My Husband Has Become Interested...

AngelinaCat
AngelinaCat
@angelinacat
4 years ago
22 posts

Thank you for the replies.

We actually have it in a room in another building on our property that has good ventilation in it--a slightly open rear window, and a ceiling fan in the room that we mainly use.  That overnight stay, and the beeswax furniture dressing that I slathered all over the dry wood yesterday, seems to have helped the odor.  Neither one of us really noticed the odor today when we went over to practice this afternoon.

I will be sure to pay attention tomorrow when we practice.

Lynn is starting to learn the basics and so far is learning and has played the CABBAGE song and 'Hot Cross Buns'.  So in two days, with no musical background, I think he is doing great!

Salt Springs
Salt Springs
@salt-springs
4 years ago
214 posts

You can do a number of things that should help....I've used some of these methods when getting bad smells out of antique furniture we were restoring for some high end shops years ago.....you haven't got anything to lose so here are a few things that might help:

1. Lemon Oil furniture polish.........I like Howard's products...........wipe it down and let it set, wipe it off and repeat it a few times.

2. Put it in a sealed box on top of a layer of plain old baking soda and let it sit overnight; replace the baking soda and do it again.  I'd use a layer about 1/2 inch thick.

3. Wrap it up in plain old newspaper..use a fair amount of paper and put it in a plastic bag or sealed box........newspaper will absorb some of that smell. (you can buy some shredded newspaper cat litter and probably pack it around it in a box instead.)

4. We also used fresh ground coffee, the cheap stuff you can buy just about anywhere......again, put the coffee in filters, close 'em up with a rubber band or string........put the gizmo in a box and seal it up, let it sit for a good day or two and throw the coffee out and see if that helps.  Use a number of them little pouches.  We used to put coffee on paper plates in furniture drawers.

5.  I once had a dresser with draws that had a horrible odor of some sort.  My work partner used cedar shavings he got from a pet store and covered the bottom of those draws with that stuff and in a day or two the musty/smokey smell was gone.  Just make sure that those shavings have not been dyed..........I would think that un-dyed eucalyptus or cedar mulch might work too......

 

Good luck and let us know how it goes.  There used to be an aerosol product that companies used to rid houses of smoke odor after a fire.........one of those companies that do remediation work may sell you some or tell you what it is..........I can't remember the name of it but we used it in Military housing to get rid of smoke odors in quarters and also reeked of who knows what.................

Ken Hulme
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
4 years ago
2,159 posts

John's got a great idea there -- call a local remediation company and ask them what they would suggest.  Can't hurt...

John C. Knopf
John C. Knopf
@john-c-knopf
4 years ago
412 posts

Angelina, there have been different ideas posted online regarding the same issue with guitars and their cases.  You might like to look some of them up? Some like to set it in the sun and wind (maybe not this time of year), wiping down with first a rag soaked in tomato juice, then a rag soaked in baking soda and water, then a dry rag.    When our funeral home caught fire eight years ago, the remediation company subjected all of its belongings to an ozone treatment.  I haven't smelled any smoke since.

AngelinaCat
AngelinaCat
@angelinacat
4 years ago
22 posts

Hi Folks:

It FINALLY arrived today!  I guess the dead mule was finally replaced.

It looks and seems like a nice dulcimer, but the quality between the McSpadden and the Lucky Diamond was immediately apparent once we got the new strings on and tuned correctly.

Unfortunately, it came from a smoker's house.  I wish that fact had been disclosed in the eBay listing.  If it had been, we would have passed it by.  Does anyone know how to clean that?  It REEKS!!

It also was very dirty and dried out, and soaked a up a lot of the beeswax preparation that Mr. Salt Springs recommended.

So, any thoughts?  Suggestions?

 

AngelinaCat
AngelinaCat
@angelinacat
4 years ago
22 posts

Thank you!  We will let you know.how it goes.

BTW, the 'kit' he had been looking at, sold also, but we didn't watch that one, or know how much it sold for....

 

Susie
Susie
@susie
4 years ago
509 posts

Congrats, looking forward to your report after you get it. I think you should be real happy with a McSpadden. Usually, you can't go wrong.

AngelinaCat
AngelinaCat
@angelinacat
4 years ago
22 posts

Thanks everyone for your input.  It is very encouraging.

DH DID win the auction last night for the dulcimer.  He got it for around $146.50 and around $20.00 for S & H.  So we think we got a good deal and that the seller was fair.  We will know for sure when it arrives.

Susie
Susie
@susie
4 years ago
509 posts

Did you win the Ebay auction for the McSpadden?

Dusty Turtle
Dusty Turtle
@dusty
4 years ago
1,765 posts

The signature is at least proof that the dulcimer was not made from a kit, something you have to look out for with used McSpaddens.

McSpaddens tend to maintain their value pretty well over time, and they are all well made, so they're a safe bet if you have to buy one without playing it first.




--
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
Strumelia
Strumelia
@strumelia
4 years ago
2,305 posts

McSpaddens are known to be well made and are very reputable.  Also, you can contact the company if you ever need assistance or have questions.




--
Site Owner

Those irritated by grain of sand best avoid beach.
-Strumelia proverb c.1990
John C. Knopf
John C. Knopf
@john-c-knopf
4 years ago
412 posts

Richard Stolze was an employee at McSpadden/The Dulcimer Shoppe for many years.  It should be a high-quality dulcimer.

Ken Hulme
Ken Hulme
@ken-hulme
4 years ago
2,159 posts

The signature means virtually nothing.  I understand that the employees take turns signing batches of instruments.  It's not like the signee actually built the dulcimer.  

That's a good price, certainly and it appears to be in decent condition.

AngelinaCat
AngelinaCat
@angelinacat
4 years ago
22 posts

Hi Everyone:

As the title says, my husband has become interested in having an instrument of his own, after buying me one for Christmas.

He has been looking on eBay--that's where he bought mine--a Lucky Diamond 1975--and was looking at a very cheap model that is going down in 7 hours that we (in al of our experience--which is none!) think is a kit. 

After researching here and seeing Sturmmellia's post warning about cheap knock-offs on another popular site.

He decided against bidding on that one, but is looking at one that is supposed to be a McFadden.  Here is the link.  Any opinions???

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Appalachian-mountain-dulcimer-Mcspadden-signed-Richard-Stolze-31783-1995-SSW/274204031025?hash=item3fd7d57831:g:yq0AAOSwGj9eHjry

Thanks!