Forum Activity for @ken-longfield

Here is a bibliography for the article.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song." 

Bibliography - Scheitholt No More.pdf - 60KB

I learned today that theme of February, 2026 issue of Dulcimer Players News will not be "tradition." I submitted an article in 2024 and was asked if it could be held until the December, 2025 issue originally scheduled to have the "tradition" theme. I agreed. It was postponed from November, 2025 until February, 2026 and now postponed again. I decided to wait no more and share this pdf of the article. I hope you enjoy it and it causes you think about the mountain dulcimers ancestors.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Scheitholtnomorev5.b.pdf - 252KB

Oh my, Strumelia, that poor guitar!

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Sometimes it is best to start with what type of music do you want to play? You mentioned that you played noter style. It is easier to play in a 1 5 5 tuning (DAA, CGG, etc.) because for most tunes you will only play on the first (melody) string. In that tuning a 6.5 fret is nice to have, but not necessary. If you plan to play in chord/melody style you really should have that 6.5 and its octave 13.5. If you choose to play more modern songs or choose to play in a cross fret board style you might add the 1.5 and 8.5 frets. In general most folks play in DAd in those styles. Another question to ask yourself is do you want 3 or 4 strings. Four strings seems to be the most popular with the ability to turn it into three strings by removing one and you can have the nut notched to play four equidistant strings which opens up other possibilities. I hope I'm not confusing you with too much information.

Your profile lists you as being in Stillwater. You might call or drive down to Redwing and visit Stoney End Music. They usually have some mountain dulcimers in stock. Stoney End is associated with Hobgoblin Music in Great Britain so they also have instruments associated with British folk music.

In addition to the makers you mentioned I would encourage you to look at Folkcraft as well.

Ebony fretboards are nice, but add to the cost of the instrument. The first dulcimer I made in 1974 has a walnut fretboard and has held up very well. For myself I would not bother with an ebony fretboard on my dulcimer. Some folks feel that ebony helps your fingers slide better. It's really a matter of personal preference and how much you want to spend as fretboard overlays add to the expense of the instrument.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

It certainly would be nice to be able to download a copy of Chet Hines recording. There seems to be several of us interested in hearing it.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our mountain dulcimer friends.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

You are welcome, Sandi. Let me know how it works out. If you need any help along the way I can give you my phone # or we could Zoom.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Sandi, yes you can fix it yourself. You will need to replace the nut (correct name, it is not a bridge). You will need a piece of hardwood the same length, height, and thickness as the broken nut. You will then need to cut slots in the nut for the string. If I were closer, I'd do it for you. You could remove the old nut and send it to me and I could make a new one and send it back to you. It might take a couple of weeks to work it out sending between VA and PA. If you tackle it yourself, first take the old nut off of the instrument. Hold on to it as it will serve as guide for where you should cut the slots for the strings. You will need a way to cut a piece of hardwood to the size of the old nut. You might be able to take it in to a guitar store and see if they have a nut blank of the same dimensions. If the old nut is glued in you may need to knock it out. A sharp rap with a hammer may dislodge it. If that doesn't do it, try a little heat directed on the nut with a hair dryer. That may help soften the glue. Once it is out you will need to clean the slot of any glue residue using a file, chisel, or sandpaper. The next step is fitting the new nut. Then hold the nut up to the new one and mark the spaces for the string slots. Use a narrow blade saw or v shaped needle file to make the slots. Don't cut too deep or the strings will buzz from touching the frets. Put the nut back in the slot and restring the dulcimer. I don't know how clear these instructions will be to you. It is easier for me to tell it someone than it is to write it out. Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you are able to get the dulcimer into playing shape.

Oh, and I forgot to say that I think it is worth giving to someone to start learning to play mountain dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Steve, thanks for the clarification. I wondered because I remembered re-subscribing recently due to the loss of your database. I appreciate all the work you do to create the tabs and share them. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Steve, I'm already a subscriber. Are you saying I should subscribe again?

Thanks,

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I think you found a very nice way to display them. They really fit well together on the walls. Good job. I wish I had the wall space to do something like that. Thanks for sharing the photo of your collection.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone here at FOTMD. And thank you, Strumelia, for linking to The Welcome Table. Gotta go and start peeling potatoes.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Another cause of buzzing is the fit of the strings in the slots in the nut and the bridge if it has slots. Too tight and the strings bind. Too loose and the strings buzz. Also make sure you are using the correct strings for the VSL and tunings your are using. Thanks for the photos of the dulcimer. You really did a great job on the eagle.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

A rule of thumb for good string height is to place a dime next to the first fret on the second fret side and have the string just touch the top of the dime. Then place a nickel on the top of the seventh fret and the string should touch that. If you get buzzing after that then you need to level and dress your frets. Now this is good for general playing and finger picking. If you are playing noter style you can increase the height of the strings a little bit. Oh, and you will be adjusting the height of the slots in the nut and bridge if it has slots otherwise you adjusting the height of the bridge.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I am saddened by your loss. Pets, especially dogs, are wonderful friends and family. They endear themselves to us right from the start. Please know that I share your grief.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Nate, you're welcome. I like having a visual reference.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Here is a photo of fret placements for different intonations on a mountain dulcimer fretboard. It is from Bobby Ratliff over at TTMD.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

 TuahWCv.jpg - 53KB

Yes. Happy Halloween

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

The disadvantage of a floating bridge is that it is easily moved as John pointed out. I've known folks to lose them when changing strings because they took all the strings off rather than doing it one at a time. Also changing strings may move the bridge a little and throw everything off which requires a little time and effort to correct. I've built dulcimers; some with fixed as some with floating bridges. As I builder I prefer the fixed bridge.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song." 

John has provided all the information you need. I purchased a similar one recently except it was the model D50S, a grade up, for $100. In an auction, like eBay, you may get more. While your dulcimer has a 6 1/2 fret, it doesn't have the octave 13 1/2 fret. It would not be that attractive to modern players who want more frets (1 1/2, 8 1/2, etc.). Whoever buys it will get a nice dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I'm glad to hear that you contacted Warren and the he is helping you. There is nothing like going directly to the builder for help.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Todd, I agree with Dusty. A 1993 Folkcraft is a good instrument and it is offered at a fair price.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Todd, you are receiving good advice. I just want to make a few clarifications regarding David Lynch's student model dulcimer. His original price on this instrument was $125.  By the time of his death he had to raise to price which was still under $150. He used baltic birch plywood for the back, sides, and top of the dulcimer and the price of this material had gone up. He could no longer absorb the cost of the price increase of a sheet of plywood. The peg head and the fret board on these dulcimers was walnut. All of them were finished with a light coat of Deft spray lacquer. He used either a matte or semi-gloss finish. These were very playable and good sounding instruments. Dave began by building harps and was known on various dulcimer sites as "Harpmaker." He later branched out to making mountain dulcimers.

In searching for a previous owned dulcimer keep your eyes and ears open. I've found some on Craig's list in addition to eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Goodwill, here at FOTMD, as well as some folks contacting me to see if I would be interested in their dulcimer. There are several builders in California; Blue Lion, Joellen Lapidus, and Howard Rugg are all well known, but their instruments are well above the beginner level.

Be patient and right dulcimer will find you. Best wishes in your hunt for an instrument.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Mike, I'm glad to hear that you have your dulcimer playing well again and happy that we were helpful. Enjoy playing both of your dulcimers. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I am not familiar with dulcimers made by James Goodall. He seems to have a good following in the guitar world. It appears that his son Luke has taken over the guitar business and continues to build guitars in Sparta, TN. My guess is that any mountain dulcimers he made were from the beginning of his career as a luthier.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I have a couple of needle file sets, neither was expensive nor diamond coated. They do the job. You can find them at the two places Wally suggested plus Lowes and Home Depot. I've used the welding tip cleaners mainly to expand slots because of binding strings, but not to make new slots. I have a set of Stewmac nut files that I use to start the slots.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I agree with Skip about cutting the slots deeper in the false nut before trying anything else. Sometimes I get ahead of myself and forget to do the easier solutions first.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Mike, that blue piece is not actually a nut (or shouldn't be). It should be a string spacer to keep the strings in the proper place across the nut which is the zero fret. If it were my instrument I would try to get the blue plastic piece off and replace it with a small piece of wood; maybe one eighth inch square, or perhaps three sixteenths or a quarter inch square depending upon what would look good. I'd saw slots for the strings to provide for double melody strings and four equidistant string spacing. I'd make the slots deep enough so that the strings rest on the first fret. After that, I'd tackle the string height from the saddle/bridge end.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Skip and Nate have given you good advice. Check to make sure that the zero fret is higher than the first fret after you check to see that all strings are resting on the zero fret. From there check with the nickel on the seventh fret. If you get lower than that, the strings may start to buzz on the frets. You can make slight adjustments at the saddle (bridge) if you need to lengthen the vibrating string. You can't shorten the string because the saddle is in a fixed position.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Glad you solved your problem. That's a technique I've used a few times.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I missed this entire thread when we were away camping in the Northwoods of Pennsylvania. In addition to Jean Ritchies books, English Folk Songs of the Southern Appalachians by Cecil Sharp and Maude Karpeles and The Child Ballads by Francis James Child are excellent resources. Child's collection was originally titled The English and Scottish Popular Ballads. It contained 305 songs (lyrics only) with American variants. Tunes were added in 1960. I believe the original was 8 volumes. It is still available in print and digital editions. Sharps book was originally published in 1917 is still available in the used book market but most  scholars agree that the second and enlarged addition is the one to have. It contains 273 songs and ballads and 968 tunes. I bought a copy many years ago and paid $200 for it. I looked today and found a first printing of second edition for a mere $750. Since the copyright has expired on Sharp's work, it can be found in reprints and digital editions for a lot less. Both works are worth having for folk song researchers. Many of the individuals and groups involved in the so called folk music revival of the 1950s and 60s used songs from these works.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Karen, due to the thicker strings used on a baritone, I suggest putting on a new nut and bridge. I don't remember if Dave spent a lot of time adjusting the slots in his nuts and bridges to create better intonation or just went with the VSL. I think people stress too much about attaining perfect intonation. Somewhere I read an article about a luthier building a guitar and making sure that the intonation on each string was perfect. Not being much of a player, he asked some well known guitarists to play it. The consensus was that it was dull and lifeless; not due to construction, but due to the lack of overtones or something like that due to the perfect intonation. I wish I could remember where I read that story.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

I'm lucky here in central PA where there are many saw mills. Sometimes you can find short pieces that won't sell to well because they are only 3 or 4 feet long. You can get them for a really good price. Gotta love those Amish saw mills.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Another option if it isn't an historically valuable dulcimer is to cut the dowels off and use #2 1/2 inch or 5/8 inch brass screws.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Take your loop end string and run the plain end of the string through the loop thus creating a larger loop that will fit over the dowels. If it is a four string dulcimer, two strings go on each down. This system isn't very convenient if you break a string, but it works.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Why don't you email or call Warren and ask him? 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Even though, as Skip pointed out, the Strothers calculator tend to suggest strings on the light side, I would go with those to begin with. If you find them to be too loose, you can always move up a little the next time you change strings. You didn't say whether this dulcimer uses loop or ball end strings but strings in the sizes suggested should be readily available as singles.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Hatikvah (The Hope) is available in tab form on a few websites and well as in a few published tab books. I think there are few others out there, like the dreidel song, but you can do an internet search for specific songs to see what's out there.

Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thank you, Lisa.

I'll not only be playing on the porch on Saturday, but I'll be serenading my wife as we celebrate our 56th wedding anniversary that day.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."