What a beautiful piece of craftsmanship!
Question about Homer Ledford dulcimer finish
Thanks for the responses! In answer to your question, Ken, it's number 1296. There's no description in the Master List, just the name of the first owner. I got it recently from the third owner. The label just has "1296" and "SPECIAL" written by hand, and the writing is quite faded. I think the scroll is walnut, not cherry. It's definitely fretted for just intonation. I play both DAD and DAA, but my screen name is a rather poor attempt at a pun, as I am the father of a wonderful 16 year old young lady of whom I'm very proud! Anyway, I've attached some pictures of #1296, including a picture of the fuzzy area on the back. To be honest, it looks much worse in the picture than it really is. It definitely is an issue with the finish and does not go down to the wood. I would love to do something about it if it can be done correctly. If not, I could live with it.
Send a PM to John Knopf. He's our Homer replicator. He should know what finish was used.
If there was a photo to see the spots you are concerned about it may be easier to give a suggestion.
That being said, however, if it's just a cosmetic rather than a functioning issue, I would lean towards letting it be and keeping it in its current condition.
If you have ever watched "the Antiques Roadshow" you can see what appraisers think of 'cosmetic restoration' done on historic pieces, which is what I think you have.
What number is your Ledford? Look inside. There is a Master List of the known Ledford builds, which contains a variety of information.
I have to say, if you really are "dedicated (to) DAd", you may not be happy with that classic instrument. Homer didn't build them with DAd or other Mixolydian tunings in mind, and didn't always use a Mean Tone intonation so his dulcimers would "played well with others"...
I'm fairly new to FOTMD and this is my first discussion post. I recently acquired an older Homer Ledford 3-string dulcimer with staple frets (for all you "Homer heads" out there - 1967, birdseye maple back, butternut top, quilted mahogany sides, cherry scroll, pegs, and tail block). It's in excellent condition and sounds great. My question is about the finish on the birdseye maple back. There are two 2" spots where the finish is a little dull and cloudy looking. It's very minor, but it's the the only real flaw and I wanted to know if there is a way to even out the finish on the back so those two dull spots disappear. I've used lemon oil on furniture with good results, but I'm hesitant to use it on my dulcimer. Any suggestions? Or is it better to leave it as is, to keep it "all original" even with small flaws? Thanks in advance for your input.
