Like KenH, I've never heard of him and agree that you have a very nice looking dulcimer. Working for Huss and Dalton he should have good experience in instrument building.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Glad to hear that playing one instrument is helping you play the other. When I first started playing guitar I did stretching exercises for my left hand to reach some of the chords. The span of my left hand from tip of thumb to to of pinky when spread to its widest is greater than on my right hand. After you play for some time, I am sure you will notice this difference as well. Have fun learning your instruments.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I agree with the others; a job well done. Thanks for sharing this delightful performance.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thanks, Dusty. I enjoyed the video and was impressed that the group took the songs at a nice even pace (slowly).
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I agree with Skip that it may be a problem with the slot in the nut, but also it could be a problem with the saddle/bridge as well. You may need to fill the slots and recut the slots for that one string.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I've used a "D" tuning on my banjo and played the melody on one of the D strings using the rest of the strings as drones. It is not ideal, but works.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
You chose RVW's Fantasia on Greensleeves as an example of what you would like to do. A fantasia often involves playing with a "theme" or phrase of music in several different styles. It tends to be highly improvisational. You really need to be very familiar with and comfortable with the tune before you start improvising on it. One of my favorites is Seven Variations on God Save the King.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Great to hear that you have the McSpadden. Enjoy the dulcimer. I'm sure you will have fun playing it.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I found the Nature Coast Dulcimer Works site. That repair looks very similar to the one I did. That's cool having a Diamond dulcimer with f-holes. I don't think they made a lot of them like that. Enjoy your dulcimer. Lucky, Louise, and the crew were pioneers in the revival era of dulcimer building.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
No, I'm not. I'm In central Pennsylvania. The Diamond I repaired was a six-string dulcimer. Talk about a long peg head. Here is a photo of the repaired dulcimer.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I'm pretty sure that Lucky used a floating bridge. I just checked a photo of a Diamond dulcimer I repaired, the peg head was broken off, and it looks like a floating bridge. If I go into my shop records I could confirm that, but I'm too lazy this afternoon to head down to the basement.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Angelina, Lucky made his dulcimers with a long vibrating string length making them perfect for noter/drone style playing. You can check, but I think the length is about 29 inches. I think he originally tuned them to CGG and later used DAA. Of course, with the proper strings you can tune to DAd.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
As many have mentioned the Hindman and Berea gatherings have brought many of us together. It is a festivals that I met many of the folks from FOTMD or the dearly departed Everything Dulcimer site. I think the number of members I've met in person is over twenty. I know it is getting too high for me to count on all my fingers and toes.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
In DAA you have three notes below the starting note of the scale. In DAd you have to grab those notes on the middle string. Although no one know who originated the double melody string, we suppose it was to increase the melody line of a tune. DAd makes it easy to play tunes across the fretboard rather than in the linear pattern of DAA. If you play noter/drone style you still have the same drone notes in both tunings.
We don't have dumb questions here. We ask questions to learn and grow. There is nothing dumb about that. Please feel to ask questions for which you do not have answers. We do our best to answer them.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I forgot to answer your other questions. I am not sure to which of Mel Bays books your are referring to in you question. Some of the Mel Bay books offer both DAA and DAd tunings. These being the most popular tunings. Other books also include DAc and other tunings. Currently, DAd is the default tuning for most dulcimer festivals and clubs, although folk are beginning to discover and appreciate DAA and other tunings.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
As I think was mentioned before you started this thread, you will not have a doubled melody string unless you want to rework the nut and bridge on your guitar. If you choose to do a three string configuration, take off the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings. You will need to restring your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd strings. The bass D string (in either DAA or DAd) should be a wound 0.022 or 0.023. The middle string would be a plain steel 0.014. If tuning to DAA, the middle and first string (melody) are the same gauge. The first (melody) string for DAd tuning is a plain steel could be 0.011 or 0.012. You may need to modify the slots in the guitar nut to fit the these string sizes. Another possibility would be to buy and inexpensive guitar nut, slot it yourself, and run your strings down the center of the fretboard. Also, you will not be playing a traditional diatonic dulcimer by doing the this. The guitar fretboard is fretted for chromatic playing.
You did not say what style of dulcimer playing you want to do, but if you are going to play a traditional diatonic dulcimer, trying to learn on the chromatic fretboard may cause you fits when moving to the diatonic fretboard.
Best wishes for your project. Let us know if you have more questions.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Not being a good archivist, I did not write down the years of these three pages from the Sears catalog. The other attachment is a similar dulcimers marketed by Fretted Industries. Note that the Fretted Industries dulcimers have a rectangular end to their scrolls.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Very nice John. Happy Birthday again.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
You can also order the proper set of strings from The Dulcimer Shoppe, home of McSpadden dulcimers. For your T34 you will need loop end strings. I think the price is $5.50 plus $3.00 shipping. When I looked at JustStrings the 0.023 wound strings appear to come only in a pack of 5 for $10.55. The 0.010 and 0.014 are $3.62 each for a pack of 12 strings. You need to look under Bulk strings for these.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
That's good news! I hope your lumberjacks are in there. Best wishes.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I doubt that you will find any lumberjacks made by Keith Young available anymore. If you do an internet search for "Limberjack" there a lots of sites that pop up. There are many folks on Etsy that sell them.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
My objection is that "scheitholt" refers only to a very small group of instruments in a rather narrow geographical region. Henry Mercer, it seems, discovered the illustration of the scheitholt in the Syntagma and applied the label to the instrument he had in front of him without further research. Within the Pennsylvania German communities where the instrument was found, the term "scheitholt" is unknown. People referred to instrument as a "zitter" or in modern language "zither." In Germany today most of these instruments are called hummels or hommels. When I speak of these instruments, I call them Pennsylvania German zitters. I think this is a more accurate label/description of what we find in the US.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
That's Ken. It is the foibles of traveling. For some reason I wasn't getting the whole discussion on my phone. Now that I'm back on the computer I see those photos. The terminology being used is what confused me. I consider the fret board to be what was once the "scheitholt-on-a-box" feature of the mountain dulcimer. Truthfully, I would like to get away from the "scheitholt" terminology all together, but I realize I am fighting a losing battle there.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I am confused by this conversation. Is there any possibility of some photos?
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
How about adding a 12 days of Christmas to the end of Advent.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song,'
I have one of Randy's dulcimers and I can attest to the fact that the wood (toothpick) frets hold up under noter playing.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Okay, Ariane. I am thinking of recording "O Lord, How Shall I Meet You." The tune is Wie Soll Ich Dich Empfangen in our Lutheran Hymnal.
I can record it in Garageband and then up it to Soundcloud.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I would like to participate. Are you compiling a list of Advent hymns to avoid duplication or do we just choose what we want to play and email you the recording?
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
The only problem I see with the ukulele tuners or banjo tuners is that the peg head wall is rather thin. I think you will need to use a shim of some sort to be able to affix the tuners properly.]
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Victoria, I am not sure what you were seeing when you tried to upload a photo. If you are on your page under your name and you click on the Photo box you see a page that says Create a Gallery. Click on the plus sign, name your gallery, and then choose a photo file. I find it easiest to have the photo file on my desktop and choose the file from there. I can't choose a file from my photo program. That just doesn't work for me. I am using a MacBook Pro, but I suspect it may work similarly with a Windows machine. Please ask more specific questions if this does not help you.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thank you Ballad Gal. Here is a link in case you or anyone else is interested:
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song.
Lisa, the pick is a new collar stay. It was never in a shirt. A local store had boxes of them for $3 for about 30 stays and collar extenders. The noter is the handle of a foam brush. I just cut off the foam when it was too hard to accept more paint.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Here is my Play Music on the Porch Day Photo. I have one with me playing guitar as well.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
That's wonderful. What a great find. Enjoy.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Chet wrote a book on dulcimer building and provided the pattern that is the shape of that dulcimer. It is possible it was made by someone using Chet's book.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
I've invited folks to stop by anytime between 2 and 5 p.m. to play a tune fr two or more. I expect some group playing, some solos, and other combinations.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
