Forum Activity for @ken-longfield

I found a good bit of discussion about nickel allergy on guitar player websites. I found many alternatives including plain stainless steel strings (although some may contain small amounts of nickel). One item that folks often did.not consider is that the frets on the instrument often contain nickel. For someone with a nickel allergy the frets may need to be replaced.

A consideration for strings is to use coated strings like Elixirs although after a while the coating will wear off.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I took violin lessons when I was in 5th and 6th grades and then stopped when I started 7th grade. Sometimes I think it would be fun to start up again, but then I realize that I already have more instruments than I have time to play them all. Over the years I've had a few violins come through my hands and I get the itch. Cleaning out a closet the other day my discovered another violin. I didn't know it was in there. I'm not going to start playing. Really, we need to pass it on to someone who will. Maybe I'll just take it out of the case and see what shape it is in. Well, let me tighten up the bow and see how it sounds. I'm not going to play that violin. Maybe I'll just fiddle with it a little bit.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The only time I've played with a concertina was in a jam, but I was playing guitar, not dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

What fun to revive this thread. I remember many years ago going to Bryan Bowers concert and he walked on stage with a stack of autoharps all tuned for different kep=ys and songs. He spread them out behind him on the stage in those triangular shape guitar stands. He turned to the audience and asked what you call a group of autoharps like this and then answered his own question: an embarrassment of autoharps. I've never been embarrassed by all my dulcimers.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

You can send him a message here. He is jcalkin. Do a search under members for him and then click on send a message.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The link Rob posted didn't work for me. It is missing the "l" at the end. This one works: https://www.orpingtonfolkclub.org.uk/Interviews_&_Articles/Interviews/001.html

Good article and interview.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Well, young lady, that was a popular song in of the college coffeehouses I frequented back in those days. Thanks for bringing it to my attention again. The folks who sang it did not do it as well as Art and Paul, but it was lovely nevertheless.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

You can purchase a plastic recorder or tin whistle for less than $3.00. A plastic ukulele can be had for $5.00 or less. The least expensive dulcimer kit in a quantity lot of 12 is $52 each and then you need to factor in the cost of building (labor, glue, paint or other finish, tools, etc.). Given tight budgets for the arts in education, which would you choose.

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Well, Robin, I've done both, perform weddings and played music at them. The latter is a lot easier. Now, can I enroll in this fan club?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Nightingale, that's a nice looking dulcimer. It certainly cleaned up well. Those long scales (28.5") make for nice noter style playing. Have fun making that dulcimer sing again.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks, Robin, but I can't take credit for the video. Dave Holeton, a member here, edited the video and posted it to YouTube for us. Dave is our "official" leader for the Tuesday night Zoom group over at TTAD. We use the free Zoom time (40 minutes) and play 5 songs we agree to play for that week. Dave or whomever the leader is plays unmuted while the rest play along muted. In a sense we are playing a duet with the leader. Our Zoom meets begin at 8:30 p.m. Eastern time. The link is posted on Tuesdays at TTAD. Just click on it and wait to be let in to the meeting. It is fun and everyone is welcome.

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I, along with several of my Tuesday evening Zoom colleagues, made a video for PMOTPD. Here is the link:

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

There is also the possibility that the builder cut the fret slots too wide and those frets eventually worked their way out. As one hammers in frets the slots in toward the center of the fret board tend to compress a little bit which may be why the ends came out while the middle frets stayed in.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

John and Ken gave you the advice I was going to offer. You don't say where you are located in British Columbia but if you are near a shop that works on fretted instruments (guitar, banjo, mandolin, dulcimer, etc.) you should be able to have the proper frets installed. Good luck.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It worked for me as well. Thanks.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Strumelia,I searched for the same videos as John to see if I would have the same problem. I did. I followed the suggestions that you offered, but they did not correct the problem. I use a MacBook Pro running the version of Safari and  Mac OS Ventura 13.4.1 (c).

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.

I'm glad the plans for the transfer of DPN ownership is finalized. Ashley shared this news with me about a week ago and it has been hard keeping the secret. I've been waiting for her to make It public. Best wishes to Fiona and Bill as they take over the reins at DPN.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I wondered about that too Ken.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Yes, and when Bruce went out on sea duty he had a few us looking after the site.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

This website has been offline for a couple of weeks now. Does anyone know what happened? There was no warning that it was closing down. I know it wasn't having much traffic.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

You're welcome, Rob. I often need a proofreader, so I try to help out when I can. LOL.

Hen

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That's wonderful Rob. Unfortunately I won't be able to make it to Kutztown as I will be in Philadelphia that weekend visiting with family. As an aside, there is no "r" in Kutztown.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

If it were my dulcimer, I would just clean it up and string it with three strings rather than six. As long as the fret board is not warped, it should be playable. I might go a little lighter on the string gauges as well. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Has anyone else considered that the peg head may have been broken, smoothed a little bit and refinished? Also, did you check to see if the fret board is straight and level? The force of six strings tuned to pitch could have warped it. Just a couple of thoughts from looking at the photos.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for that sharing that article Strumelia. It captures the essence of George and his relationship with the mountain dulcimer and dulcimer people. His festival, August Dulcimer Daze, was popular and attended by many folks. He was a teacher at many other festivals. And he was a great promoter of folk music in general.

He will be missed.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Molly, I charge anywhere from $15 to $25 a fret. Replacing a fret involves pulling the old fret and putting in a new one. If you damage the fret board in pulling the old fret you need to repair it before installing the new one. Then you need to dress the fret. It can take an hour or more to do one fret. Adding new fret requires calculating where they should be placed, cutting the slots, installing the frets, leveling, and dressing. Customers should be aware that problems in doing these operations may arise and additional charges may be incurred. Since I do not do this for a living I keep my prices low, but I the pros around here charge around $50 an hour plus materials. I don't charge for the fret material as long as I have the proper size. If I have to order fretwire, well that's a separate negotiation.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Just another brief thought. I was surprised when attending festivals that many folks had never heard of DPN. One would mention the magazine in a workshop and people would ask "What is that?" And it wasn't just new players, but also players who had been playing for years. Did anyone else ever encounter this?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks, Dusty, Ken, and Lisa for your comments. As you gathered, my post is a way of dealing with my grief of losing a friend after 49 years.

Dusty thanks for your suggestions about tablets. My wife sits next to me on the sofa and uses an iPad to surf the web, read email, etc. Over the years she has had different sizes and has settled on the one that is about full page size (8 1/2 x 11). I do read books on my Kindle and may some day switch to an iPad for reading. I'm sure part of it for me is just developing new habits. When I referred to "the small number of people on the web," I was thinking about only those who have an interest in mountain dulcimer history which is a small number of the general mountain dulcimer enthusiast population. I agree that the web reaches many more people than print media ever did or would. Obviously I participate on the web and enjoy the camaraderie here and at the other dulcimer web sites. I think the future continues to be bright for the mountain dulcimer and look forward to new days and adventures ahead. Festivals and gatherings will continue in person and on the web. People will discover the mountain dulcimer and start playing or building.

Ken, I appreciate your comments. You pointed out some things I hadn't considered and agree that they contributed to the demise.

Lisa, I appreciate your continuing to offer FOTMD to the dulcimer community. I'm here everyday (sometimes many times) and enjoy our discussions and sharing.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I just received the last the glossy printed issue of DPN. The next two issues, the final ones, will be printed using a Risograph machine which is a step above a mimeograph. Ashley Ernst, the publisher/editor of DPN, explains the reasons for this in this issue's editorial. I understand the reasons for this decision as the magazine folds. The editorial made me not only wax nostalgic about the early days of DPN, but also speculate what a future will be like without the quarterly journal showing up in my post office box. Almost from the inception of DPN it has been a constant companion on my dulcimer journey both hammered and mountain. It was the place I turned to for information about other players and builders. It connected me folks who shared a love of these instruments as well as kept me abreast of the what was happening in the dulcimer world. My chosen vocation kept me from attending any dulcimer festivals until late in the 1990s. Contact with other players in those days was infrequent. The magazine was there to encourage me and sustain. 

Times have changed; we all know that. Many print publications have ceased to exist or gone digital. I have to confess that when something to which I subscribed has converted to digital editions, I've stopped reading them. It's probably my age, but I find it difficult to sit with a computer on my lap to read for any length of time. The same is true for sitting in front of my desk top computer. It is more tiring on my eyes than holding and reading a paper magazine. I do read a good amount of material online, e.g., here at FOTMD, TTAD, and ED as well as at non-dulcimer related websites.

Beyond the nostalgia, I wonder what effect this will have on dulcimer makers, players, instructors, festivals, etc. One avenue of getting the word about performances and products will disappear. The sharing of dulcimer history. which for a long time was a feature of DPN, will occur now only among a small number of people on the web.The exposure of the larger dulcimer community to these niche interests will be reduced. So will the exposure of the builders, performers, merchants, and others involved with various aspects of the dulcimer world.

I know we have this site, TTAD, ED, and various social media outlets to discuss and share news about and our love the dulcimer. I participate in those, but it is not the same. The information on social media sites is transient. For the most part you can't go back and look up something that caught your attend. Websites are a little more permanent but not like the archiving of a magazine. How often does one try find a link, photo, or other file on the web only to discover it has disappeared? We live in a world of impermanence.

So what does the future hold? I don't have a crystal ball. I do have some more thoughts. We will adapt. One door closes and another one opens. I don't really know what that will be. I'm sure those who desire to share knowledge about the mountain dulcimer (and the hammered dulcimer) will find effective ways to get the word out. I'm not sure how that word will be preserved.

Lately I've been reading a few books about the Civil War. What strikes me about these books is the amount of material that comes from written diaries and letters.What will the biographers and novelists who write about our time use as primary source material?

Well, if you have read this far, I commend you for sticking with me. I am interested in what you think, so perhaps you will share your thoughts here.

Finally, thank you to all those who contributed to DPN over the years; from the publishers, to the writers, to the advertisers, to the subscribers. All you have had a tremendous influence on my life. I wish you all the best andI look forward to our next chapter whatever that may be.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

My esteemed colleagues John and Ken have helped you as well as I could have. I agree with John that the bridge/saddle is missing. It may have been made of bone if that is what the nut is made from. In order to make it playable you will need a new bridge. I also agree with Ken that the dulcimer is all walnut. And you really did find a great bargain on that instrument. Enjoy. Oh, and maybe someone on FOTMD from Alabama will recognize it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

No problems here.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song,"

Thanks for the "Heads up" Lisa. Best wishes for a successful move.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Well it is all speculation until the original poster replies and tells us what he means by "blue notes."

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Nate, here is a link to a short piece from the Smithsonian Institution on how to build a hammered dulcimer.

https://www.si.edu/spotlight/hammered-dulcimer/hdmake

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

For anyone interested in learning about the hammered dulcimer, I recommend this book The Hammered Dulcimer A History by Paul M. Gifford which was published by Scarecrow Press. The book is no longer available new. When I looked for it in the used market, it is even more expensive that when I bought it new; $65 then and almost twice that now. In my opinion it is well worth the price to those who have a genuine interest in this instrument. If you just want to read it, see if your local library can get it for you.

On the "scheitholt" issue, I in addition to placing the blame on Praetorius, we can also place the blame of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC for displaying a zitter and calling it a scheitholt without extensively researching the history of the instrument and on Jean Ritchie for taking it at face value and repeating it in one of her books. The same instrument is still in the collection at the MMA, but is now called a zither.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thank you, Robin.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for posting this Robin. I would have posted this information in Events, but with my wife's open heart surgery and difficult recovery I just haven't had the time to participate in our dulcimer forums as much I as I usually do. I'm waiting to see if she will be discharged from the hospital today and go to a rehab facility.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It is with a sad heart that I share the news that Gary Sager of Prussia Valley dulcimers died this afternoon, March 15, 2023. Gary was an experienced dulcimer maker and an enthusiastic promoter of the mountain dulcimer. I first met Gary and Dave Lynch at the same time at a Harmony Harvest festival in Lancaster, OH. Gary was generous in sharing advice about building and playing dulcimers. He will be missed by all who knew him or shopped at the Prussia Valley Music Store or website.

My sympathy goes out to his wife, Toni, and the rest of Gary's family. 

Rest in peace Gary.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

In my conversation with Ashley she indicated she would keep up the events calendar and maybe the club list, but I don't think she was interested in maintaining a digital newsletter. I guess if that is a need for the dulcimer community someone will develop it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Janita.