Forum Activity for @ken-longfield

The first thing I would do is check to see that, if the bridge is moveable, it is in the right place. If it isn't moveable, checking the action is a good start. A general rule of thumb is that the strings should just touch a dime when placed next to the first fret. I place the dime on the side toward the second fret. Then place a nickel on the seventh fret and the strings should just touch the nickel. If that adjustment doesn't work, then I would calculate the proper fret spacing for the vibrating string length of the dulcimer. Some programs let you print out a template. I would use this to check the fret spacing and re-fret if necessary.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Strumelia, I'm glad that you wrote "in general" as there are courting dulcimers out there that do have two fret boards with the peg heads at the same end of the dulcimer but fretted for playing by two people sitting knee to knee. I think this design makes the dulcimer shorter and easier to carry because you don't have peg heads sticking out on both ends.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thank you for the additional information Art. We will all wait until you get the dulcimer and you have more of chance to examine it. It poses some interesting questions and I hope we will be able to find the answers. I'm sure you will be able to get it in to playing condition. I've seen thin pegs like that on other dulcimers.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

There isn't enough clarity in the photos to really give an informed opinion. I agree that there are four equidistant strings. I have no idea what the function of the bar in the front of the bridge. It appears to be wood and fitted to the width of the fret board.  It could be that what we are calling a bridge is just to space the strings apart and the bridge is that dark wood and may be moveable. I am interested in the pegs.Are they wood or metal? Is there no builder's label inside the dulcimer?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for that link. Although I don't speak French, I found the video interesting. I'll search among my friends to see if anyone speaks French to do some translation for me.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It appears in the first photo that there are four strings over the fret board which would be tuned to any standard dulcimer tuning where the melody string is doubled, DAdd or DAAA. I can't see the strings that off the fret board very well, but they might be drones perhaps a bass version of the melody string an octave or two lower and the other a the same of the middle string. The second photo shows a doubled melody string which four equally distant placed drone strings. Again, you could use a standard dulcimer tuning with bass octaves on the other two strings if they are thick wound strings.

This is just my guess and others may provide better information.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

John is correct, and like him, I have no idea about the plexiglass strip.

Ken

"the dulcimer sings a sweet song."

If you read lines 27 through 31 in the patent description, it appears that the instrument is intended to be played by two people like a courting dulcimer. It appears to be nothing like the dulcichord (five string table dulcimer) the John Molineux is playing in the video. I did enjoy the video. Very nice playing.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I have three of the double bags. Like Richard and Ken I highly recommend them. Well worth the price, although I did buy two of them used.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a great song."

Which this year is March 30th, the fifth Saturday.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Good find. Have fun with the book.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I looked after Strumelia mentioned checking Amazon and you can buy it new for $22.29, but as John says you can find used copies as well.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Betty was a wonderful promoter of southern Appalachian culture and music. I was able to take several classes with her at Dulcimerville. She will be missed by all of her family and friends. Rest in peace, Betty.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Frank, you can't go wrong with a Warren May dulcimer. I have one, an all walnut. hourglass. Aren't kids something. My son came to me when he was about eleven or twelve and asked me I could teach him some chords on the guitar. By the end of that summer he was playing better than me. I became a roadie for his band when he was in high school. He went to Berklee College of Music in Boston and majored in film scoring and his primary instrument was guitar. He's a professional musician out in Los Angeles. Enjoy your new dulcimer. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

And Steve also played it with "the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra, the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra, the Knoxville Symphony, and many others" according to his website.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Yes, we do tend to wander. I'm gad you found the rambling answers to your questions informative. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thank you Jost. I appreciate your posting those links to information about the langleik. That is interesting reading. I especially liked learning about the tuning of the langleik to the key of A. We have a state park not too far from me that is named after Ole Bull. That part of Pennsylvania had many Norwegian immigrants working in the lumber industry. I haven't discovered any references to the langleik among the lumbermen, but there are references to the dulcimer, but in this case it is the hammered dulcimer.

 Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

We are responding to a thread that is four years old. I'm not sure how popular the Cherub pickup is among mountain dulcimer players as I haven't been to any "live" festivals since the pandemic. Bear in mind that this is a pickup and not a microphone. It responds to vibrations created by the strings and any touch on the instruments surface. It clips on to the top of the dulcimer through a sound hole. It may not fit in narrow or small sound holes. I'd be interested in knowing how it works if anyone here uses one.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Autoharp seem to find their way to me, although don't play. I usually either give them away or sell them. My sister has an autoharp which I completely repadded at one time. I've replaced pads on other autoharps as well. Also replaced string, repaired tuning pegs, etc. Partly, this is because I have friends who play and also having been friends with George Orthey and a friend of Greg Schreiber. I also hosted and emcee autoharp concerts for about 20 years, so I know a lot of professional players and builders. I enjoy listening to autoharp music.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I built my first three dulcimers under the tutelage of a violin maker, so I had good instruction on fitting pegs. While I can describe the process, watching it is probably better. There are some good videos on YouTube that deal with peg fitting. Anyone can check them out if they want to the job. For me the process was watch one, do one with my teacher watching over the process, and do another on my own.  Of course, like any task it gets easier with practice. You develop a feel for your tools and the process. It would have been easier for Curt if the original owner kept the original pegs. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Curt, you can buy the pegs and install them yourself. Bear in mind that the pegs are tapered and the hole into which they go must be tapered as well. A viola size hole reamer is the tool you will need to do this. Also, if the holes were enlarged for the banjo tuners, they will need to be plugged, drilled, and reamed. It depends upon how much time and money you want to spend. Pegs are inexpensive, reamers are not although since you are only doing this one job you can probably get away with an inexpensive one.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Hi, Nate, I'm the other Ken. Here is a link to an NPR segment on the Lego dulcimer made by Peter Alway: https://www.npr.org/2005/02/06/4487244/lego-my-dulcimer As far as I know Peter was the first person to build a mountain dulcimer out of Lego blocks.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.:

Hi Dwain, I didn't say that the tuners were mechanical. They are, as you noted, Grover Stay-Tites which are friction tuners. I think they came in banjo and ukulele sizes. Those on Curt's dulcimer appear to be banjo size.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

A slight correction, Ken, Backyard Instruments began selling cardboard dulcimers in 1980. I don't know if they were the first, but that's 44 years of cardboard dulcimers.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I'll need to check my files on Sunhearth later today to be certain, but I don't think Walt Martin was offering those Grover banjo pegs as an upgrade in 1975.  If you send me a private message with your email address I will send you pdfs of the 1974 Sunhearth flyer. I also have two magazine articles on Walt Martin and Sunhearth that I can send as well if you are interested.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Like my brother Ken, I have never heard of this maker. I agree with his assessment.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

GreatLakes 73, the others have given you the advice I would have given. Unless you have a Folkcraft or McSpadden who market specific strings for their instruments, dulcimer players should buy individual strings and make up their own sets. I'm surprised how often in doing repairs and I need to restring someone's dulcimer they are surprised to find that I don't have specific sets but rather have tubes of individual strings in various gauges. Many times they come back to buy strings from me even though I tell them they get the strings from JustStrings.com or from other vendors. Of course, that also means that they want me to change the strings for them. I hope you find what you need.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Here is a link to the obituary for Rob Lackey. https://spicermullikin.com/robert-neil-lackey/ It is in the chat area, but I know some folks don't use that. Rob was one of our greeters here. He was a wonderful dulcimer player besides being an accomplished guitarist. He was very active in the mountain dulcimer and folk music communities around Fairmount, WV. He will be missed by family and friends.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That was a delightful video. I enjoyed watching it. Thanks for directing us to it Robin.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Wow, it was fun reading through this thread again. There is much good encouragement here for all dulcimer players. Thanks for calling it to our attention Strumelia. It caused me to look up the scale length (VSL) of various instruments from mandolins at 13-14 inches to electric bass guitars at 43 inches. Most modern acoustic guitars fall in the 24.5 to 25.4 inch range. Five string and four string plectrum banjos around 26.25 inches. Like John Keane, I find a 27 inch vsl comfortable but I have dulcimers with longer and shorter scales.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Jeannie, welcome back to FOTMD. Yes, I remember you and have wondered what happened to you after the fire. I hope you will start playing again.Thank you for stopping by. I look forward to seeing you here from time-to-time. Best wishes.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Marg there are a couple of things to consider. First is whether you want friction tuners or geared tuners. Since you mention the Stewmac choices the Grovers are friction and the Five Star are geared. The second is cost. You can see the difference in price. Both of those install easily although you may need to make an adjustment in the size of the holes. Since you mention not changing the head design, have you considered replacing the wood pegs with geared violin tuners like Wittners? Here is a link to them: Wittner-finetune-violin-peg They may give a better look to the dulcimer and are priced between the two offered by Stewmac. 

This is general information as I don't know the maker of your dulcimer and I am guessing it has a scroll peg head. If you have any questions, ask here or message me.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Well I'm in to the organizing mode. I'm busy scanning all my notebooks of tab in to an iPad. I have 117 pages entered so far which is almost one notebook. I think I have six more notebooks to go, but there is some duplication of tabs. Getting rid of the notebooks will free up some space on my shelves.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I look forward to the photos. It sounds like an interesting project. It is amazing how a one little irregularity in a side can throw the whole instrument out of whack. It takes creative thinking to correct some of them.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks for sharing your video Macy Jayne. It must have been a fun project. I enjoyed watching it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

That is funny. I think it is the living who put the pressure on to preserve what our ancestors did.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Yes, those are excellent books and must reads for folks who want to learn about mountain dulcimer history and context. One part of your question we have not addressed is the use of European predecessors of the mountain dulcimer. Wilfried Ulrich addresses some of this in his book The Story of the Hommel. There are many such instruments in museums in Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, etc.Unfortunately I am not aware of English translations of literature that describes how folks used these instruments. What is clear is that they were "folk" instruments and not considered to be of great value musically. Again, they were mostly played by folks in their own homes for their own enjoyment. 

I do what to respond to Kenh's comment about amplification. The zitters used in Pennsylvania Dutch communities had feet on the bottom and were often played by placing them on tables when played. This increased the volume of the instrument. Some dulcimers builders in the late 19th century (J.E. Thomas, C.N. Prichard) made dulcimers with feet on the bottom which allowed them to be played on tables as well. It may have helped when dulcimers were used to accompany dances.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Both Kenh and Dusty offer good points. Dusty's offering of Lucy Long's comments reminded me to mention that role of the dulcimer was different in different communities. Dr. Long specifically researched the role of the dulcimer at Beech Mountain, North Carolina. Things may have been different in various communities in Kentucky, southwestern Virginia, West Virginia, and North Carolina. Of course we shouldn't forget southeastern Ohio and perhaps southwestern Pennsylvania (the area the borders WV and OH) and some areas of Tennessee. I'm not sure when the dulcimer tradition began in Arkansas, but let's not forget that as well.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

A hundred years ago (1923) the mountain dulcimer was beginning to emerge from isolated communities in the southern Appalachian mountains. With the beginning of the settlement schools northern teachers began sending dulcimers north. At this time the dulcimer was pretty much an instrument played at home for one's own enjoyment. It may have been played at dances but was not a concert instrument. In other words people usually would not have played as a solo performer in a public forum. In 1935 the Galaxy Fiddlers' Convention began. I can't recall if a dulcimer contest took place that year or started later, but we can probably mark that contest as the beginning of dulcimer concerts.

You can find a good bit of information in the discussions Nate cited. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

This will be a quiet Christmas at home. I played at our local historical society's museum for our annual Festival of Ice the first weekend of this month. I played Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday music. We will visit our daughter's family after Christmas and help them pack up the first floor of their home which will be renovated in January and February. We will attend our usual service of worship on December 24th in the morning and the evening Christmas Eve service. For the most part I'm avoiding crowds until after mid-January as I will have cataract surgery on December 14 and January 4.I don't want to catch a cold or the flue and have to reschedule.  I'll be at home most of the time playing dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."