Forum Activity for @ken-longfield

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
11/15/18 10:29:30AM
1,212 posts

George Hendrickson Dulcimers


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

Sorry. I've never heard of him, but his dulcimers look very nice. Enjoy playing them.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
11/15/18 10:26:24AM
1,212 posts

2 newly made instruments from musicmakerz


Adventures with 'other' instruments...

Lorraine and Ken, you have made some very nice instruments. I'm sure yours are nice as well Irene. I just can't see them at the moment. It is good that you play them for people so that they can get an idea of how music was made a long time ago. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
11/06/18 09:04:03PM
1,212 posts

Dulcimer Strings


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

Dulcinia, my main noter/drone instrument is one I built based on the C.N. Prichard dulcimer. It is three strings, wood pegs, and a 28" VSL. I use a plain 0.020 and two 0.014s for the middle and melody.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
11/06/18 04:20:06PM
1,212 posts

Dulcimer Strings


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

Take KenH's advice. Just make sure you purchase the appropriate end (either ball or loop) string depending on how they attache to the dulcimer. I couldn't see that in your photo. I'd measure the VSL and check the calculator for the tunings I want to use. If you tune DAA and DAd (switching between the two) you might want a thicker middle string. On my dulcimer with a 27" VSL I use a 0.011 melody, a 0.013 middle, and a phosphor bronze wound 0.024 bass. I use a different set on my strictly noter/drone dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
11/03/18 07:15:18PM
1,212 posts

Advice on beginner’s dulcimer


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

You have received good advice. Put new strings on it of the right gauge, tighten the tuners that slip, make sure your electronic tuner is calibrated to A=440 and tune as Skip said, A and D below middle C.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
11/03/18 01:27:07PM
1,212 posts

Keith Young Dulcimer


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

Thanks, Lisa. I was able to download the file after you changed the setting. I had to delete the "dms" at the end and add the "." before the mp3 to get it to play in "iTunes". 

David, you did a good job in restoring the Keith Young dulcimer. It sounds great. Thanks for sharing your work with us.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
11/03/18 10:28:56AM
1,212 posts

Keith Young Dulcimer


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

When I try that Lisa, I get a message that says "mp3 files are restricted to streaming only." Is that just a Mac problem? I tried a drag and drop and got this message from https://fotmd.com/forum/download/forum_file/32795/Baby-O%20Audio%20recording%202018-11-02.mp3 Error: offsite media downloads are blocked

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/26/18 08:47:44AM
1,212 posts

Guitar Strings?


Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!

Glad to hear that the new strings are working out for you Clare. Have fun playing.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/23/18 08:02:33PM
1,212 posts

Buying a used McSpadden questions


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

Well, we kind of got off track here. I have to agree with Richard that $225 would be a more realistic price.

Ken

The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/23/18 12:06:43PM
1,212 posts

A Sweet Find


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Great find, Richard. Enjoy your second hand dulcimer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

 

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/22/18 10:34:43PM
1,212 posts

Buying a used McSpadden questions


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

Using a dulcimer made of laminate material (plywood) is not against the tradition. I have seen and handled many older dulcimers may of plywood.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/22/18 08:08:24PM
1,212 posts

Buying a used McSpadden questions


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


I do not know for sure, but I was told that he played a dulcimer made from a cherry laminate and liked it. Thus, when he designed his own model, he specified the cherry laminate. I am not sure where I read this. Since my files are not very organized, it may take me some time to find the original information.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."


updated by @ken-longfield: 10/22/18 08:10:30PM
Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/22/18 07:59:26PM
1,212 posts

Buying a used McSpadden questions


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

Dusty, McSpadden stopped making dulcimers with laminate back and sides when the supplier stopped production of walnut and cherry plywood. I do not remember the year. It also was when the Schnauffer model was discontinued as David specified the cherry laminate for the back and sides of the model named after him.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/13/18 12:43:32PM
1,212 posts



That's a nice looking Jeffreys. At this point in my life I'm only collecting photographs of instruments. I like the dulcimers that Jeffreys made.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/04/18 11:03:12PM
1,212 posts

Looking for album


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Was it perhaps this one?

 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."


Appalachian Dulcimer Music.jpg Appalachian Dulcimer Music.jpg - 8KB
Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/03/18 08:12:46PM
1,212 posts

Comprehensive List of Dulcimer Festivals


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I agree with Stephen that it would be good to see a list of all dulcimer festivals in a given year. I thing, however, that it is an impossible task. We depend on volunteers to post notices of these events. Some get posted and reported to sites like FOTMD or the old ED. Some are not promoted outside of a specific region. One might be able to construct a list for given year doing some kind of internet search, but that probably will not get all of them. It also would require an awful lot of work. We can keep hoping.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/02/18 09:31:48AM
1,212 posts

Guitar Strings?


Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!

It sounds like the tension on the bass string is greater than the tension on the other three strings. Once you remove all four string you should be able to push it back in place with your fingers. If the nut is very loose, you can use a drop of white glue to hold it in place, but don't use too much. You should be able to remove the nut if you need to make adjustments like lowering the action. When you restring the dulcimer, start with the middle strings first and bring them up to proper pitch. That should hold the nut in place while you add the melody and bass strings.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
10/01/18 01:03:23PM
1,212 posts



I dug through my file on Keith Young, but found nothing about the finish he used on his instruments. My suspicion is lacquer, but I am not 100% certain. Here is a link to a  Wood Magazine  article about how to identify finishes. I hope this helps you.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
09/29/18 12:30:02PM
1,212 posts

Guitar Strings?


Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!

Plain steel 0.020 string should be available in a local music store. As Kusani said, "opinions vary." I use squeakless wound strings for chord/melody playing. I like the plain steel on my noter/drone dulcimers. Your dulcimer looks like a Tom Yocky instrument. If it is I would think Tom set it up to take a 0.020 - 0.024 bass string. If it is set for the 0.024, the slot may cause a 0.020 gauge string to vibrate in the slot causing a buzz. This can be corrected by any luthier or even yourself depending upon how handy and confident you are. I hope the new set of strings will work well for you.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
09/27/18 11:46:11PM
1,212 posts

Guitar Strings?


Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!

Given that VSL I would try .010s on the melody strings, .014 on the middle, and a .020 for the bass. You could go up just a little if these are still floppy. If you can't find them locally as single strings, PM me and I can send you a set as I described.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
09/27/18 07:03:15AM
1,212 posts

Guitar Strings?


Playing and jamming difficulties...HELP ME!

Diane, the size of the strings you use is determined by the vibrating string length (VSL) of your dulcimer. That is the distance from inside the nut to the place where the strings contact the bridge. If we knew that length, we could make better suggestions. Just looking at the dulcimer in you avatar I would guess you should have the .012s on the melody strings, the .014 in the middle, and what Dusty suggested for the bass; .022 or .024 wound string.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
09/26/18 07:24:10PM
1,212 posts



Don, the fix will depend on what type of finish Keith used on his dulcimers. I will look and see if I have any information on this and get back to you.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
09/22/18 11:51:18AM
1,212 posts

Remember Our Friend Oliver Ogden.


OFF TOPIC discussions

I think of Oliver often. My wife and enjoyed visiting with him and his wife Sharon. He was a man of many interests. I liked talking about hat making with him. He had a very nice collection of hat making tools and moulds. He had other musical interests as well. We shared a fondness for banjos. His turtles were interesting to see and hear him talk about them. Yes, I miss Oliver.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
09/18/18 03:18:08PM
1,212 posts

Cantilevered Tail/Bridge


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Here is a photo of the cantilevered fret board on the first dulcimer I built. I only made two like this.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."


IMG_2533.jpg IMG_2533.jpg - 172KB
Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
09/16/18 02:35:52PM
1,212 posts

Cantilevered Tail/Bridge


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

The first dulcimer I built (back in 1974) has a cantilevered fretboard. I used plans made by Joseph Wallo who worked at Weaver's Violin Shop in Washington, D.C. I made the fretboard from three pieces of wood and after 44 years of constant tension the on the strings (mostly in DAA tuning) there is no curling of the fretboard. Although this is not the largest dulcimer I own, it is the loudest. The top vibrates as well as the back but not as much as the back. I thought I had some photos I could easily find, but I don't. I'll try to take a few and post them for you.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
08/25/18 04:08:00PM
1,212 posts

Play Music On the Porch Day 2018!


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Well, no one else showed up, so I played solo. I did a few tunes on mountain dulcimer and then a few on banjo. No videos.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
08/24/18 09:00:22PM
1,212 posts

Play Music On the Porch Day 2018!


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch and playing a tune or two. If any friends stop by they are welcome to play as well. I left the invitation opened ended so anyone can show up between 1 and 4 p.m. After that we are heading to a baseball game. We will see what happens. Have a good day everyone.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
08/23/18 08:12:43PM
1,212 posts

what was your first song on the dulcimer?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions


I wonder how I missed this thread 4 years ago? I do remember the first tune I played on the dulcimer: Go Tell Aunt Rhody. That was 44 years ago.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."


updated by @ken-longfield: 08/23/18 08:13:16PM
Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
08/16/18 07:05:31PM
1,212 posts

Recording multiple tracks?


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Before I moved to Mac, I used a program from SouceForge called Audacity. It is a free download. I found it easy to use. If you do not have an audio interface for you computer you can get around using two microphones by using the overdub feature in Audacity. I do not think it gives as good a quality as recording with two microphones, but it is certainly a lot less expensive. Audacity is a free download and can be found here: https://sourceforge.net/projects/audacity/ After moving to OS from Windows, I now use Garageband and find that they are somewhat similar in how they operated.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
08/16/18 11:20:26AM
1,212 posts

Advice on old dulcimer


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

Sorry I missed that you mentioned the 28" VSL. KenH's suggestion for strings is good. A 6.5 fret can be added if you don't have one and really want one.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
08/15/18 09:11:52PM
1,212 posts

Advice on old dulcimer


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


Hi Janis. Here a few things to look for: no separation of joints, a flat fret board, and length between the nut and bridge (VSL). Tuning pegs can be replaced if they don't work. My guess is that the ones on this dulcimer may need a little adjustment after 30 years. If those are the original strings on the dulcimer, they will need to be replaced. If your friend does not know the gauge of the strings a stringed instrument repair person should be able to use a micrometer to measure them for you. There may need to be an adjustment in the action (height of strings above the fret board if they are too high or low. The reason I mentioned VSL above is how far you need to stretch to make chords. If you do not play chord/melody style VSL is not a problem. Smaller hands work better with a shorter VSL.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."


updated by @ken-longfield: 08/15/18 09:17:59PM
Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
08/09/18 11:43:34PM
1,212 posts

Question about fret layout.


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

I see from my friends here you have received all the help you need on this issue. Enjoy your dulcimer. Have fun playing it. Anymore questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
08/05/18 10:03:22PM
1,212 posts

Dulcimer just followed me home


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

Enjoy your Sweet Song dulcimer. Like John, I've assembled a few of them. They are a nice dulcimer. I do like the walnut ones.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
07/30/18 10:38:32PM
1,212 posts



Thanks for the link. I agree with Ken.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
07/30/18 09:13:57PM
1,212 posts



I'm too lazy to search through all of Stephen's videos to find the dulcimer. Do you have a link to the video?

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
07/26/18 09:48:30PM
1,212 posts

Choose just ONE song for all eternity...


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

After a great deal of agonizing, a lot of playing, and careful consideration, I finally chose my song. It is Bob Franke's "Alleluia, The Great Storm Is Over." I have not been able to get it out of my head since my first post in this discussion. 

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
07/25/18 09:56:53PM
1,212 posts

Will donate student dulcimer to needy beginner


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Richard, that is very generous of her and you. I'm currently working on refurbishing a kit built dulcimer for a friend of mine to give to one of her students. She is always looking for instruments to get children from our area started on the mountain dulcimer. Someone will have a fun time getting started with the Apple Creek.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
07/22/18 09:24:19PM
1,212 posts



I don't name any of my instruments. Most of them are just called by the name of the builder; e.g., the Folkcraft, the Blue Lion, the Thomas, the Prichard, Number 1 (the first one I built), etc. The same goes for my banjos and guitars. They are tools to help me make music. I don't name my screw drivers, wrenches, pliers, chisels, or other tools either. It doesn't mean that I do not care for or cherish them.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
07/21/18 07:27:30PM
1,212 posts

Choose just ONE song for all eternity...


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions


Too tough for me. I have no answer.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."


updated by @ken-longfield: 07/21/18 07:28:09PM
Ken Longfield
@ken-longfield
06/29/18 04:51:09PM
1,212 posts

Hearts Of The Dulcimer Podcast In Its 4th Year


General mountain dulcimer or music discussions

Keep the coming. I find them both educational and enjoyable. Thanks for producing these.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

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