@wally-venable , solid information! This way I can try this without spending a ton of cash.

Buying a new fretboard will cost you more than buying a 30 year old dulcimer and involve a lot more work.

I would suggest you consider buying an instrument on ShopGoodwill for $40 or less (including shipping and tax) and adding a cheap contact mic as an easy experiment. Since you will be shaping the sound with your electronics the body quality will make minimal difference.

Most of the instruments listed today on this page should serve your purposes. (I wouldn't say that to someone looking for a good acoustic instrument.)
https://shopgoodwill.com/categories/listing?st=dulcimer&sg=&c=&s=&lp=0&hp=999999&sbn=&spo=false&snpo=false&socs=false&sd=false&sca=false&caed=1%2F22%2F2025&cadb=7&scs=false&sis=false&col=1&p=1&ps=40&desc=false&ss=0&UseBuyerPrefs=true&sus=false&cln=1&catIds=&pn=&wc=false&mci=false&hmt=false&layout=grid&ihp=true

Professional Piezo Contact Microphone Pickup for Guitar Violin
ApproximatelyUS $2.57
Free Economy Shipping from Greater China
https://www.ebay.com/itm/335756608848?_skw=piezo+pickup&itmmeta=01JJ71EA19DF3XA0WECP531VMD&hash=item4e2ca74550:g:qpUAAOSwOPtneM1U&itmprp=enc%3AAQAJAAAA8HoV3kP08IDx%2BKZ9MfhVJKn2D4rzConcs1ki1Ui1XNKWM5p388NzRr7ctDbXkTg6jyJXUfQdgUK8S78UJ8CEyq5hhXsVafRrR2CmyoZFkhZIr6ptQzZxbUkoPa1y8kHxgLFENxppmRqORstXXLebiwlUtzcON8kk%2BQ%2FCVmfqUCqAghklDiAyP--nOGKZkfYA8l4lDa4g4v%2FxSWJZRKdGKAdDheOD5n6lpYerGCVv87BKQm%2Fzn6B%2FyPhEy1mITwdBR5r9powtvrK7QZKusCtkFtvkUwgn72gmxUb%2FDk4tJ%2FXl1tCRa%2BrVCKCr5R11UoHUCw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_6gueGRZQ

Very cool Damon. I dont know anything about synthesizers so i look forward to hearing what kinds of unique sounds you can get from the dulcimer.

Ive been making really simple lures as a hobby for several years now. Mainly spoons and tied flies but ive also tried making a couple molds for soft plastic lures, and Ive whittled a couple from wood as well. Catching a fish on my own lure is not only a very rewarding feeling, but has also taught me a lot about what fish really care about vs what they don't.

Great point. I don't have any kind of dulcimer at the moment. Honestly, I don't think I need the solid body since all the electronics are in the synth itself. So, it might be best to find a quality used instrument, then add a pick up of any kind.

I've even thought of buying a pre-made fretboard, then build a Tennessee Music Box out of the cedar dad left me. Then I could install any pick I wanted. Just spit balling ideas.

My knowledge is in two streams.

I use and arrange in MIDI for a crank organ with multiple voices controlled by solenoids, as well as a small MIDI synthesizer module.I don't think this has any bearing on your needs.

On the dulcimer side, I have used a $10 clip-on guitar pickup experimentally on a $40 dulcimer.. That worked as a connection to a 10 watt guitar amp.

I installed a ukulele tuner-preamp with piezo under-the-bridge installation on one on my $40 Korean dulcimers. Mostly I just use it as a tuner which never falls off or gets lost. I have tested it with a couple of small guitar amps, so I know it works, but I only play for fun with acoustic groups. I have thought it may be useful when working as a dulcimer class instructor, but found my home-made acoustic Tennessee Music Box dulcimer works well for our very small classes, and is convenient for use on a table in the front of the room.

If you already have any dulcimer, try a cheap guitar pickup first.

A solid body electric is fine, but probably expensive, and will have to be custom built with a considerable wait time.

.

Damon, I enjoyed your video. It was a great way to get to know you. I have no idea of how electronic music is produced, so I can't help you with how that relates to the mountain dulcimer. Also, I probably haven't fished for 60 years. I do like your entrepreneurship. I wish you much success with your lures and your music.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Well, this is an analog synthesizer . There is no MIDI. It is not a computer. Think Apollo era technology. 

What's more is this is also a modular synthesizer . Every component is separate and must be connected via a wire. The synthesizer is only controlled by analog electricity, i.e., control voltages. 1 volt = 1 octave. This is a 5 volt system, therefore, 5 octaves.

Yes, in fact the only way to get external inputs is via common inputs like an electric guitar or microphone.

Are there digital components? Yes, but the principle is the same: It's only controlled by a wire and knobs. Even external MIDI has to be converted into control voltages, i.e. analog electrical signals where the synth itself is calibrated to 1 volt per octave making it possible to make music out of pure electricity.

To get a better idea of what I mean, here's the little clip Alabama Public TV did on me: https://www.pbs.org/video/black-warrior-lures-ibg1ax/

So, my thing is I want to add dulcimer to this whole mix. Getting an analog instrument into my synth is easy. It's just another microphone via the I/O input or the envelope follower . The envelop follower allows me to take any external audio signal, record player, tape recorder, iPhone, instruments, microphone even other synthesizers, and bring the level up to AE modular synth levels, which are very hot, btw. From there:

So, with all that, I ask would something with a magnetic pick up be more "interesting" than a Piezo pickup? Again the modular synth doesn't know what MIDI is. It only eats, digests and poops electrons. From your answer, and from what I understand, it won't matter.

It's almost as if you took a bunch of guitar pedals, stripped off the casing, and had to manually patch every wire and connection yourself to make it do anything.

It's not clear to me exactly what you propose to do.

In general, control of a synthesizer requires that the controller generate a digital signal, which is commonly in MIDI format. No pickup on an acoustic instrument can do that.

A dulcimer with a pickup CAN generate an analog audio signal which can be added as a digital stream in the output to a final audio file.

Can your system deal with input from a microphone or a common electric guitar? If not, an electric dulcimer will be no different.

Hi, I'm Damon. I'm a fisherman, tackle maker, filmmaker and composer. Totally new to the dulcimer world. The thing is I compose all the music for my YouTube channel. I want to add an electric dulcimer to use as a controller of sorts for my modular synthesizer. I'm not sure if I need a solid body dulcimer with a magnetic pickup, but I suspect a Piezo pick up would suffice as the synth has a signal amplifier and envelop follower to generate gates and control voltages to control the synth.

Check out this video to hear the kind of music I compose: https://youtu.be/Y8FyNbTsNKE?si=Gs_CvqYvixUxHywe

Let me know what you think.

Thanks.

Attached is a picture of my modular synthesizer. It's totally Frankenstein. You have total control over the sound. Everything has to be patched with a wire and tweaked with knobs. I've been looking for a way to fuse an acoustic instrument with modular synths.

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Wow @chris-hornby . That is quite a futuristic approach. It turned out great. I'd love to hear a recording of it!

Hi Nate, It wasnt rocket science, I drew the parts out in inkscape and sent them to my laser cutter as SVGs. I paid for the butterfly motif STLs to make the sound holes. The parts for the strings, head, bridge etc. were printed on a 3d printer.

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Wow that is seriously cool. How did you manage to get such intricate cuts into the plywood? That must have taken a lot of work to make.

Thanks for the interest and the advice Nate. The dulcimer is made from 3mm ply, hence the painting! I was only unsure about the soundboard as it was too big and clunky, the sound was fine and the sympathetic strings really make things ring out. I have laser cut a new sound board to fit flush as I have seen pictures of other dulcimers which do this. I will post a picture of it but havent fitted it or decorated it yet. I have a gurdy and a nyckelharpa that both benefit from having sympathetic strings so I thought I would try them on a dulcimer and I am peased with the result. Having it fully fretted make it easier to find those "difficult " notes and also to change key either using a capo or fingering the chords differently.  I attach some pictures to show the details, if anyone wants to try I can send the drawings and STL files of the 3d printed parts, i.e. the head, bridge, nut and mount for the sympathetic strings machine head.

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head.jpg  •  202KB

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Sympathetic string machine heads.jpg  •  245KB

Sorry to hear that, i have noticed that sometimes having a "false bottom/galax board" or a built in "possum board" can dampen my sound. After several experiments I think a very rigid and thin "false bottom" is best for tone and sustain. I also think that the inside face of the "false bottom" should be coated in something that is "sonically reflective." A hard layer of shellac, polyurethane, or anything else that is super rigid.

Id love to see more pictures, the instrument looks awesome 

Nate

it is underneath the dulcimer (to stop it being muffled by the knees!). I am not happy with it so I am going to change that.

Wow, that's pretty cool Chris. What material is the dulcimer made from? Also, do you mean that it has an additional sound board on the inside of the instrument?

Hi, Its along time since I have been on here, but I have decided to become active again. I started by building me a new dulcimer. This on has 6 strings plus 8 sympathetic strings. Also a sounding board. It sounds quite nice

Another Devonian era person, eh?  I joined that age myself back in June.  Welcome, welcome.  There are several ways to play the dulcimer, to accommodate a variety of 'issues'.  We have a number of UK players here, so you're in good company.  If all else fails you can build your own box-shaped dulcimer for just a few quid and a day's worth of minor effort, and at least get started learning while looking for a really nice instrument.   That's how I started off fifty years ago -- built one so I could learn to play it...

We know shipping to the UK is really expensive.  One thought is to have someone here make you a fretboard, which can then be attached to a dulcimer shaped box over there.  The fretboard is the  critical part, of course, to making the instrument sound good.  A good size fretboard is only about 65x4x2 cm and should not be too expensive to ship.

Do you know about the Nonesuch Dulcimer Club there in the UK?  it's been around for dog's years.   You might google it and contact them to see if anyone has a dulcimer for sale.   

If you go to the Beginner Players Group here, you'll find a PDF of a booklet I wrote years ago called I Just Got A Dulcimer, Now What?, which is an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms (so we all speak the same jargon) plus answers to many beginner questions about tuning, playing, care and feeding of your dulcimer when you get or make it.  

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Hi Idle - I'm also UK-based, and an excellent source of Dulcimers in the UK is https://revelsmusic.co.uk/ . But also, lots of the US makers and shops will ship (McSpadden and Folkcraft both do quite quickly)!

Happy playing, all the best.

Rob

Well, idle, I'm looking forward to your questions. Many folks seem to migrate to the mountain dulcimer when having problems playing other instruments. I am having problems fingering chords on guitar, but don't have a problem with the banjo. Luckily I've been playing mountain dulcimer for the last 50 years and can still play chords on it although my preferred style of playing is with a noter.

Ken

"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."

Hello everyone.

I had intended to lurk in shadows while I gathered information especially as I don't have a Dulcimer - yet but I see that some of you already know I am here so decided to say hello.

I live in Sidmouth Devon and I am 76 going on 24 yet gradually winding down my type of instrument playing as old age and old mountain bike accidents come home to roost. I used to play acoustic guitar but I have problems supporting the necks now with my left arm. My pride and joy D28 also started to set off my tinnitus as did my fiddle and mandolin. Ended up with an octave mandolin and baritone ukulele that I still play. I just sold the OM so itching to buy a Dulcimer and still doing research on which one. Bit of a limited selection here in the UK but I think I have identified one.

I also have a lot of questions that I will post over time.

Lilley Pad -- Probably best if you start a New discussion rather than tacking this technical question onto the general  Introduce Yourself thread where it won't be seen by others.

Go out to General Dulcimer or Music Question, then click on the + on the top right of the page and give your Question a good name like Pickup Question.  Then put the info you posted here in there.  That way others who have the same question can search and find the answers which you'll get.

Hi kids. I hope I'm not repeating a previous post but I could not find anything under search so here goes. It's just a general question about pickups wanted to get feedback. K&K pickup versus LR baggs under saddle pickup. the little that I've been reading on the internet suggests that the K&K gives you a more realistic Acoustic sound. Do you guys find that to be true or what's your opinion in general? Thanks again, I hope everybody's doing well. A few months ago they operated on my left hand so now I'm doing finger exercises. I was getting what they call dupuytren’s contracture. I guess I'm just getting old. The good news is that everybody else is getting old with me. smile 

Hi Beth loved your exclamation about the D.A.A. disorder. I had a slight out break myself here. I almost bought a beautiful Used Blue Lion Dulcimer.  But after adding up the cost of the instrument having it shipped back to Blue Lion to have a pickup installed and retrofit the fretboard with the one and a half  fret and having no idea what it sound like, the cost reality hit me. There's an old saying with people with a custom car, paint and Chrome won't get you home. I guess what I'm trying to say is the aesthetic of the instrument got the better of me, then the practicality sunk in. I'll just stick with my FolkRoots and just accept the reality I can only play one instrument at a time. I'm much better now and have managed to shake off the disorder for now. ;o)

Beth:

Send in the Music ( https://www.sendinthemusic.com/) is a Free Zoom music jam each Saturday out of Fla.  there is a couple 

Jan & Hamish Cormie who usually play Welsh music, Men of Harlech (DGD)  & Grand Old Duke of York (DGD) - Arr Jan Cormie

If you don't know them, maybe you could contact them - write to Pat, she could help you out ( pat@sendinthemusic.com )

G -- GDG  Good on a short VSL dulcimer

Quick clarification:  "DAA" can refer to either a common tuning for us dulcimer players (with the bass string tuned to a low D, the tonic note played at the third fret of melody string, with the dulcimer played in the key of D) ...OR it can stand for "Dulcimer Acquisition Affliction"... a not uncommon illness whereby one succumbs to buying multiple dulcimers with little or no self control.

Sometimes the DAA illness settles down on its own after the initial raging fever. Other times, symptoms continue until friends or family stage some sort of intervention, or a storage/financial wakeup call occurs. Rehabilitation and/or therapy may be necessary for a return to 'pre-dulcimer discovery' normalcy.  🦠 🚑

Beth,

A note of encouragement. DAA is not terminal nor disabling. Nor does it respond to advanced medical treatment. I have found the best way to treat it is to get one more dulcimer.

Beth, have you contacted Robin Clark there in Wales?  He's quite the knowledgeable dulcimist.

Hi Ken. I’m not actually in Yorkshire - I just bought my first dulcimer there when visiting old friends near Northallerton. I live in a place called Llantrisant, near Cardiff in South Wales. Hence my tendency to post Welsh folk tunes. As to having my dulcimers in different keys, I’ve already retuned my standard McSpadden to CGC as an initial experiment. What else should I try? 

Hi Beth!  Where are you in Yorks?  I have e-friends in Hawes and that part of the Dales as well as elsewhere in the UK.  My partner is from Brighton originally but has been here longer than there.   I play mostly the Child Ballads and Border ballads/folk music, using Noter & Drone style.  Three is a good number of dulcimers (although I have more) as you can  tuned in each of the main folk keys...

I’ve been a member of FOTMD for a couple of years now, and posted some audio clips of Welsh folk tunes, but I don’t think I’ve properly introduced myself. I’ve been quiet for the last few months, trying to get my head and fingers around my new toy - a lovely walnut/Engelmann spruce Folkcraft Series H dulcimer with a 1.5 fret, 25in VSL. Now that I’ve stopped stumbling over the 1.5 fret, I’ve posted some tunes that I’ve been playing on the new dulcimer - not perfect, but then I’ve never been able to play any tune right through without a mistake, especially when it’s being recorded! 

I have been playing the dulcimer now for about two years. I used to play guitar, but arthritis in my fingers made it difficult for me to shape the chords. I’d been eyeing dulcimers for years, but you don’t see them in music shops around here to try them out, so I did nothing about it. But in August 2022, I bought an all walnut McSpadden dulcimer from Red Cow Music in Yorkshire while on a campervanning trip and I haven’t looked back. I so wish I’d started playing one earlier. 

I play the dulcimer mainly at home, picking out folk tunes and trying to find chords for them. But I also get together with a group of people who meet to play Welsh folk tunes. This made me hanker after a quick way of changing keys, so I bought a McSpadden Ginger (walnut/redwood). Its higher pitch and brighter tone also had the advantage of being easier to hear over the other instruments.  My hearing is not so good (I have two hearing aids), so I find it difficult to play by ear against accordions and fiddles. 

I found myself obsessively browsing the internet looking for dulcimers with more volume, listening to videos of dulcimers made from different woods. The FOTMD site allowed me to research whether a 1.5 fret would allow me to play in more keys without having to use a capo or retune and catch up with everyone else. Eventually, as a 70th birthday present to myself, I ordered the Folkcraft dulcimer. I had a devil of a job getting it through the bureaucracy of UK customs, but thanks to Richard Ash’s co-operation and endless patience it finally arrived in January. I haven’t put it down since. 

So now I have three dulcimers and a bad case of Dulcimer Acquisition Disorder. Though the Folkcraft is in many ways more versatile, I still enjoy playing the two McSpaddens. I like the mellow buzzy tone of the all-walnut dulcimer and the brightness and portability of the Ginger. The Folkcraft series H sounds to me more guitar-like in quality and has a big sound. The 25in VSL suits me better too than the 27ins of the standard McSpadden and I’m enjoying the new chord opportunities that the 1.5 fret offers me. The ebony fretboard makes a difference too as does having only 3 strings - my fingers slide better over the fretboard, though I do feel that I have to be a bit more careful in my playing on the Folkcraft. 

Excuse my ramblings, but I thought perhaps my experiences might be of interest to those who can’t easily walk into a dulcimer shop and try out all the wonderful variations of dulcimer types before choosing what to buy. Thanks to you all at FOTMD for the information and warm support you provide - and also for putting me in contact with the Nonsuch Dulcimer Club here in the UK. 

Welcome @rdmarble !! Hope you enjoy the community here as much as I am :-)

Hello all! I just joined the group so I thought I would let you know a little about me. I bought my first mountain dulcimer, a Cedar Creek, in Branson at Silver Dollar City back in 2007. I have played it off and on (more off than on) and have recently renewed my interest in the instrument. I added to my collection last year with a McSpadden walnut body/sycamore top with a Galax back, and I am spending more time exploring the instrument. After 20+ years as a Minister of Music and another 20+ years as a public school music educator (band director) I retired in 2021. Since then I have filled my time performing in several groups on multiple instruments - baritone saxophone in a jazz big band, woodwinds and percussion in the local symphony, drums/percussion in an Americana/Folk/Country band, keyboards at my church, and pretty much anywhere when asked. I am looking forward to the discussions on here and learning more about the mountain dulcimer. Have a great day!

That's too bad- the music is great, and it's good exercise!  

I do live close to Dewey Hall ... but I don't dance :-) 

Hi Jerry... so you waited twelve years to introduce yourself here?  

Do you go to the monthly contra dance at Dewey Hall?

Hi, I've been a member here for a while, though somewhat inactive, so I thought I reintroduce myself.  I live in the Berkshires of Western Mass (right down the street from the Magic Fluke Company, known to ukulele players ... and I am also one of those)!  I've been playing and collecting dulcimers since the late 60's.  Bought my first one from Hank Levin at the House of Musical Traditions, then on St. Marks Place in NYC (I grew up in Northern NJ).  Here in the Berkshires, there is a busking program in the summer, and I've been happy to participate on dulcimer, ukulele and autoharp.  I work as a lecturer, so-called motivational speaker, training specialist and consultant.  I particularly speak about intentional gratitude practices, and every Tuesday I post a "GratiTuesday" quotation or gratitude reminder on my blog and various other sites. I have always liked the dulcimer ... a lot!

Welcome Rob! 

You're going to love your new McSpadden, a great choice!

We would love to see it a picture of it, after you get it.

Nice to have you here @robmachin ! 
McSpadden dulcimers tend to be very reliable and sound wonderful.
Be sure to join our UK Group on FOTMD as well.

Welcome,@robmachin !  Enjoy your McSpadden when it's made its way to you!  

Hello everyone!

I just joined the group here at FOTMD, and thought I would say "hello". I'm totally new to Dulcimer, and about to start learning - have just ordered one from McSpadden.

I live in a small town in Buckinghamshire in England with my wife and two children, two dogs and three cats ... so I send you all greetings from there! :-)

Looking forward to taking part in the community here.

With all good wishes, Rob

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."

@richard-streib. I certainly will take some pictures and post. Yes, thanks to FOTMD,  I've read about the issue with the cold temperatures and letting the instrument acclimate to room temperature. When speaking with Gail over the phone today,  we discussed the issue as well. She was also kind enough to text me a video about going from daa to dad tuning if I  choose to.

Frank, Warren builds wonderful dulcimers both in aesthetics and sound. I know you will enjoy playing it. Post some pictures when you receive it.

A hint: when it arrives if it is cold there, take it inside and let it acclimate to room temp in the box for a couple of hours before opening it. The hardest couple of hours for sure to tolerate.

Warren May builds lovely instruments, lovely both in looks and in sound.  Happy strumming, @wildcat !  

Welcome to FOTMD  @wildcat.  That's a really pretty dulcimer you bought!  Warren May is a respected maker, I'm sure you will be pleased.  

Hello everyone, Wildcat here.  My real name is Frank, but I've been using Wildcat online since the long ago days of AOL. 

I grew up in Ulster County NY, with Illinois Mountain as my backyard. I married my high school sweetheart and we raised 2 children and now we have a granddaughter.  19 years ago we moved to the Lake George region of NY.  Six months or so ago we moved to Peru, NY with our jobs and we are looking to buy a home. Time will tell...

My son is a talented guitar player and I was a very untalented one! Three cords and the truth... campfire stuff done poorly,  but I enjoyed it. My wrist and hand started to make things difficult and I stopped playing. 

I really missed it and some time ago I started searching for something easier, eventually finding the dulcimer and the noter style of playing and here I am. I'm hoping to learn as much about playing in a variety of ways as time goes on. 

Remembering the "pain" of my first guitar (cheap!) I vowed not to do that again and after a lot of reading and researching, today I purchased a Warren May dulcimer.  You can find me sleeping by the mailbox waiting for this...

Thanks for having me and thanks in advance for all the help. 

Awww, thank you Dusty! <3

 @montycraig , I bet you are getting excited about your McSpadden coming soon. I got an hourglass all-walnut McSpadden as my first dulcimer, and it had a voice like an angel!  My daughter has it now. You will be pleased.

 @matthewlyon , that dulcimer in your profile photo looks like a lovely instrument- is that the one your wife gave you as a surprise present?
With tall action and a traditional diatonic fret layout, it was smart of you to decide to play it in noter style! I hope you are enjoying it, both when playing with others and playing alone.

Nice to hear from @Doug-Jones and @Jeannie-in-Paradise. l consider both of you local friends.  And Jeannie, you are the reason I am here. You found me at the original Everything Dulcimer site and encouraged me to join here. I will be forever grateful.

Glad you checked in Jeannie. Remember you had a couple rough times. Hope you find the inspiration to play some tunes. 

Jeannie who?   Just kidding!  Of course I remember you!  As we're still (more than a year later) recovering a bit from Hurricane Ian last year, I'm all too familiar with the PTSD attached to natural disasters.  Ian brought back some of mine from 'Nam... 

Hope to see you here more often!!

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."

I decided to post a 'hello' after not logging on to the group in a few years. I lost three gorgeous, chromatic mountain dulcimers in the Paradise "Camp Fire," and in the stress and chaos and recovery afterwards, I stopped playing, even though I did purchase a beautiful koa chromatic Modern Mountain dulcimer.  Life has continued to move along, and I haven't played in a long time, but I did want to say hello and see if any of my old friends here remember me!

I just realized that I haven't been on here a lot lately, although a few people on here do know me personally. I joined this site back in December of 2011 right after I got my first dulcimer for Christmas and I was surfing around for resources. I'd been playing off and on over the subsequent years and finally got serious about it in 2020 when I joined the Berkeley Dulcimer Orchestra which was forced to go online after only two rehearsals. I would say that's when my journey really began. Since then, I have acquired more dulcimers as a result of joining the Albany Dulcimer Quartet (soon to be a quintet) and wanting to be a "utility" player. As a result, I have a standard, baritone, bass, ginger, and banjammer. I truck most of these with me when I go to rehearsals and have a fun time playing with others. I have just recently discovered 1-3-5 tuning and am having a lot of fun exploring that doing solos, which I recently shared in church. I'm still a low to medium intermediate but am enjoying my journey.

Just an update as I haven't posted here in awhile.  My banjo and guitar have been languishing since I picked up dulcimer.  I ordered a new one from McSpadden and got a cherry with spruce top.  It sounds wonderful!  I thought I would go for walnut, which to me has a wonderful, almost flute like tone to it, but every time I heard the cherry/spruce combo on youtube it reached out to me.  My self-taught learning is coming along and I am enjoying both fingerstyle and drone type playing.  I really like the Aeolian and bagpipe tunings.  So, its a learning curve, but fingerstyle for softer songs like Scarborough Fair and the strum/drone/bagpipe sound for more celtic and scottish tunes.  Something about that drone tuning I really love.

Great job on the Cigar box!  Also, Buckeye67, that's a beautiful walnut dulcimer you have.  I'm a Buckeye too.  Go Bucks!

Hi folks, I joined some weeks ago, and don’t remember if I ever introduced myself. I was kind of waiting until I got a dulcimer before getting too involved. Well, I finally ordered one from McSpadden. After talking with Duane Porterfield, I have a 26” walnut/walnut hourglass that should be ready sometime in Jan. So, let the new adventure begin!!

Hi, Matthew!  It's good to have you here on this site.  Lots of info and music to be learned.  If at some future date you'd like to try your hand at playing a historic reproduction of early noter-drone dulcimers (some of us call them "dulcimores"), there are a few builders of them on the site.  Have fun!

Hi @matthewlyon and welcome to FOTMD.  Glad to hear you've come back to the mountain dulcimer again.  And certainly, playing a dulcimer with really high action would be more comfortable in a noter style.

Hello all, thought I'd post an introduction here... I realized that my earlier attempt was on my own personal profile page! 

I'm recently returning to playing dulcimer; I played back in the late 1970's as a teenager and play several other instruments (guitar, banjo, uke, fiddle, Celtic harp, tin whistle, etc) and currently lead a community ukulele group with my wife.

I'm playing noter/drone style pretty exclusively with an interest in traditional diatonic music from a variety of sources from Appalachian old-time to bagpipe music and European folk of various types. My wife surprised me with a dulcimer earlier this month and it's very well suited to noter style... 29.25" VSL, pretty high action and no "extra" frets, it's purely diatonic. It's kind of a mystery as to how old it is and who built it. Very folksy craftsmanship, but the frets are accurate and it sounds good, so noter style it is!

We live in western Montana where dulcimer players are few and far between but I'm a childhood transplant here from Southern Illinois with many generations of folks from Kentucky... perhaps there's a dulcimer player not too far back in my family tree. Really enjoying browsing the forum, it's a great resource and so much knowledge here! Cheers, ML

@lily-pad, I just responded to this question in the other forum you posted in.  I would suggest you start a new discussion in the Specific Features, Luthiers, Instruments Forum .

Just Jon here.  Don't know if this is the right forum site.  But here goes first Howdy all.  Any one have experience with a McCafferty dulcimer I know that they're beautiful and I like his adjustable nut design very innovative. But what about tone play ability sound?

Hi @austinpmckenzie and welcome to FOTMD. Make sure you get in touch with the Southern California Dulcimer Heritage Folks .  In fact, they are running a series of concerts, jams, and workshops this month.

Hi everyone! My name is Austin and I live in LA! Lived here for about 10 years and have been trying to sink my teeth into every instrument i can! Come from a big family of musicians. 

Thank you for your kind words everyone.  I think this would make a great noter dulcimer and will look more into that style.  Right now I am going through Patterns and Patchwork fingerpicking.  I really like this book, as besides the picking she starts out simply using simple songs getting used to the I, IV, and V chords going up and down the fretboard with the IIm and VIm thrown in.  I feel like I'm getting basic building blocks for the future.  I will say, the 28.5 is a bit of a stretch for me.  I see a 26 VSL in my future and that's a good thing!

What a beautiful dulcimer Nightingale. I know it must be special to you. I like a long scale dulcimer for playing noter drone.