Thanks Dusty. When I used the icon the uploaded picture looked "funny" so I'm guessing there are size constraints. By the way, I really like your Dizzy quote, true words indeed.
Ron, I love that lighthouse/seabird design. Your soundholes have always been special and that new design is quite nice.
To post a picture you simply click that little icon that looks like a piece a piece of film (embed local media). It is the second-to-last icon in the toolbar, in between the eye (preview) and the happy face (smileys). You can also use the "attach file" function just below the text box on the right to attach rather than embed an image.
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Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator
As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
My favorite soundhole design tends to change with each unique new dulcimer I build and I tend to get fixated on a particular design at times. Here's my current favorite (I have no idea how to actually post a picture instead of a link).
https://www.facebook.com/327233890744010/photos/pcb.1336554066478649/1336553353145387/?type=3&theater
updated by @ron-gibson: 09/19/18 09:43:21AM
I love traditional hearts and most of the dulcimers I build have them, but I also like to do custom inlay work so my most recent build has featured pearl sharks in the fret board and hammerhead shark sound holes.
Gary Sager is a friend of mine! He and his wife, Toni, own and operate Prussia Valley Dulcimers and are fine folks! Gary builds a nice instrument-- I own two of his Prussia Valley mountain dulcimers, the box was a custom build and my teardrop I came by used. You're fortunate to have one of Gary's instruments-- enjoy!
Robin Thompson:
Yes! Do you know more about it? I am its 2d home.
@lois-sprengnether-keel Was your baritone built by Gary Sager?
@lois-sprengnether-keel Was your baritone built by Gary Sager?
My new baritone has what I think is called a Weeping Heart? Robin 8 years ago posted a photo with the same type of sound hole. I never heard of this type, so I went looking on the Sound Hole discussion.
Just one more thing in my getting to know my Bari. It has a lovely tone, but I am having to adjust to extra frets. Joined the Extra Fret group. Nothing like an addition to the family to get you involved in more and learning more.
not that it is important... i have bluebirds on my tc obrien.... i hate them.
( if it had been any other of his birds or animal sound holes I would not have bought it)
they came with the machine which i picked up used for a great price in NC when i
visited.
i prefer traditional holes... except hearts are over used.... i like C holes a lot....f holes are fine... if i could choose i would like the crescent-moon and star as David Schnaufer had on his .... kind of a stylized C hole.... but never animals or birds. jmho
updated by @jp: 07/04/18 10:50:21AM
Someone mentioned on a forum that Ron Gibson had done a dulcimer with springer spaniel sound holes. He told me that he did, but I haven't been able to find pictures of it anywhere. I keep telling my husband we can take pictures of the dogs. We don't need to use them as sound holes!
Well, I'm happy with the doves and vines on my Ron Gibson. My husband wants springer spaniels, if I ever do a custom dulcimer. I do like the shape of those old style F holes.
I like the hummingbirds on my Ron Gibson.
linseytn: I like my little cats.
How adorable! But I can feel my allergies acting up . . .
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Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator
As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
updated by @dusty: 06/09/18 08:59:23PM
Dusty Turtle:
I realize in reading this discussion that seven years ago I promised to post a picture of the dolphin soundholes on my Eedy Beede octave dulcimer.
Since David makes his dulcimers in Florida, the Atlantic dolphin soundholes seem appropriate. What you can't tell in the photo is how small they are. Each is smaller than my thumb.
Nice!!!!
updated by @susie: 06/08/18 09:56:36AM
I like heart shaped ones - makes it easier to get your pick out when it falls into the MD. F style holes are much harder to get the pick out when it falls thru - LOL
I think it changes with the season of my life. I used to want a La Leche League-type emblem! Now I'm happy with the simple circles on my Feather Dulcimer....
Those dolphins are so gracefully designed, Dusty.
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Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
I realize in reading this discussion that seven years ago I promised to post a picture of the dolphin soundholes on my Eedy Beede octave dulcimer.
Since David makes his dulcimers in Florida, the Atlantic dolphin soundholes seem appropriate. What you can't tell in the photo is how small they are. Each is smaller than my thumb.
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Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator
As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
updated by @dusty: 06/06/18 03:30:05PM
Lisa -- your jouhikko looks a lot like my Anglo-Saxon Lyres -- but with sound holes!
I've made soundholes in all sorts of shapes over the years -- from circles to the Space Shuttle. All my instruments now have plain circles, in patterns, but I'm partial to leaves -- maple and tulip poplar in particular.
One of my favorite sound hole shapes is the quatrefoil ("four leaf"). Not sure why, I just like it and it has an old feel to it.
I had it used for sound holes on both my jouhikko and my "Elizabethan Garden" epinette des Vosges.
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Site Owner
Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
updated by @strumelia: 06/06/18 02:47:21PM
For a traditional dulcimer the classic Dutch Heart soundhole is my favorite, but as others have already said the choice really has to please only one person. In a way it's kind of like choosing a tattoo. Some prefer no tattoo at all. Others prefer to have their whole body covered in tattoos.
One consideration is whether or not you ever intend to resell the dulcimer. Dulcimers with standard heart-shaped soundholes and/or circles will probably have more resale value. A personalized soundhole will only appeal to someone who can appreciate the choice you have made.
That's a nice looking dulcimer, Frets4fun! I'm hoping that I'll be receiving soon an octave dulcimer by David Beede with dolphin soundholes as well. It's ostensibly for my daughter, but you know how that goes. I'll post some pics when it comes.
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Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator
As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
--
Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator
As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
I like it!!
Can't wait to see it! I'm excited for you!!
frets4fun said:
frets4fun said:
I ordered a custom FolkRoots with dolphin tone holes. Should look great (haven't received it yet) and be alot of fun. It will be my dolphimer!
Hey, frets4fun-- feel free to share pictures when you get the dolphimer! :)
I love the maple leaves on my Folkcraft teardrop.As Jennifer Ranger said, I like having something a little different. I think leaves are great shapesfor sound holes...the the aspen leaf is used in advertising as a very stylized design--and easy to recognize, I think! The last thing I'd want on my dulcimer would be something confusing...like when you dress up for Halloween and people (rude people) ask, "What are you supposed to be?" I guess the f-style holes are least confusing!
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Jan Potts, Lexington, KY
Site Moderator
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke
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Jan Potts, Lexington, KY
Site Moderator
"Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang there except those that sang best." Henry Van Dyke
Sam said:
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The Dulcimer. If you want to preserve it, jam it!
Have you considered a very sweeping script style letter of one of your initials? The 'M' could be done very nicely with slightly enlarged 'feet'. Go through the alphabet in different fonts in word or something. I bet you'd find some very attractive styles that would add that personal touch you are looking for.
Sam
Sam
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The Dulcimer. If you want to preserve it, jam it!
I like the traditional look of the traditional soundholes as well, but I also think they can be reserved for the traditional instruments.If you are building a new dulcimer yourself, or if someone else is building one for you, then by all means, be creative and personalize the soundholes. I like the look of leaves and vines a lot, but sometime soon I'll have to have a dulcimer made with turtle-shaped soundholes.For you, though, I think you already gave us the answer: aspen leaves. If you play fast enough they might look like they are really quaking! The only problem is that a single aspen leaf is not too shapely and not nearly as recognizable as a maple leaf for example, so you might have to go with a small group, as in the attached photo (though certainly you could rearrange the leaves for aesthetic purposes). Other Colorado-themed possibilities would be the outline of mountain peaks, the shape of a blue spruce, or simply some climbing vines.Whatever you decide, you will have to post some pictures so we see how your new baby looks.
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Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator
As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
--
Dusty T., Northern California
Site Moderator
As a musician, you have to keep one foot back in the past and one foot forward into the future.
-- Dizzy Gillespie
I only made 2 dulcimers, so "favorite" may be speaking prematurely. I used cactus, 2 kinds of birds, mountains, a butterfly and a group of leaves on a vine. The leaves are the soundholes, the vine is a curved line cut only partway into the spruce top, and filled with a putty made from walnut sawdust & wood glue. They were all fun to do, but I guess the mountain and the cactus are probably my favorites. They made it onto both dulcimers, so I musts liked 'em.Paul
One time I made a hammered dulcimer for my wife; and since at the time both of our sons were active high school thespians, I carved the little tragedy/comedy masks, as inserts or "rosettes" for the fairly large-diameter holes one makes on an HD. For a pattern, I borrowed a pair of earrings owned by my younger son's girlfriend (a thespianette). Basically, I just enlarged what somebody else had already worked out, in terms of stylization and contours.Sometime, I can excavate that instrument and photograph the holes -- but not at the moment. Also, at my limited skill level, it would be fairly hard to carve those at the smaller scale of most MD soundholes; but there are people in our community who could easily do it. They do make a nice pair, visually.
I know some people are a bit bored with hearts, but I just love them (either way up). I also really like diamonds. Many present-day dulcimers have sound hole shapes that are too fussy, busy and complex for my personal taste (vine leaves etc). Just my two penn'orth!
I echo Flint's choices and can add Bobby's f-holes, too. I like an old-timey look.If a builder has a signature hole, so to speak, I may order that-- it's what I did when I ordered my PVMB from Gary Sager.
Among the traditional heart shapes, I like the Weeping Heart,which has a sort of tail out of the point, leading to a drop.If you're going to personalize, I would pick something that has meaning for you - say your favorite tree, or if you like a kind of bird or other animal. Leaf silhouettes make nice sound holes, as do many animals like dogs, cats, bears ad birds. I once made a dulcimer for a lady was a real space nut, and the sound hole was in the shape of the Space Shuttle!
Round or Jethro Amburgey hearts . I like them because they look real old-timey.
