Thanks Ken,

Yes, maybe wasn't noticed when action was higher but as it was lowered it became very noticeable.

   I have taken care of the action on a number of my dulcimers among other repairs, but since this one needed a number of things checked over and it wasn't mine, (I was just finding a nice dulcimer for a new player) - well thought better then me working on it.

   Good to know that the frets could have raised from the change of where or how it sat for the 30+ years, maybe I should be glad it was only 3 and not more. Even frets on my own dulcimers, I have file down but again looking like a new dulcimer and not mine - I just didn't want to.

    All a journey in both playing the dulcimer and caring for it.

Thanks,

m.

ANY dulcimer that sits for more than a few days in the wrong environment can get frets popping up.  Especially if coming from a very dry climate to a very damp one.  I remember building a dulcimer for a lady in Alabama, when I was living in Colorado.  Action was perfect hen I shipped.  By the time she got three or four frets had raised as the change in humidity forced the frets up...

Action height will also affect whether frets need to be adjusted too.  Lower actions are more sensitive as it were to slight differences in fret height.  Luthiers can be more or less sensitive to whether frets need adjusting than customers as well.

It's all part of the "game" really.  The game of setting up a dulcimer to the way you like it, not the way it was necessarily presented to you.  Just like changing strings, you really should learn to do simple things like setting the action height yourself... all it takes is sand paper, a nickel, a dime, and time.  

    There was a label but no model #. It was made in the 80's and may have had the same strings on it. I took it to get new strings (I could have done that but it needed to have the action lowered also) and  be checked out. Turns out 3 frets needed to be adjusted (filed & reshaped) -   so question   -   older dulcimers depending how or where they were stored for 30+ years, could that cause some frets to pop up a bit? As much as I checked it out, I didn't notice the frets till the action was lowered. 

    All in all, I still got it for a very fair price including the pricy repairs -  but would have been a better deal without all the repairs. I have it tuned to DAA, it sounds so much sweeter then tuned DAd - for walnut I was surprise it sounded a bit bright or does older Folkcrafts tend to sound more bright then mellow? 

    The dulcimer & case looks basically new, not a scratch, chip or dent. It must of come home from the shop and made its way into the closet - and there it stayed. A treasure hiding but now it's out ;-)

Thanks for the info.

m.

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Yes, a Folkcraft, but I don't think it is a kit. The kits did not have that type of peg head.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Thanks John,

I have google Folkcraft teardrops and yes, you are right. I will contact the seller and go check it out.

it may have a label, I just haven't seen it yet, just the photo

That is definitely from Folkcraft Instruments, however I'm not sure if it was assembled at the factory, or if somebody just assembled a kit.  It would seem likely that if it was a factory-made dulcimer, it would have labeling in or on it.

looking at a dulcimer advertised with no info on who made

 walnut teardrop, - made USA in the late 1980’s, - purchased in North Carolina.

tuning pegs, white & up - strum hollow curved but not large, pins up on end of fretboard - sound hole not crisp f.

Any ideas?

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