new Daughter-in-law is from Hamburg and is missing her favorite bread. I have Looked every on-line but can't seem to find it. "Hanseaten bread"- its a dark whole wheat bread. I would like to make a couple of loafs for her if I can find the recipe.

well shoot Jim I not quite there yet I still learning them chords. but I should have the BBQ sauce there this weekend.

Justin WHO????

them are funny Jan and I am not going to say how many I am guilty of

Please pass it on.

I going to try, I getting ready to start a new build on a Tenseness Music Box. Bowed Dulcimer are down the road yet for me. one day when your not looking I'll pass you by in numbers

uh,, oh .... Ok you win you have more than me....... for now

Sounds like you need more Dulcimer Robin. ya just can't have one.

Yikes It's became a runaway thread.

sorry had to do it, I was looking for some new jokes and found this.

You might be a dulcimer redneck if . . .

.....you have a tattoo that says, "Born to play DAA".

.....you decorate your dulcimer at Christmas time.

.....your idea of the ideal honeymoon is going to a dulcimer festival.

.....your dulcimer rides in the front of the truck and your wife rides in the back of the truck.

.....your wife owns a camouflage dulcimer case.

.....your garbage man is confused about which dulcimers go and which dulcimers stay.

.....you have no idea how many dulcimers you have.

.....your idea of "girls night out" is going to a Schnaufer/Siefert workshop with your friends.

.....there is a dulcimer hanging in the outhouse.

.....you go selling all your harps and buy dulcimers instead.

......your dog can sing "Old Joe Clark" recognizably.

......you sleep with more than one dulcimer.

......you insist on playing your dulcimer during a eulogy.

......your dulcimer costs more than your truck.

......there are tobacco stains down the sides of your dulcimer.

......you change your strings more often than your t-shirt.

......your truck horn plays the A part of "Mississippi Sawyer."

......you have Mason jars filled with dulcimer picks.

......your neighbor complains about the weeds in your yard growing up around stringless old dulcimers sitting on concrete blocks.

......your capo is made from a recycled Bud Lite can.

......you think safe sex is when the participants play a courting dulcimer.

......your front porch collapses under the weight of so many dulcimer players gathered for the weekly Friday night jam.

......your front porch is held up by old dulcimer cases.

......you skip your mother's funeral because it's the same time as Kentucky Music Week.

......you have a dulcimer rack in the back window of your truck.

......Mail Pouch is painted on the back side of your dulcimer.

......you spent your child support on a new McSpadden.

......you lost your favorite dulcimer in a poker game.

......Junior's first word is "DAdd."

......you don't know the alphabet past G.

......your family portrait is of all the dulcimers you own.

......when Junior counts to ten, 6 1/2 comes before 7.

......you don't make it to work because your dulcimer has a broken string.

......you carry your picks in an empty "Skoal" tin.

......Junior asks you to play with him and you reply, "What key?"

new Mandolin Player checking in I have been playing about 3 months and love'n it right after get my cheep little mandolin I had a accident and took most of the tip of my first finger off. Now me being the hard head that I am was not going to put it away till I was healed up. I used my three good fingers to start learning to play. Ya got to love two and three finger chords.

If anyone is inserted I do have some links for free tabs. I will gladly share