Forum Activity for @kimberly-anne-schultz

Tunings you like to use on your dulcimer

General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

@don-moores: I play chromatic dulcimer more than trad, because arthritis, tendonitis and nerve damage in both hands/wrists makes it impossible for me to hold and fret a guitar. Mine is a 6 string, but played like a 3 string. Your (3) is not an option for me. But it is still quite different than a guitar even though it is chromatic. You can get more of a guitar like sound from it though. My trad dulcimer is choice for just the old tyme tunes, but for writing and playing my own songs, having so many more choices on a chrom dulcimer is soul expanding..... . 

updated by @kimberly-anne-schultz: 08/25/15 11:18:17PM

Thanks! I just saw this now....and I just put it on the calendar to reserve the date for Bing's show. We'll be there! :-)

Sarah Hobart said:

So sorry I didn't see this.
I got too late a start to do a workshop event this year, but we are bringing Bing Futch in for a concert. Hope you can join us!

http://www.whippoorwilltheatre.com/events.html

Just curious, any updates? My husband is currently trying to peg me (just this morning during breakfast) to give him a run down of my own summer schedule to coordinate with his summer plans and time off, etc....and I told him that I don't wanna miss anything in regards to this. Bing doesn't have any Iowa dates confirmed quite yet.

Yes! I live in Cedar Rapids, but I have ease of travel to Des Moines, just 2 hours west, we go there all the time for various reasons. Bing Futch is preparing for a cross country tour. I suggested Iowa and he asked for suggestions, as he said he has always wanted to check it out. This would be perfect as D.M. would be the best city for it. I will let him know you want to start one there. You should be in contact with him! If I can be of any help to you at all from my locale, let me know. I'm an easy going and flexible person and open to helping with whatever your needs are. I can also help promote it especially around my part of the state, etc. If someone as inspirational as Bing can make it to the festival, that may encourage people to travel from surrounding states as well. I am studying his method book for chromatic dulcimer at the moment.....it is so wonderful. Anyway, looking forward to this!

What Type of Wood for Warmth from a 25" VSL?

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

My diatonic McSpadden Dulcimer will soon have a chromatic Folkcraft Friend. But the VSL will be only 25" on this new one, with a Fishman pick up (This diatonic is 28"). A high volume body because of the shorter VSL (unlike this diatonic), but what type of wood should I get? This one will be a plug in for recording, but I still am seeking a warm loud sound, so I'm thinking African Mahogany or Black Walnut, and how to split this up if at all? (sbrd - body/sides). I was tempted to get sitka spruce for sbrd, but I heard one at this VSL being played and the warmth was removed. How to achieve warmth and "fat sound" without mudiness?

I guess I'll use the diatonic McSpadden now just for "n and d" old fashioned tunes and the chromatic for chording songs. My hands are tiny as so am I....and very arthritic. the VSL of my McSpadden is too long and it's painful for me to chord. So this is why I want a chromatic dulcimer. I can't hold my hands in a guitar playing position anymore.

The McSpadden is solid cherry, and I love the ringing warmth it projects.

I keep searching the web for sound bytes of solid walnut 25" VSls, and the same for Mahogany but can't find any samples to listen to.

updated by @kimberly-anne-schultz: 06/08/16 09:24:05PM