I found the Nature Coast Dulcimer Works site. That repair looks very similar to the one I did. That's cool having a Diamond dulcimer with f-holes. I don't think they made a lot of them like that. Enjoy your dulcimer. Lucky, Louise, and the crew were pioneers in the revival era of dulcimer building.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Hi Ken: I just looked at the picture you included, and that one looks very much like mine. Instead of the diamond sound holes, mine has the f scroll openings like a violin has, which I'm very pleased with, as I have an 1840s vintage French violin that was handed down in the family.
Hi Ken:
Sorry about that, google Lucky Diamond Dulcimers, and it will come up.
Mine is a 6 stringer also. My husband perused eBay and found this one--w/o my knowledge as it is supposed to be a Christmas present. But my husband liked the looks, and the fact that a long history of Diamond Dulcimers came with it. Lynn talked the seller down $100.00, and now I have it.
I have copied the pictures that were on the eBay site, before the page goes away. But, in my opinion, the pictures aren't very good because the wood looks very dark, and in real life, it is not. It is a mellow, golden brown color--to me anyway. I'll have to see if I can somehow capture some good pictures of it and post them.
Thank you
No, I'm not. I'm In central Pennsylvania. The Diamond I repaired was a six-string dulcimer. Talk about a long peg head. Here is a photo of the repaired dulcimer.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
@ken: Hi! Are you the fellow in Inverness, Florida, that repaired a peg head on a Diamond dulcimer built for a Mike in 1977? I found that website and found it VERY interesting.
I understand about lazy Sundays; my husband and I spent today as one of those also.
Thank you for the information.
I'm pretty sure that Lucky used a floating bridge. I just checked a photo of a Diamond dulcimer I repaired, the peg head was broken off, and it looks like a floating bridge. If I go into my shop records I could confirm that, but I'm too lazy this afternoon to head down to the basement.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
More than likely it is a floating bridge and that is, in my opinion a good thing because you can adjust it for some subtle tuning, not much but some anyway. If you are going to tune it DAA and replace the strings I would use 12-14-22 or so and see if you like that feel........I dislike having floppy strings when using DAA, which is a really good tuning, as is CGG. I have plenty of strings so don't worry about finding any in Palatka. I do have an extra tuner that you can have to start with, though if you are going to play by yourself you can learn to tune that old rascal just fine without one.
So far as your pegs slipping, that can probably be remedied easy enough. Warren May uses plain old chalk on his pegs to cut down on that issue. Just remember that you really have to turn the peg and push in on it until it grabs. Anyway, if you wish I'll do what I can to get you up and running ......I sent you a private message with a phone number, call when you will and I can meet you at Ollie's or somewhere like that and check that Lucky out.
In fact, I just got back from the teeming Palatka metropolis a bit ago.
Hi SS: The measurement between the nut and the bridge is a tad over 28", not quite a full half inch. If I measure from the nut to the tiny nails the string start on, it measures a full 30". Actually the bridge is loose. I have read about 'fixed' bridges and 'floating' bridges. Is it possible mine is a floating bridge? I can see the mark on the wood fretboard where itt is supposed to sit, but see no signs of old glue...
Thanks in advance.
You do.........click on your name upper right corner............private messages, create new message , enter salt springs for recipient and then the text..............check and see if the one I just sent got to you by clicking on your name.
WoW!
Thank you for such a nice welcome. This looks like a very nice community.
@saltsprings: Being a newbie to this forum, I'm not sure I have PM ability yet. I know from other forums I have been a member of (and one I am a Moderator of) it usually takes x number of posts before one is able to PM someone. I am very interested, though.
Thank!
If you want to meet up in Palatka One Day or even Salt Springs send me a private message...........strings are not a problem and I doubt the pegs are going to be much of an issue either. Most of mine have wooden pegs and they can be a bit tricky to get used to tuning. A Lucky Diamond Dulcimer is a nice gift. If you want include some contact info in your message and I'll drive over to Palatka and take a gander at it. I can probably find a tune for you and if it needs new strings get those to you, I'll just have to check and see what the distance is between the nut and bridge. In the mean time, you might just pull one of the tuners out a bit and put some chalk on it and see if that helps it hold. Measure the distance between the nut and bridge and I'll check and see what I have for strings in my box of goodies. Feel free to get in touch with me, I go to Palatka about 3 times a week anyway.
Angelina, Lucky made his dulcimers with a long vibrating string length making them perfect for noter/drone style playing. You can check, but I think the length is about 29 inches. I think he originally tuned them to CGG and later used DAA. Of course, with the proper strings you can tune to DAd.
Ken
"The dulcimer sings a sweet song."
Thank you Ken. I will follow up on this.
Interestingly enough I also have a historic violin that has come down in the family. I have had several lessons on that, but had to give up the lessons when my mother developed Alzheimer's. My step-daughter has it now as she is learning violin, but I wonder how similar/dissimilar those pegs are to these?
Plus, I think this instrument may need to be looked at by a professional, as it is vintage, and may have problems I can't see.
Thank you for your response.
Welcome to the wonderful world of dulcimer! It really is a very easy instrument to get started with.
Wooden pegs are great once you get used to them, but there can be a bit of a learning curve. Try the Music Lessons shop on Crill Ave in Palatka. There may be a good acoustic music shop in St Augustine, but these guys are closest for you. They aren't dulcimer people, but can probably come up with a bottle of Peg Dope for you, and show you how to apply a drop to each peg (only rarely) and then how tighten/loosen and tune the strings. Tell them you want to tune the dulcimer to DAd (D4, A4, D5). They will also have a electronic tuner to buy that you will use to tune the dulcimer.
Here's an article I wrote several years ago, for beginners such as yourself. It's an illustrated glossary of dulcimer terms, plus answers to many beginner questions about the tuning, playing, care and feeding of your new friend.
https://fotmd.com/forums/forum/dulcimer-resourcestabs-books-websites-dvds/17129/i-just-got-a-dulcimer-now-what-article
I'm down in Fort Myers, on the Gulf Coast. If there's anythng I can do to help, message me here or through Farcebook, and I'll do what I can to help you get going.
Hi Strumelia:
I am in NE Florida, East Palatka, Florida, to be exact. We are about 30 miles SW of St. Augustine, 65 miles south of Jacksonville, 45-50 east of Gainesville, and about a two-three hour drive north of Orlando.
Where are you located?
Hi Folks:
I am absolutely new at this. I received a vintage (1975) Lucky Diamond Dulcimer as an early Christmas present. I thought I would be able to start learning right away, but no.
It has wooden pegs and the strings look okay, but when I try to tune it, the pegs will not hold. I am looking for a dulcimer luthier near me so that I can see if it needs some repair, and so I can learn.
Any suggestions?
